bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Exekutive Funktionen bei Jungen mit Aufmerksamkeitsdefizit-/Hyperaktivitätsstörung im Kindesalter
Authors: Hampel Petra , Petermann Franz , Desman Christiane
Published: July 2009

Die Studie ging der Frage nach, ob die uneinheitlichen Befunde zu einem globalen Defizit in exekutiven Funktionen bei Kindern mit Aufmerksamkeitsdefizit-/Hyperaktivitätsstörung (ADHS) durch Altersunterschiede erklärt werden können. Es wurde ein zweifaktorieller Versuchsplan mit den Faktoren „Gruppe“ (n = 45 Jungen mit ADHS vom Mischtyp vs. n = 45 gesunde, nach Alter und Intelligenz parallelisierte Jungen) und „Alter“ (8 – 9 vs. 10 – 12 Jahre) untersucht. Insgesamt zeigten die Jungen mit ADHS in allen exekutiven Komponenten signifikant schlechtere Leistungen als die gesunden Jungen. Außerdem wiesen die jüngeren Jungen schlechtere exekutive Leistungen auf als die älteren Jungen. Demnach sprechen unsere Befunde für ein globales Defizit in den exekutiven Funktionen und für die Annahme einer Entwicklungsabweichung bei Jungen mit ADHS.
A Field Course in the Siberian Arctic: 30 Days, 20 People, 3 Continents, 1 Barge
Authors: Holmes R. Max , Frey Karen E. , Zimov Sergey
Published: July 2009

As environmental change accelerates in the Arctic, the international scientific community is struggling to keep up with research efforts. To help with this, an innovative project aims to create a new cohort of Arctic researchers by uniting U.S. and Russian undergraduate students and early‐career scientists through the Polaris Project, a focused effort to investigate the impacts of climate change in the Siberian Arctic.

Funded by the U.S. National Science Foundation as part of the International Polar Year (IPY), the Polaris Project (http://www.thepolarisproject.org) began in January 2008 with Arctic‐focused undergraduate courses at seven participating institutions across the United States (Carleton College; Clark University; College of the Holy Cross; St. Olaf College; University of Nevada, Reno; and Western Washington University) and Russia (Yakutsk State University in Siberia). The students enrolled in these on‐campus courses were then eligible to apply for a summer field program in Siberia, the first of which was launched in July 2008 as a group of students and faculty traveled from the United States to Moscow, then to Yakutsk, and finally to Cherskiy in the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia), Siberia (Figures 1 and 2a).
Climate Change Now Apparent and Unequivocal, New Report Warns
Authors: Showstack Randy
Published: July 2009

Climate change is happening now in the United States and globally, and its impacts are expected to become increasingly severe for more people and places unless the rate of emissions of heat‐trapping gases is substantially reduced, according to a new report, “Global Climate Change Impacts in the United States,” issued at a 16 June White House briefing.

The 190‐page report, a product of the interagency U.S. Global Change Research Program (USGCRP), states that “global warming is unequivocal and primarily human‐induced.” Among other key findings of the report—which drew on USGCRP results and other studies including Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change reports and the Arctic Climate Impact Assessment—is that climate change will have numerous impacts on water resources, ecosystems, agriculture, coastal areas, human health, and other sectors.
Keeping the Freedom to Build Idealized Climate Models
Authors: de Verdiere Alain Colin
Published: July 2009

I would like to add more fuel to the point of view of Nof [2008], who initiated a Forum to promote the study of simplified climate models. Aside from the problem of subgrid‐scale uncertainties and the associated amplification of errors in a nonlinear system, there are two other issues to bear in mind when discussing the solutions of complex climate models.

The first concerns their initialization. The present generation of models is for the most part initialized from the observations of a given climate. However, initialization from climatological data is not a good test of the models because the solution that is desired is put into the system at the beginning! Then the task evolves into one of minimizing the drift away from these initial conditions. Results, then, become self‐fulfilling.
Panregional Synthesis of Ocean Ecosystem Dynamics: Third Annual U.S. GLOBEC Pan‐Regional Synthesis Workshop; Boulder, Colorado, 17–20 February 2009
Authors: Haidvogel Dale B.
Published: July 2009

U.S. Global Ocean Ecosystem Dynamics (GLOBEC) is a research program organized by oceanographers and fisheries scientists to address the question of how climate variability, including global climate change, may affect the structure and function of marine ecosystems. Initiated in 1990, U.S. GLOBEC has until now comprised three regional programs—Northwest Atlantic/Georges Bank, Northeast Pacific, and Southern Ocean—and a series of technology and modeling development projects.

The U.S. GLOBEC program has now entered its final panregional synthesis phase, which focuses on comparing and contrasting results from the different regions in the prior phases of U.S. GLOBEC and on extending these results to other comparable ecosystems worldwide. Ten panregional projects have been funded through the U.S. National Science Foundation. These projects address three synthetic themes: the influence of climate change on physical and biological processes, population dynamics and recruitment of target species, and ecosystem structure and function. The titles and abstracts of the ten funded projects can be viewed at http://www.usglobec.org/funded.php.
Challenges in Coastal Satellite Radar Altimetry: Second Coastal Altimetry Workshop; Pisa, Italy, 6–7 November 2008
Authors: Benveniste Jérôme , Vignudelli Stefano
Published: July 2009

A growing number of coastal observing systems are incorporating altimeter data. This requires new methods to reduce errors caused by land in the radar footprints and inaccuracies in atmospheric and geophysical corrections near land.

These issues are being addressed in individual research projects and by two major European initiatives. COASTALT (funded by the European Space Agency (ESA)) is developing processing tools for retrieving along‐track altimeter data from the Envisat satellite in coastal regions, while Prototype Innovant de Système de Traitement pour l'Altimètrie Côtière et l'Hydrologie (PISTACH, funded by Centre National d'Etudes Spatiales (CNES), France) is doing the same for data from the Jason 1 and 2 satellites. To coordinate these efforts, a second workshop on coastal altimetry was held in Italy to review progress since the first workshop (see W. H. Smith et al., Eos, 89(40), 380, 2008). The second workshop was sponsored by ESA and CNES together with Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (Italy) and the National Oceanography Centre, Southampton (United Kingdom). Seventy‐eight participants from 16 countries attended this workshop.
Reiff Receives 2009 Athelstan Spilhaus Award
Authors: Eather Robert E. , Reiff Patricia Hofer
Published: July 2009

Patricia Hofer Reiff received the Athelstan Spilhaus Award for Enhancement of the Public Understanding of Earth and Space Science at the Joint Assembly, held 26 May 2009 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The award honors “individuals who have devoted portions of their lives to expressing the excitement, significance, and beauty of the Earth and space sciences to the general public.”
Mapping of the ligand-binding site on the b′ domain of human PDI: interaction with peptide ligands and the x-linker region
Authors: Byrne Lee J. , Sidhu Ateesh , Wallis A. Katrine , Ruddock Lloyd W. , Freedman Robert B. , Howard Mark J. , Williamson Richard A.
Published: July 2009

PDI (protein disulfide-isomerase) catalyses the formation of native disulfide bonds of secretory proteins in the endoplasmic reticulum. PDI consists of four thioredoxin-like domains, of which two contain redox-active catalytic sites (a and a′), and two do not (b and b′). The b′ domain is primarily responsible for substrate binding, although the nature and specificity of the substrate-binding site is still poorly understood. In the present study, we show that the b′ domain of human PDI is in conformational exchange, but that its structure is stabilized by the addition of peptide ligands or by binding the x-linker region. The location of the ligand-binding site in b′ was mapped by NMR chemical shift perturbation and found to consist primarily of residues from the core β-sheet and α-helices 1 and 3. This site is where the x-linker region binds in the X-ray structure of b′x and we show that peptide ligands can compete with x binding at this site. The finding that x binds in the principal ligand-binding site of b′ further supports the hypothesis that x functions to gate access to this site and so modulates PDI activity.
Specific role of phosphoinositide 3-kinase p110α in the regulation of phagocytosis and pinocytosis in macrophages
Authors: Tamura Namiko , Hazeki Kaoru , Okazaki Natsumi , Kametani Yukiko , Murakami Hiroki , Takaba Yuki , Ishikawa Yuki , Nigorikawa Kiyomi , Hazeki Osamu
Published: July 2009

PI3K (phosphoinositide 3-kinase) α has been implicated in phagocytosis and fluid-phase pinocytosis in macrophages. The subtype-specific role of PI3K in these processes is poorly understood. To elucidate this issue, we made Raw 264.7 cells (a mouse leukaemic monocyte–macrophage cell line) deficient in each of the class-I PI3K catalytic subunits: p110α, p110β, p110δ and p110γ. Among these cells, only the p110α-deficient cells exhibited lower phagocytosis of opsonized and non-opsonized zymosan. The p110α-deficient cells also showed the impaired phagocytosis of IgG-opsonized erythrocytes and the impaired fluid-phase pinocytosis of dextran (molecular mass of 40 kDa). Receptor-mediated pinocytosis of DiI (1,1′-dioctadecyl-3,3,3′,3′-tetramethylindocarbocyanine perchlorate)-labelled acetylated low-density lipoprotein and fluid-phase pinocytosis of Lucifer Yellow (molecular mass of 500 Da) were resistant to p110α depletion. None of these processes were impaired in cells lacking p110β, p110δ or p110γ, but were susceptible to a pan-PI3K inhibitor wortmannin. In cells deficient in the enzymes catalysing PtdIns(3,4,5)P3 breakdown [PTEN (phosphatase and tensin homologue deleted on chromosome 10) or SHIP-1 (Src-homology-2-domain-containing inositol phosphatase-1)], uptake of IgG-opsonized particles was enhanced. These results indicated that phagocytosis and fluid-phase pinocytosis of larger molecules are dependent on the lipid kinase activity of p110α, whereas pinocytosis via clathrin-coated and small non-coated vesicles may depend on subtypes of PI3Ks other than class I.
Mammalian sterile 20-like kinase 3 (MST3) mediates oxidative-stress-induced cell death by modulating JNK activation
Authors: Chen Ce-Belle , Ng Jowin K. W. , Choo Poh-Heok , Wu Wei , Porter Alan G.
Published: July 2009

MST3 (mammalian sterile 20-like kinase 3) is a sterile 20 kinase reported to have a role in Fas-ligation- and staurosporine-induced cell death by unknown mechanism(s). We found that MST3-deficient cells are resistant to H2O2, which was reversed by reconstituting recombinant MST3. H2O2-induced JNK (c-Jun N-terminal kinase) activation was greatly enhanced in shMST3 cells (a cell line treated with short hairpin RNA against MST3). Suppression of JNK activity by the inhibitor SP600125 or by dominant-negative JNK2 re-sensitized cells to H2O2. Furthermore, c-Jun Ser-63 phosphorylation was augmented in shMST3 cells, whereas JunAA (dominant-negative c-Jun) reduced H2O2 resistance, implicating an AP-1 (activator protein 1) pathway in H2O2-induced survival signalling. Total cytoprotective HO-1 (haem oxygenase 1) expression, which was attenuated by JunAA, was induced up to 5-fold higher in shMST3 cells compared with controls. Zinc protoporphyrin IX, a potent inhibitor of HO reversed the H2O2-resistance of shMST3 cells. Our results reveal that H2O2-induced MST3-mediated cell death involves suppressing both a JNK survival pathway and up-regulation of HO-1.
Regulation of resistin by cyclic mechanical stretch in cultured rat vascular smooth muscle cells
Authors: Wang Bao-Wei , Chang Hang , Shyu Kou-Gi
Published: July 2009

Resistin has a potential role in atherosclerosis; however, the molecular mechanism underlying the increase in resistin expression in atherosclerosis remains unclear. As mechanical stretch plays an important role in atherosclerosis, in the present study we sought to investigate the cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying the regulation of resistin by cyclic mechanical stretch in VSMCs (vascular smooth muscle cells). VSMCs from thoracic aorta of adult Wistar rats were cultured and subjected to cyclic stretch. Cyclic mechanical stretch significantly increased resistin protein and mRNA expression as compared with control cells without stretch. The specific p38 MAPK (mitogen-activated protein kinase) inhibitor SB203580, the antioxidant N-acetylcysteine and p38 MAPK siRNA (small interfering RNA) attenuated the induction of resistin protein by cyclic stretch. Cyclic stretch significantly increased the phosphorylation of p38 MAPK, whereas pre-treatment with SB203580 and N-acetylcysteine significantly inhibited this effect. Cyclic stretch significantly increased ROS (reactive oxygen species) production, and pre-treatment with N-acetylcysteine significantly inhibited stretch-induced ROS production. Cyclic stretch also increased STAT3 (signal transducer and activator of transcription 3)-binding activity and resistin promoter activity, and resistin promoter activity was abolished when STAT3 in the promoter area was mutated. Pre-treatment with SB203580 and N-acetylcysteine significantly attenuated resistin promoter activity induced by cyclic stretch. Cyclic stretch increased the secretion of AngII (angiotensin II) and resistin from cultured VSMCs. Exogenous AngII increased resistin expression, and AngII receptor inhibition attenuated this effect. In conclusion, cyclic mechanical stretch increases resistin expression in cultured rat VSMCs. Stretch-induced resistin expression is mediated through ROS, and the p38 MAPK and STAT3 pathways. Therefore resistin induced by cyclic stretch may contribute to the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis under haemodynamic overload.
Space–Time Patterns of Urban Sprawl, a 1D Cellular Automata and Microeconomic Approach
Authors: Caruso Geoffrey , Peeters Dominique , Cavailhes Jean , Rounsevell Mark
Published: July 2009

We present a theoretical model of residential growth that emphasises the path-dependent nature of urban sprawl patterns. The model is founded on the monocentric urban economic model and uses a cellular automata (CA) approach to introduce endogenous neighbourhood effects. Households are assumed both to like and to dislike the density of their neighbourhood, and are assumed to trade-off this density with housing space consumption and commuting costs. Discontinuous spatial patterns emerge from that trade-off, with the size of suburban clusters varying with time and distance to the centre. We use space–time diagrams inspired from 1D elementary CA to visualise changes in spatial patterns through time and space, and undertake sensitivity analyses to show how the pattern and timing of sprawl are affected by neighbourhood preferences, income level, commuting costs, or by imposing a green belt.
Nature, Economy, and the Space — Place Distinction
Authors: Wainwright Joel , Barnes Trevor J
Published: July 2009

This paper reconsiders the distinction between the concepts of space and place. We argue that, rather than favoring one side of the place – space division, or dissolving the partition between them, the distinction needs to be maintained because it is a key site of Western metaphysics. Specifically, the distinction between space and place cannot be abandoned or easily altered because it remains inextricably entangled with other key concepts. Drawing upon Derrida's notion of différance, we illustrate two such entanglements, the relation of space – place with nature and with economy. We argue that space – place helps to constitute, but in turn is constituted by, nature and economy. The larger point is that none of these metaphysical concepts are separate and independent, but are entwined in complex and changing forms, producing effects that demand critical scrutiny.
Interaction between Reference Frames during Subjective Vertical Estimates in a Tilted Immersive Virtual Environment
Authors: Bringoux Lionel , Bourdin Christophe , Lepecq Jean-Claude , Sandor Patrick M B , Pergandi Jean-Marie , Mestre Daniel
Published: July 2009

Numerous studies highlighted the influence of a tilted visual frame on the perception of the visual vertical (‘rod-and-frame effect’ or RFE). Here, we investigated whether this influence can be modified in a virtual immersive environment (CAVE-like) by the structure of the visual scene and by the adjustment mode allowing visual or visuo-kinaesthetic control (V and VK mode, respectively). The way this influence might dynamically evolve throughout the adjustment was also investigated in two groups of subjects with the head unrestrained or restrained upright. RFE observed in the immersive environment was qualitatively comparable to that obtained in a real display (portable rod-and-frame test; Oltman 1968, Perceptual and Motor Skills26 503–506). Moreover, RFE in the immersive environment appeared significantly influenced by the structure of the visual scene and by the adjustment mode: the more geometrical and meaningful 3-D features the visual scene contained, the greater the RFE. The RFE was also greater when the subjective vertical was assessed under visual control only, as compared to visuo-kinaesthetic control. Furthermore, the results showed a significant RFE increase throughout the adjustment, indicating that the influence of the visual scene upon subjective vertical might dynamically evolve over time. The latter effect was more pronounced for structured visual scenes and under visuo-kinaesthetic control. On the other hand, no difference was observed between the two groups of subjects having the head restrained or unrestrained. These results are discussed in terms of dynamic combination between coexisting reference frames for spatial orientation.
Processing Navon Letters Can Make Wines Taste Different
Authors: Lewis Michael B , Seeley Jennifer , Miles Chris
Published: July 2009

Previous work has demonstrated that providing a verbal description of a wine impairs its recognition (Melcher and Schooler, 1996 Journal of Memory and Language35 231–245). It was proposed that the effect was due to disruption of the perceptual memory by the verbalisation process as seen in face recognition. A similar impairment can be observed in face recognition after reading the small (local) letters of Navon stimuli. Here, it is suggested that the effect in wine recognition is due to a change in the processing style following the provision of a verbal description. In the current experiment we investigated whether the reading of Navon letters also affected the recognition of wines. We found that wine recognition was more accurate after the reading of the global letters rather than after the reading of the local letters of the Navon stimuli. The results demonstrate how the control of visual processing can affect perception in other modalities.
Stereoscopic Comparison as the Long-Lost Secret to Microscopically Detailed Illumination like the Book of Kells'
Authors: Cisne John L
Published: July 2009

The idea that the seventh- and eighth-century illuminators of the finest few Insular manuscripts had a working knowledge of stereoscopic images (otherwise an eighteenth- and nineteenth-century discovery) helps explain how they could create singularly intricate, microscopically detailed designs at least five centuries before the earliest known artificial lenses of even spectacle quality. An important clue to this long-standing problem is that interlace patterns drawn largely freehand in lines spaced as closely as several per millimeter repeat so exactly across whole pages that repetitions can be free-fused to form microscopically detailed stereoscopic images whose relief in some instances indicates precision unsurpassed in astronomical instruments until the Renaissance. Spacings between repetitions commonly harmonize closely enough with normal interpupillary distances that copying disparities can be magnified tens of times in the stereoscopic relief of the images. The proposed explanation: to copy a design, create a pattern, or perfect a design's template, the finest illuminators worked by successive approximation, using their presumably unaided eyes first as a camera lucida to fill a measured grid with multiple copies from a design, and then as a stereocomparator to detect and minimize disparities between repetitions by minimizing the relief of stereoscopic images, in the manner of a Howard–Dolman stereoacuity test done in reverse.
Audio-Visual Organisation and the Temporal Ventriloquism Effect between Grouped Sequences: Evidence That Unimodal Grouping Precedes Cross-Modal Integration
Authors: Cook Laura A , Van Valkenburg David L
Published: July 2009

Cross-modal grouping interactions between auditory and visual sequences have previously been demonstrated (O'Leary and Rhodes 1984, Perception & Psychophysics33 565–569; Rahne et al 2008, Brain Research1220 118–131). Three experiments were conducted here to determine whether cross-modal interaction precedes unimodal grouping and whether the temporal ventriloquism effect could be found between grouped auditory and visual sequences. We used a repeating four-tone auditory sequence (high–middle–middle–low) where the middle tones could group with either the high tone or the low tone, paired with a sequence of light flashes with a single flash one side and three the other. Experiment 1 showed that the temporal position of the isolated flash in the visual sequence had no effect on which of the auditory tones were perceived as isolated. Experiments 2 and 3 demonstrated that the temporal ventriloquism effect occurs between grouped auditory and visual sequences, as participants reported that the isolated light and tone from grouped visual and auditory sequences seemed to synchronise when they were between 120 and 240 ms apart. These results suggest that unisensory grouping can occur prior to cross-modal interaction.
Screening for Tuberculosis Infection in Spanish Healthcare Workers Comparison of the QuantiFERON-TB Gold In-Tube Test with the Tuberculin Skin Test
Authors: Àlvarez-León Eva Elisa , Espinosa-Vega Elizabeth , Santana-Rodríguez Évora , Molina-Cabrillana Jesús M. , Pérez-Arellano Jose Luis , Caminero Jose Antonio , Serrano-Aguilar Pedro
Published: July 2009

Objective.

The risk of latent tuberculosis (LTBI) in healthcare workers (HCWs) is high. Until recently, the tuberculin skin test (TST) was the only diagnostic test available for Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection. A new enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay test, the QuantiFERON-TB Gold (QFT-G) test, was recommended by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as an alternative test for the diagnosis of LTBI in HCWs. The purpose of our study was to compare the TST and the QFT-G test in Spanish HCWs in order to improve procedures for the detection of LTBI.

Methods.

A cross-sectional study with blinded comparison of TST and QFT-G test results was carried out among 134 HCWs at an 800-bed Spanish university hospital. The level of interferon-7 production stimulated by the QFT-G test was measured. A concentration of at least 0.35 IU/mL was considered a positive result. An induration of at least 5 mm in non-BCG-vaccinated or at least 15 mm in BCG-vaccinated HCWs for the TST was considered positive.

Results.

Of the 134 HCWs included (mean age, 33.4 years; 101 [75.4%] women; 47 [35.1%] BCG vaccinated), the LTBI prevalence diagnosed with any test was 11.2% (95% confidence interval, 6.6%-18.1%), with the TST was 8.96%, and with the QFT-G test was 5.97% (nonsignificant differences). The QFT-G test value was higher in subjects with TST induration of at least 15 mm than in subjects with TST induration of less than 15 mm (P < .001). Overall agreement between the results of the two tests was found in 94% of HCWs (K = 0.56), but agreement was only 59% in HCWs who had a positive result for both tests. Disagreement was present in the results found for 5% of HCWs.

Conclusions.

Few studies have compared both tests in populations with high M. tuberculosis exposure but low BCG vaccination prevalence. Agreement between both tests is high, especially among negative Results. Studies are needed to clarify the reasons for disagreement and to establish the best TST and QFT-G test cutoff point.
Intervention with an Infection Control Bundle to Reduce Transmission of Influenza-Like Illnesses in a Thai Preschool
Authors: Apisarnthanarak Anucha , Apisarnthanarak Piyaporn , Cheevakumjorn Boonsri , Mundy Linda M.
Published: July 2009

Background.

Infection-control interventions are needed to minimize transmission of influenza-like illness (ILI) and other infections in settings where children are in close proximity.

Setting.

A 240-children Thai kindergarten.

Methods.

Three-year, quasi-experimental study was conducted to assess the association between the use of a bundle of 4 infection control interventions and the incidence of ILI, diarrheal illnesses, and hand-foot-mouth infections among preschool children. The numbers of incident infections were calculated for the preintervention year (period 1), the immediate postintervention year (period 2), and the sustained postintervention year (period 3).

Results.

The monthly incidence of ILI in period 1 (mean, 124 episodes per month) was 25.8 cases per 1,000 child-days; in period 2, it was 10.1 cases per 1,000 child-days (a reduction of 60.8%; P = .008); and in period 3, it was 8.2 cases per 1,000 child-days (a further reduction of 19%;P= .002). The monthly incidence of diarrheal illnesses in period 1 was 14 cases per 1,000 child-days; in period 2, it was 4 cases per 1,000 child-days (P= .01); and in period 3, it was 3 cases per 1,000 child-days (P= .007). The yearly incidence of hand-foot-mouth infection in period 1 was 10 cases per 1,000 child-days; in period 2, it was 1 case per 1,000 child-days (P= .01); and in period 3, it was 0.5 cases per 1,000 child-days per year (P= .007).

Conclusion.

Use of the infection control intervention bundle was associated with reduced incidence of ILI at the Thai preschool.
Contaminated Product Water as the Source ofPhialemonium curvatumBloodstream Infection among Patients Undergoing Hemodialysis
Authors: Rao Carol Y. , Pachucki Constance , Cali Salvatore , Santhiraj Mangai , Krankoski Kathi L. K. , Noble-Wang Judith A. , Leehey David , Popli Subhash , Brandt Mary E. , Lindsley Mark D. , Fridkin Scott K. , Arduino Matthew J.
Published: July 2009

Objective.

We investigated a cluster of cases of bloodstream infection (BSI) due to the moldPhialemoniumat a hemodialysis center in Illinois and conducted a cohort study to identify risk factors.

Design.

Environmental assessment and cohort study.

Setting.

A hemodialysis center in a tertiary care hospital.

Methods.

A case patient was defined as a person who underwent dialysis at the center and had a blood sample that tested positive forPhialemonium curvatumon culture. We reviewed microbiology and medical records and tested water, surface, and dialysate samples by culture. Molds isolated from environmental and clinical specimens were identified by their morphological features and confirmed by sequencing DNA.

Results.

We identified 2 case patients with BSI due toP. curvatum. Both became febrile and hypotensive while undergoing dialysis on the same machine at the same treatment station, although on different days. Dialysis machines were equipped with waste handling option ports that are used to discard dialyzer priming fluid. We isolatedP. curvatumfrom the product water (ie, water used for dialysis purposes) at 2 of 19 treatment stations, one of which was the implicated station.

Conclusion.

The source ofP. curvatumwas likely the water distribution system. To our knowledge, this is the first report of patients acquiring a mold BSI from contaminated product water. The route of exposure in these cases of BSI due toP. curvatummay be related to the malfunction and improper maintenance of the waste handling option ports. Waste handling option ports have been previously implicated as the source of bacterial BSI due to the backflow of waste fluid into a patient's blood line. No additional cases of infection were noted after remediation of the water distribution system and after discontinuing use of waste handling option ports at the facility.
The Use and Abuse of History as a Management Tool: Comments on Eric Godelier's View of the French Connection
Authors: Kobrak Christopher
Published: July 2009

This short essay elaborates on two points raised by Eric Godelier's article about resolving divisions between management science and business history in France. It outlines the segmentation of French higher education, especially in the area of business studies, and discusses some long-standing debates over legitimizing historical studies.
Conjugation genes are common throughout the genusRickettsiaand are transmitted horizontally
Authors: Weinert Lucy A. , Welch John J. , Jiggins Francis M.
Published: July 2009

Rickettsiaare endosymbionts of arthropods, some of which are vectored to vertebrates where they cause disease. Recently, it has been found that someRickettsiastrains harbour conjugative plasmids and others encode some conjugative machinery within the bacterial genome. We investigated the distribution of these conjugation genes in a phylogenetically diverse collection ofRickettsiaisolated from arthropods. We found that these genes are common throughout the genus and, in stark contrast to other genes in the genome, conjugation genes are frequently horizontally transmitted between strains. There is no evidence to suggest that these genes are preferentially transferred between phylogenetically related strains, which is surprising given that closely related strains infect similar host species. In addition to detecting patterns of horizontal transmission between diverseRickettsiaspecies, these findings have implications for the evolution of pathogenicity, the evolution ofRickettsiagenomes and the genetic manipulation of intracellular bacteria.
The combined status of ATM and p53 link tumor development with therapeutic response
Authors: Jiang Hai , Reinhardt H. Christian , Bartkova Jirina , Tommiska Johanna , Blomqvist Carl , Nevanlinna Heli , Bartek Jiri , Yaffe Michael B. , Hemann Michael T.
Published: July 2009

While the contribution of specific tumor suppressor networks to cancer development has been the subject of considerable recent study, it remains unclear how alterations in these networks are integrated to influence the response of tumors to anti-cancer treatments. Here, we show that mechanisms commonly used by tumors to bypass early neoplastic checkpoints ultimately determine chemotherapeutic response and generate tumor-specific vulnerabilities that can be exploited with targeted therapies. Specifically, evaluation of the combined status of ATM and p53, two commonly mutated tumor suppressor genes, can help to predict the clinical response to genotoxic chemotherapies. We show that in p53-deficient settings, suppression of ATM dramatically sensitizes tumors to DNA-damaging chemotherapy, whereas, conversely, in the presence of functional p53, suppression of ATM or its downstream target Chk2 actually protects tumors from being killed by genotoxic agents. Furthermore, ATM-deficient cancer cells display strong nononcogene addiction to DNA-PKcs for survival after DNA damage, such that suppression of DNA-PKcs in vivo resensitizes inherently chemoresistant ATM-deficient tumors to genotoxic chemotherapy. Thus, the specific set of alterations induced during tumor development plays a dominant role in determining both the tumor response to conventional chemotherapy and specific susceptibilities to targeted therapies in a given malignancy.
ADAMTS1 and MMP1 proteolytically engage EGF-like ligands in an osteolytic signaling cascade for bone metastasis
Authors: Lu Xin , Wang Qiongqing , Hu Guohong , Van Poznak Catherine , Fleisher Martin , Reiss Michael , Massagué Joan , Kang Yibin
Published: July 2009

Bone metastasis is mediated by complex interactions between tumor cells and resident stromal cells in the bone microenvironment. The functions of metalloproteinases in organ-specific metastasis remain poorly defined despite their well-appreciated role in matrix degradation and tumor invasion. Here, we show a mechanism whereby two distinct metalloproteinases, a disintegrin and metalloproteinase with thrombospondin motifs (ADAMTS1) and matrix metalloproteinase-1 (MMP1), orchestrate a paracrine signaling cascade to modulate the bone microenvironment in favor of osteoclastogenesis and bone metastasis. Proteolytic release of membrane-bound epidermal growth factor (EGF)-like growth factors, including Amphiregulin (AREG), heparin-binding EGF (HB-EGF), and transforming growth factor α (TGFα) from tumor cells suppress the expression of osteoprotegerin (OPG) in osteoblasts and subsequently potentiate osteoclast differentiation. EGF receptor (EGFR) inhibitors block osteolytic bone metastasis by targeting EGFR signaling in bone stromal cells. Furthermore, elevated MMP1 and ADAMTS1 expression is associated with increased risk of bone metastasis in breast cancer patients. This study established MMP1 and ADAMTS1 in tumor cells, as well as EGFR signaling in osteoblasts, as promising therapeutic targets for inhibiting bone metastasis of breast cancer.
Role of Vanadium Carbide Additive during Sintering of WC–Co: Mechanism of Grain Growth Inhibition
Authors: Lee Hyoung R. , Kim Deug J. , Hwang Nong M. , Kim Doh‐Yeon
Published: July 2009

In a WC–Co specimen, the shape of WC crystals was a triangular prism with truncated corners. When VC was added to inhibit grain growth, the crystal shape changed to a triangular prism without truncation. This shape change was related to the variation of edge energy, which has a significant influence on the coarsening process of WC grains.
Influence of pH and Ionic Impurities on the Adsorption of Poly(acrylic) Dispersant onto a Zinc Oxide Surface
Authors: Degen Andrej , Kosec Marija
Published: July 2009

We have studied the properties of aqueous suspensions of ZnO powders with different purities. Our results suggest that powder purity determines the amount of dispersant necessary to form a stable aqueous suspension as well as the maximum adsorption capacity of the dispersant: the higher the positive surface charge of the as‐received ZnO powders, the higher the amount of dispersant adsorbed onto the metal oxide surface. The surface charge of the ZnO particles in suspension is affected by the concentration of zinc as well as sulfate ions, which are the major impurities in the supernatant. The pH of the aqueous ZnO suspensions increases with increasing concentration of poly(acrylic) dispersant until the maximum adsorption capacity is attained. Further additions of dispersant do not increase the pH because of a buffer formation with impurity ions.
Pressureless Sintering and Mechanical and Biological Properties of Fluor‐hydroxyapatite Composites with Zirconia
Authors: Kim Hae‐Won , Kong Young‐Min , Koh Young‐Hag , Kim Hyoun‐Ee , Kim Hyun‐Man , Ko Jea Seung
Published: July 2009

Fluor‐hydroxyapatite (FHA) fabricated by a reaction between fluorapatite (FA) and hydroxyapatite (HA) was mixed with ZrO2 to produce FHA–ZrO2 composites. When the relative amount of FA to HA increased, the decomposition of the composite was decreased gradually because of the formation of thermally stable FHA solid solutions. With such suppression of decomposition, the FHA–ZrO2 composites retained fully densified bodies. As a result, significant enhancements in mechanical properties, such as hardness, flexural strength, and fracture toughness, were achieved as the relative amount of FA to HA increased. The highest values in strength and toughness were 220 MPa and 2.5 MPa·m1/2, respectively, with FHA–40 vol% ZrO2 composites. In vitro proliferation of osteoblast‐like cells (MG63) on the composites showed behavior similar to that observed on pure HA and FHA. Alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity of the growing cells (HOS) on the composites was slightly down‐regulated compared with that on pure HA and FHA at prolonged periods.
Effects of Oxygen Partial Pressure on the Nucleation Behavior and Morphology of Chemically‐Vapor‐Deposited Zirconia on Hi‐Nicalon Fiber and Si
Authors: Lee Jinil , Li Hao , Lee Woo Y. , Lance Michael J.
Published: July 2009

A ZrO2 coating was prepared on Hi‐Nicalon fiber and single‐crystal Si by chemical vapor deposition (CVD) using ZrCl4, CO2, and H2 as precursors at 1050°C. The effects of oxygen partial pressure on the nucleation behavior of the CVD‐ZrO2 coating were systematically studied by intentionally varying the controlled amount of O2 into the CVD chamber. Characterization results suggested that the number density of tetragonal ZrO2 nuclei apparently decreased with increasing the oxygen partial pressure from 4 × 10−3 to 1.6 Pa. Also, the coating layer became more columnar and contained larger monoclinic ZrO2 grains. The observed relationships between the oxygen partial pressure and the nucleation and morphologic characteristics of the ZrO2 coating were attributed to the grain size and oxygen deficiency effects, which have been previously reported to cause the stabilization of the tetragonal ZrO2 phase in bulk ZrO2 specimens.
Effect of Microstructural Control on Thermoelectric Properties of Hot‐Pressed Aluminum‐Doped Zinc Oxide
Authors: Fujishiro Yoshinobu , Miyata Motoyuki , Awano Masanobu , Maeda Kunihiro
Published: July 2009

The thermal conductivity of polycrystalline Al‐doped ZnO was controlled through the fabrication of nanostructured polycrystalline materials, by hot‐pressing nanosized Zn1–xAlxO (x= 0.01, 0.02) particles, which were synthesized by a coprecipitation and spray‐drying method. This process resulted in an improved thermoelectric power factor because of the nanosized Zn0.99Al0.01O particles of the polycrystalline products. The thermal conductivity also was decreased as a result of the formation of nanocrystalline Zn0.99Al0.01O.
Design and Construction of Insulation Configuration for Ultra‐High‐Temperature Microwave Processing of Ceramics
Authors: Xu Geng‐fu , Olorunyolemi Tayo , Carmel Yuval , Lloyd Isabel K. , Wilson Otto C.
Published: July 2009

A multilayer insulation configuration suitable for microwave sintering of ceramics up to 2100°C was designed and tested successfully. The configuration is based on porous, granular BN/ZrO2 fiber composite powder for packed beds and spacer cylinders. This insulation allows stable, controlled microwave sintering and can be modified to microwave process materials with different thermal, dielectric properties with improved properties.
Determination of the Minimum Time for Binder Removal and Optimum Geometry for Three‐Dimensional Porous Green Bodies
Authors: Lombardo Stephen J. , Feng Z. C.
Published: July 2009

A model is developed to optimize two aspects of the thermal removal of binder from green ceramic components. The model, which accounts for flow in porous media arising from the thermal decomposition of binder in three‐dimensional bodies with anisotropic permeability, describes the pressure within the body as a function of position, time, and temperature during the heating cycle. The model is used with variational calculus to predict the heating profile that minimizes the cycle time for the thermal removal of binder. The model is also used to determine which body geometry maximizes the buildup of pressure in parallelepipeds, a common shape of multilayer ceramic capacitors.
Changes in Aging Behavior and Defect Structure of Yttria‐Fully‐Stabilized ZrO2 with Sc2O3 Doping
Authors: Kondoh Junya , Tomii Yoichi , Kawachi Katsuhiro
Published: July 2009

Methods of suppressing decreased conductivity in 8 mol% Y2O3‐stabilized–92 mol% ZrO2 (8YSZ) with aging were investigated. Different amounts of Sc2O3 were doped into 8YSZ. The electrochemical properties of Sc2O3‐doped 8YSZ were measured, and the microstructural and local structural changes were characterized. The present results indicate that an appropriate amount of Sc2O3 doping, 3 or 4 mol%, effectively suppresses decreased conductivity with aging in 8YSZ.
Effect of Porosity on the Electrical Properties of Polycrystalline Sodium Niobate: II, Dielectric Behavior
Authors: Lanfredi Silvania , Rodrigues Ana C.M. , Dessemond Laurent
Published: July 2009

The dielectric behavior of dense and porous NaNbO3 ceramic samples, synthesized by a suitable chemical route, was investigated by impedance spectroscopy between room temperature and 800°C in dry air. The dielectric behavior and thermal stability of the samples were evaluated as a function of several thermal cycles. The dielectric constant was calculated from the relaxation frequency, and from an alternative approach based on the variation of the opposite of the imaginary part of impedance as a function of reciprocal angular frequency. The values obtained using both relations were in a good agreement. After the porosity was corrected, the porous and dense samples presented the same dielectric constant. All samples evaluated displayed a broad dielectric anomaly between 300°–400°C. Neither the orthorhombic‐tetragonal‐ nor the tetragonal‐cubic‐phase transitions were detected by dielectric measurements. The Curie‐Weiss law was found to be valid above the transition temperature, whereas the corresponding phase transition presented a diffuse nature. The origin of the related thermal hysteresis is discussed herein.
Auger Electron Spectroscopy Analysis of Cross‐Section Surface of Oxidized Titanium Carbide Single Crystal
Authors: Bellucci Alessandra , Gozzi Daniele , Kimura Takashi , Noda Tetsuji , Otani Shigeki
Published: July 2009

A TiC monocrystal was heated by three thermal cycles with isotherm at 1108 K while exposed to Ar/O2 mixtures respectively with O2 contents of 239, 1.0, and 324 ppm. The reactivity was detected with a homemade device based on two identical solid electrolyte oxygen sensors connected to a quadrupole mass spectrometer (QMS). The oxidized sample was cleaved by impact bending under high vacuum and the cross section investigated by Auger electron spectroscopy (AES) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) techniques. Both area and profile AES spectra were acquired by using a 70 nm diameter beam. Spectral changes have been analyzed to identify chemical species present at the TiC/TiO2 interface. A model for high‐temperature oxidation of TiC has been proposed. It implies oxygen diffusion through a protective TiO2 layer and the existence of two inner interfaces: TiC/TiC1−xOx and TiC1−xOx/TiO2.
Atomic Force and Ultrasonic Force Microscopic Investigation of Laser‐Treated Ceramic Head Sliders
Authors: Druffner Carl J. , Sathish Shamachary
Published: July 2009

The surface of laser‐treated ceramic hard disk drive head sliders has been imaged with the atomic force microscope (AFM) and ultrasonic force microscope (UFM). The surface topography image from the AFM is compared with the elasticity image generated by the UFM on the same region. Images of the surface structure changes along with microcracking in the laser‐treated regions are presented. The possible reasons for the development of microcracking and the enhanced contrast that the UFM provides of the microcracks and the material microstructure changes in the laser‐treated region are discussed.
Effect of the Amount of Additives and Post‐Heat Treatment on the Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of Yttrium–α‐Sialon Ceramics
Authors: Ye Feng , Hoffmann Michael J. , Holzer Stefan , Zhou Yu , Iwasa Mikio
Published: July 2009

The yttrium–sialon ceramics with the composition of Y0.333Si10Al2ON15 and an excess addition of Y2O3 (2 or 5 wt%) were fabricated by hot isostatic press (HIP) sintering at 1800°C for 1 h. The resulting materials were subsequently heat‐treated in the temperature range 1300–1900°C to investigate its effect on the α→β‐sialon phase transformation, the morphology of α‐sialon grains, and mechanical properties. The results show that α‐sialons stabilized by yttrium have high thermal stability. An adjustment of the α‐sialon phase composition is the dominating reaction in the investigated Y–α‐sialon ceramics during low‐temperature annealing. Incorporation of excess Y2O3 could effectively promote the formation of elongated α‐sialon grains during post‐heat‐treating at relatively higher temperature (1700° and 1900°C) and hence resulted in a high fracture toughness (KIC= 6.3 MPa·m1/2) via grain debonding and pullout effects. Although the addition of 5 wt% Y2O3 could promote the growth of elongated α grains with a higher aspect ratio, the higher liquid‐phase content increased the interfacial bonding strength and therefore hindered interface debonding and crack deflection. The heat treatment at 1500°C significantly changed the morphology of α‐sialon grains from elongated to equiaxed and hence decreased its toughness.
Fractional Crystallization of Liquid Coexisting with α‐Ca2SiO4 Solid Solution in the CaO–SiO2–Al2O3–Fe2O3 Pseudoquaternary System
Authors: Fukuda Koichiro , Hattori Namiko , Yoshida Hideto
Published: July 2009

The phase stability in the pseudoquaternary CaO–SiO2–Al2O3–Fe2O3 system has been studied over the temperature range of 1700° to 1360°C. The samples were prepared so that the mean chemical compositions were distributed between the end members of P2O5‐bearing Ca2SiO4 (C2S(ss)) and Ca2AlFeO5. They were examined by electron probe microanalysis, optical microscopy, and powder X‐ray diffractometry. Above 1378°C, α‐C2S(ss) and the liquid coexisted in equilibrium. Based on the temperature dependence of the chemical compositions of the two phases, the phase diagram was established in part of the pseudobinary Ca2SiO4–Ca2AlFeO5 system. The Ca2AlFeO5 contents of α‐C2S(ss) and liquid steadily increased from 3.4 to 5.2 and from 51.6 to 80.0 mass%, respectively, as the temperature decreased from 1700° to 1380°C. At temperatures between 1378° and 1368°C, the three‐phase mixture of α′H‐C2S(ss), ferrite, and liquid was stable. When α‐C2S(ss) and the liquid above 1378°C were cooled, both the remelting (metatectic) reaction of α‐C2S(ss) and the fractional crystallization of the liquid simultaneously occurred in the narrow temperature range of 1378° to 1368°C. In the latter reaction, the crystallized ferrite became enriched in Fe2O3with respect to Al2O3; thus the relative composition of the differentiated liquid was reversed. During further cooling below 1368°C, the aluminate was crystallized out of the liquid. The resulting phase compositions (i.e., α′H‐C2S(ss), ferrite, and aluminate) were therefore distinct from those which were thermodynamically most stable (i.e., α′H‐C2S(ss) and ferrite).
Quaternary System Al2O3–CaO–MgO–SiO2: I, Study of the Crystallization Volume of Al2O3
Authors: Vázquez Bertha Alicia , Caballero Angel , Pena Pilar
Published: July 2009

Compatibility relations of Al2O3 in the quaternary system Al2O3–CaO–MgO–SiO2 were studied by firing and quenching followed by microstructural and energy‐dispersive X‐ray examination. A projection of the liquidus surface of the primary phase volume of Al2O3 was constructed in terms of the CaO, SiO2, and MgO contents of the mixtures recalculated to 100 wt%. Two invariant points, where four solids coexist with a liquid phase, were defined, and the positions of the isotherms were tentatively established. The effect of SiO2, MgO, and CaO impurities on Al2O3 growth also was studied.