bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Attributes of Effective Managers and Implications for Health Care Management Education in the Asia-Pacific Region
Authors: Jain Sagar C , Boldy Duncan , Chen Guoqing
Published: June 2011

This paper explores the perceptions of managers and students from 11 countries in the Asia-Pacific region regarding the attributes needed for becoming effective managers and the broad implications of these findings for health care management education. The study forms part of a wider international project aimed at exploring the role of national culture in managerial behavior and effectiveness.
Knowledge, Attitudes and Perceptions Related to Drug Abuse In Peninsula Malaysia: A Survey Report
Authors: Low Wah-Yun , Zulkifil Siti Norazah , Yusof Khairuddin , Batumalai Saroja , Aye Klrin Win
Published: June 2011

Given the magnitude of drug addiction in Malaysia, the government has given top priority to this issue. It is timely that an assessement of knowledge, attitudes and perceptions related to drug abuse and drug dependents among the general public be carried out. Thus, a nationwide survey was undertaken. A representative sample of 2, 591 respondents aged 13 years and above from households were surveyed throughout the 11 states and the Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur in Peninsula Malaysia.

The results revealed that the respondents are moderately knowledgeable on drug abuse, especially information pertaining to treatment, rehabilitation and aftercare services, including education to families against drug abuse. The public possess a negative attitude towards drug dependents. Majority felt that drug addicts do not have the will power to rid themselves of drugs and they also lack a supportive family network system. Many believe that the most vulnerable group are the adolescents. Respondents were aware of the type of drugs commonly abused, although they failed to realise their long-term effects. Respondents do not attribute low education, large family and marginal income to the background of drug dependents.

The findings showed gaps and misconceptions in terms of knowledge, attitudes and perceptions of the public. Accurate knowledge on, and right attitudes and perceptions towards drug related issues would certainly benefit the public in timely prevention of drug abuse.
Characterisation of Volatile Organic Compounds at Hotels in Southern China
Authors: Chi Sing Chan  , Shun Cheng Lee  , Chan Wilco , Kin Fai Ho  , Linwei Tian  , Sen Chao Lai  , Yok Sheung Li  , Yu Huang
Published: June 2011

In the recent years, there has been a dramatic growth in the development of hotels in Southern China to meet the rapid demand of business and tourism industry. The indoor air quality of the hotels has become an important consideration due to a large workforce that is engaged in this industry. The objective of this study was to characterise the volatile organic compounds (VOCs) found in the indoor air in 13 new hotels in Southern China and assess their possible health impact. A 2-day non-simultaneous sampling was carried out in each of the hotels. Decorating materials, cleansing agents and even local regional pollutants outside the hotels could have a contribution and worsen indoor air quality. Toluene level was as high as 498 μg m—3 in a hotel fitted with lots of plywood products. The highest concentrations of methylene chloride (34 μg m—3) and total carbonyls (517 μg m—3) were detected in a hotel where high VOCs cleansing agents were used in guest rooms. In a hotel located in an industrial centre, acetone concentration of 102 μg m —3 was found. The second highest total VOCs concentration (445 μg m—3) was observed in a newly renovated hotel. Wooden interior fixtures and wall panels were identified as the major sources of VOCs and carbonyls found inside the guest rooms.
Dexamphetamine Improves Upper Extremity Outcome During Rehabilitation After Stroke
Authors: Schuster Corina , Maunz Gerd , Lutz Karin , Kischka Udo , Sturzenegger Rolf , Ettlin Thierry
Published: June 2011

Background. For early inpatient stroke rehabilitation, the effectiveness of amphetamine combined with physiotherapy varies across studies. Objective. To investigate whether the recovery of activities of daily living (ADL, primary outcome) and motor function (secondary outcome) can be improved by dexamphetamine added to physiotherapy. Methods. In a double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, 16 patients, from 918 who were screened, were randomized to the experimental group (EG, dexamphetamine + physiotherapy) or control group (CG, placebo + physiotherapy). Both groups received multidisciplinary inpatient rehabilitation. Dexamphetamine (10 mg oral) or placebo was administered 2 days per week before physiotherapy. ADL and motor function were measured using the Chedoke–McMaster Stroke Assessment (CMSA) twice during baseline, every week during the 5-week treatment period, and at follow-up 1 week, 6 months, and 12 months after intervention. Results. The majority of ineligible patients had too little paresis, were on anticoagulants, or had a stroke >60 days prior to entry. Participants (EG, n = 7, age 70.3 ± 10 years, 5 women, 37.9 ± 9 days after stroke; CG, n = 9, age 65.2 ± 17 years, 3 women, 40.3 ± 9 days after stroke) did not differ at baseline except for the leg subscale. Analysis of variance from baseline to 1 week follow-up revealed significant improvements in favor of EG for subscales ADL ( P = .023) and arm function ( P = .020) at end of treatment. No adverse events were detected. Conclusion. In this small trial that was based on prior positive trials, significant gains in ADL and arm function suggest that the dose and timing of dexamphetamine can augment physiotherapy. Effect size calculation suggests inclusion of at least 25 patients per group in future studies (ClinicalTrials.gov number: NCT00572767).
Cuteness and Disgust: The Humanizing and Dehumanizing Effects of Emotion
Authors: Sherman Gary D. , Haidt Jonathan
Published: June 2011

Moral emotions are evolved mechanisms that function in part to optimize social relationships. We discuss two moral emotions— disgust and the “cuteness response”—which modulate social-engagement motives in opposite directions, changing the degree to which the eliciting entity is imbued with mental states (i.e., mentalized). Disgust-inducing entities are hypo-mentalized (i.e., dehumanized); cute entities are hyper-mentalized (i.e., “humanized”). This view of cuteness—which challenges the prevailing view that cuteness is a releaser of parental instincts (Lorenz, 1950/1971)—explains (a) the broad range of affiliative behaviors elicited by cuteness, (b) the marketing of cuteness to children (by toy makers and animators) to elicit play, and (c) the apparent ease and frequency with which cute things are anthropomorphized.
Evaporation phenomena of magnesium from droplet at welding wire tip in pulsed MIG arc welding of aluminium alloys
Authors: Wang J-B , Nishimura H , Katayma S , Mizutani M
Published: June 2011

A lot of welding fumes are generated due to the evaporation of magnesium during welding aluminium alloys using Al–Mg welding wires. Fume formation is mainly evaluated by two methods. An average formation rate can be calculated by collecting the fumes formed during a constant welding period. The other one is carried out by observing the droplet with a high speed video. However, these two methods become invalid in quantitatively evaluating the evaporation rate of magnesium in peak or background period during pulsed metal inert gas arc welding. In this paper, a novel method was developed to evaluate the evaporation rate and flux of magnesium in the peak period. First, a robot welding system was used to produce a series of droplets by shutting down the peak current at different times in the peak period. Second, the magnesium contents of these droplets were analysed. Finally, the evaporation rate and flux of magnesium in the peak period were calculated.
Microstructural evolution and corrosion resistance of fusion welds on alloy CN3MN made with IN686 filler metal
Authors: Stockdale A W , DuPont J N
Published: June 2011

Cast superaustenitic stainless steels with ∼6 wt-%Mo are used in applications requiring good corrosion resistance. However, the weld corrosion resistance is reduced due to Mo microsegregation. Ni based filler metals with higher Mo concentrations are typically used to compensate for this problem. The weld corrosion resistance and microstructural evolution are controlled by the weld composition, which is a function of the welding parameters. This article describes the effect of weld composition on the microstructure and corrosion behaviour of welds on cast alloy CN3MN using IN686 filler metal. The amount of interdendritic σ phase was independent of dilution due to offsetting changes to the nominal composition, eutectic composition and distribution coefficient. The weld corrosion resistance improved significantly with decreasing dilution due to higher concentrations of Mo in the fusion zone. A post-weld heat treatment of 1150°C for 1 h restored the corrosion resistance, which is attributed to weld homogenisation.
Microstructural and mechanical characterisation of 5XXX-H111 friction stir welded tailored blanks
Authors: Tronci A , McKenzie R , Leal R M , Rodrigues D M
Published: June 2011

Friction stir welds in 1 mm thick plates of AA 5182-H111 and AA 5083-H111 aluminium alloys are analysed in this paper. The welds were produced using a large range of welding conditions, namely, different process control modes (position and load control), tool parameters (different geometries and dimensions) and process parameters (rotation speed, advancing speed and axial load). Visual inspection and metallographic and mechanical analysis demonstrate that it is possible to obtain consistently good quality welds in very thin plates under a large range of welding conditions. Important relations between base material properties, tool geometry and the final properties of the welds were established.
Differential and tumor-specific expression of CD160 in B-cell malignancies
Authors: Farren Timothy W. , Giustiniani Jerome , Liu Feng-Ting , Tsitsikas Dimitris A. , Macey Marion G. , Cavenagh James D. , Oakervee Heather E. , Taussig David , Newland Adrian C. , Calaminici Maria , Bensussan Armand , Jenner Michael , Gribben John G. , Agrawal Samir G.
Published: June 2011

CD160 is a human natural killer (NK)-cell–activating receptor that is also expressed on T-cell subsets. In the present study, we examined 811 consecutive cases of B-cell lymphoproliferative disorders (B-LPDs), and demonstrated CD160 expression in 98% (590 of 600) of chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) cases, 100% (32 of 32) of hairy cell leukemia (HCL) cases, 15% (5 of 34) of mantle cell lymphoma (MCL) in the leukemic phase, and 16% (23 of 145) of other B-LPD cases. CD160 transcript and protein were absent in the normal B-cell hierarchy, from stem cells, B-cell precursors, maturing B cells in the germinal center, and circulating B cells, including CD5+CD19+ B1 cells in umbilical cord. CD160 positivity was significantly higher in CLL and HCL in terms of percentage (65.9% and 67.8%, respectively, P < .0001) and median fluorescence intensity (552 and 857, respectively, P < .0001) compared with all other B-LPD cases. Lymph node CLL samples were also CD160+. Using the disease-specific expression of CD5, CD23, and CD160, a score of 3 characterized CLL (diagnostic odds ratio, 1430); a score of 0 excluded CLL, MCL, and HCL; and the CD23/CD5 ratio differentiated CLL from leukemic CD23+ MCL. In the B-cell lineage, CD160 is a tumor-specific antigen known to mediate cellular activation signals in CLL, and is a novel target for therapeutic manipulation and monitoring of minimal residual disease.
Predicting drug side-effect profiles: a chemical fragment-based approach
Authors: Pauwels Edouard , Stoven Véronique , Yamanishi Yoshihiro
Published: June 2011

Background

Drug side-effects, or adverse drug reactions, have become a major public health concern. It is one of the main causes of failure in the process of drug development, and of drug withdrawal once they have reached the market. Therefore, in silico prediction of potential side-effects early in the drug discovery process, before reaching the clinical stages, is of great interest to improve this long and expensive process and to provide new efficient and safe therapies for patients.

Results

In the present work, we propose a new method to predict potential side-effects of drug candidate molecules based on their chemical structures, applicable on large molecular databanks. A unique feature of the proposed method is its ability to extract correlated sets of chemical substructures (or chemical fragments) and side-effects. This is made possible using sparse canonical correlation analysis (SCCA). In the results, we show the usefulness of the proposed method by predicting 1385 side-effects in the SIDER database from the chemical structures of 888 approved drugs. These predictions are performed with simultaneous extraction of correlated ensembles formed by a set of chemical substructures shared by drugs that are likely to have a set of side-effects. We also conduct a comprehensive side-effect prediction for many uncharacterized drug molecules stored in DrugBank, and were able to confirm interesting predictions using independent source of information.

Conclusions

The proposed method is expected to be useful in various stages of the drug development process.
MicroRNA genes preferentially expressed in dendritic cells contain sites for conserved transcription factor binding motifs in their promoters
Authors: Jansen Bastiaan JH , Sama Iziah E , Eleveld-Trancikova Dagmar , van Hout-Kuijer Maaike A , Jansen Joop H , Huynen Martijn A , Adema Gosse J
Published: June 2011

Background

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) play a fundamental role in the regulation of gene expression by translational repression or target mRNA degradation. Regulatory elements in miRNA promoters are less well studied, but may reveal a link between their expression and a specific cell type.

Results

To explore this link in myeloid cells, miRNA expression profiles were generated from monocytes and dendritic cells (DCs). Differences in miRNA expression among monocytes, DCs and their stimulated progeny were observed. Furthermore, putative promoter regions of miRNAs that are significantly up-regulated in DCs were screened for Transcription Factor Binding Sites (TFBSs) based on TFBS motif matching score, the degree to which those TFBSs are over-represented in the promoters of the up-regulated miRNAs, and the extent of conservation of the TFBSs in mammals.

Conclusions

Analysis of evolutionarily conserved TFBSs in DC promoters revealed preferential clustering of sites within 500 bp upstream of the precursor miRNAs and that many mRNAs of cognate TFs of the conserved TFBSs were indeed expressed in the DCs. Taken together, our data provide evidence that selected miRNAs expressed in DCs have evolutionarily conserved TFBSs relevant to DC biology in their promoters.
Clinicopathological and prognostic significance of HER-2/neu and VEGF expression in colon carcinomas
Authors: Li Qingguo , Wang Daorong , Li Jing , Chen Ping
Published: June 2011

Background

HER-2/neu and VEGF expression is correlated with disease behaviors in various cancers. However, evidence for their expression in colon cancer is rather contradictory both for the protein expression status and prognostic value. HER-2/neu is found to participate in VEGF regulation, and has known correlation with VEGF expression in some tumors. In this study, we investigated HER-2/neu and VEGF expression in Chinese colon patients and explored whether there was any correlation between their expression patterns.

Methods

HER-2/neu and VEGF were investigated immunohistochemically using tumor samples obtained from 317 colon cancer patients with all tumor stages. Correlation of the degree of staining with clinicopathological parameters and survival was investigated.

Results

Positive expression rates of HER-2/neu and VEGF in colon cancer were 15.5% and 55.5% respectively. HER-2/neu expression was significantly correlated with tumor size and distant metastases (P < 0.05), but was not an independent prognostic marker of survival (P > 0.05). Expression of VEGF was significantly correlated with tumor size, tumor stage, lymph node metastases, and distant metastases (P < 0.05). The 5-year survival rate in patients with negative and positive VEGF expression was 70.2% and 61.9% respectively; the difference was not statistically significant (P = 0.146). No correlation between HER-2/neu and VEGF expression was detected (P = 0.151).

Conclusions

HER-2/neu and VEGF are not important prognostic markers of colon cancer. The present results do not support any association between HER2/neu and VEGF expression in this setting.
Enhanced growth and recombinant protein production of Escherichia coli by a perfluorinated oxygen carrier in miniaturized fed-batch cultures
Authors: Pilarek Maciej , Glazyrina Julia , Neubauer Peter
Published: June 2011

Background

Liquid perfluorochemicals (PFCs) are interesting oxygen carriers in medicine and biotechnology with a high solubility for oxygen. They have been repeatedly used for improving oxygen transfer into prokaryotic and eukaryotic cell cultures, however their application is still limited. Here we show the great benefit of air/oxygen saturated perfluorodecalin (PFD) for high cell density cultivation of Escherichia coli in microwell plates and their positive effect on the soluble production of a correctly folded heterologously expressed alcohol dehydrogenase.

Results

In EnBase® cultivations the best effect was seen with PFD saturated with oxygen enriched air (appr. 10 μM oxygen per ml) when PFD was added at the time of induction. In contrast the effect of PFD was negligible when it was added already at the time of inoculation. Optimisation of addition time and content of loaded oxygen into the PFD resulted in an increased the cell density by 40% compared to control cultures, and correspondingly also the product yield increased, demonstrated at the example of a recombinant alcohol dehydrogenase.

Conclusions

PFCs are a valuable additive in miniaturized cell culture formats. For production of recombinant proteins in low cell density shaken cultures the addition of oxygen-enriched PFD makes the process more robust, i.e. a high product yield is not any more limited to a very narrow cell density window during which the induction has to be done. The positive effect of PFD was even more obvious when it was added during high cell density cultures. The effect of the PFD phase depends on the amount of oxygen which is loaded into the PFD and which thus is a matter of optimisation.
Transcription and translation of human F11R gene are required for an initial step of atherogenesis induced by inflammatory cytokines
Authors: Azari Bani M , Marmur Jonathan D , Salifu Moro O , Ehrlich Yigal H , Kornecki Elizabeth , Babinska Anna
Published: June 2011

Background -

The F11 Receptor (F11R; aka JAM-A, JAM-1) is a cell adhesion protein present constitutively on the membrane surface of circulating platelets and within tight junctions of endothelial cells (ECs). Previous reports demonstrated that exposure of ECs to pro-inflammatory cytokines causes insertion of F11R molecules into the luminal surface of ECs, ensuing with homologous interactions between F11R molecules of platelets and ECs, and a resultant adhesion of platelets to the inflamed ECs. The main new finding of the present report is that the first step in this chain of events is thede-novotranscription and translation of F11R molecules, induced in ECs by exposure to inflammatory cytokines.

Methods -

The experimental approach utilized isolated, washed human platelet suspensions and cultured human venous endothelial cells (HUVEC) and human arterial endothelial cells (HAEC) exposed to the proinflammatory cytokines TNF-alpha and/or IFN-gamma, for examination of the ability of human platelets to adhere to the inflamed ECs thru the F11R. Our strategy was based on testing the effects of the following inhibitors on this activity: general mRNA synthesis inhibitors, inhibitors of the NF-kappaB and JAK/STAT pathways, and small interfering F11R-mRNA (siRNAs) to specifically silence the F11R gene.

Results -

Treatment of inflamed ECs with the inhibitors actinomycin, parthenolide or with AG-480 resulted in complete blockade of F11R- mRNA expression, indicating the involvement of NF-kappaB and JAK/STAT pathways in this induction. Transfection of ECs with F11R siRNAs caused complete inhibition of the cytokine-induced upregulation of F11R mRNA and inhibition of detection of the newly- translated F11R molecules in cytokine-inflamed ECs. The functional consequence of the inhibition of F11R transcription and translation was the significant blockade of the adhesion of human platelets to inflamed ECs.

Conclusion -

These results prove thatde novosynthesis of F11R in ECs is required for the adhesion of platelets to inflamed ECs. Because platelet adhesion to an inflamed endothelium is crucial for plaque formation in non-denuded blood vessels, we conclude that thede-novotranslation of F11R is a crucial early step in the initiation of atherogenesis, leading to atherosclerosis, heart attacks and stroke.
Prediction of plant promoters based on hexamers and random triplet pair analysis
Authors: Azad AKM , Shahid Saima , Noman Nasimul , Lee Hyunju
Published: June 2011

Background

With an increasing number of plant genome sequences, it has become important to develop a robust computational method for detecting plant promoters. Although a wide variety of programs are currently available, prediction accuracy of these still requires further improvement. The limitations of these methods can be addressed by selecting appropriate features for distinguishing promoters and non-promoters.

Methods

In this study, we proposed two feature selection approaches based on hexamer sequences: the Frequency Distribution Analyzed Feature Selection Algorithm (FDAFSA) and the Random Triplet Pair Feature Selecting Genetic Algorithm (RTPFSGA). In FDAFSA, adjacent triplet-pairs (hexamer sequences) were selected based on the difference in the frequency of hexamers between promoters and non-promoters. In RTPFSGA, random triplet-pairs (RTPs) were selected by exploiting a genetic algorithm that distinguishes frequencies of non-adjacent triplet pairs between promoters and non-promoters. Then, a support vector machine (SVM), a nonlinear machine-learning algorithm, was used to classify promoters and non-promoters by combining these two feature selection approaches. We referred to this novel algorithm as PromoBot.

Results

Promoter sequences were collected from the PlantProm database. Non-promoter sequences were collected from plant mRNA, rRNA, and tRNA of PlantGDB and plant miRNA of miRBase. Then, in order to validate the proposed algorithm, we applied a 5-fold cross validation test. Training data sets were used to select features based on FDAFSA and RTPFSGA, and these features were used to train the SVM. We achieved 89% sensitivity and 86% specificity.

Conclusions

We compared our PromoBot algorithm to five other algorithms. It was found that the sensitivity and specificity of PromoBot performed well (or even better) with the algorithms tested. These results show that the two proposed feature selection methods based on hexamer frequencies and random triplet-pair could be successfully incorporated into a supervised machine learning method in promoter classification problem. As such, we expect that PromoBot can be used to help identify new plant promoters. Source codes and analysis results of this work could be provided upon request.
Arthritis is associated with T-cell-induced upregulation of Toll-like receptor 3 on synovial fibroblasts
Authors: Zhu Wenhua , Meng Liesu , Jiang Congshan , He Xiaojing , Hou Weikun , Xu Peng , Du Heng , Holmdahl Rikard , Lu Shemin
Published: June 2011

Introduction

Toll-like receptors (TLRs) are likely to play crucial roles in the pathogenesis of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). The aim of this study was to determine the key TLRs in synovium and explore their roles in the activation of fibroblast-like synoviocytes (FLSs) mediated by T cells in arthritis.

Methods

Pristane-induced arthritis (PIA) was established by subcutaneous injection with pristane at the base of the rat's tail. TLR expression in synovium from PIA rats was detected at different time points by performing real-time PCR. Polyinosinic:polycytidylic acid (poly(I:C)) was intra-articularly administrated to PIA rats, and arthritis was monitored macroscopically and microscopically. Synovial TLR3 was detected by immunohistochemical staining. Rat FLSs were stimulated with pristane-primed T cells or pristane-primed, T-cell conditioned medium. The intervention of TLR3 in FLSs was achieved by specific short-hairpin RNA (shRNA) or an antibody. The migration ability of FLSs was measured by using the scratch test, and gene expression was detected by using real-time PCR. FLSs from RA patients were stimulated with various cytokines and TLR ligands, and TLR3 expression was detected by performing real-time PCR. In addition, with different concentrations of poly(I:C) stimulation, TLR3 expression of FLSs from RA patients and patients with osteoarthritis (OA) was compared.

Results

Synovium TLR3 displayed early and persistent overexpression in PIA rats. TLR3 was expressed in FLSs, and local treatment with poly(I:C) synergistically aggravated the arthritis. Rat FLSs co-cultured with pristane-primed T cells showed strengthened migration ability and significant upregulation of TLR3, IFN-β, IL-6 and matrix metalloproteinase 3 (MMP3) expression, which could also be induced by pristane-primed, T-cell conditioned medium. The upregulation of cytokines and MMPs was blocked by shRNA or TLR3 antibodies. In RA FLSs with cytokine or TLR ligand stimulation, TLR3 expression exhibited remarkable upregulation. Furthermore, RA FLSs showed higher reactivity than OA FLSs to poly(I:C).

Conclusions

TLR3 in the synovium of PIA rats was overexpressed, and activation of the TLR3 signaling pathway could aggravate this arthritis. The induction of TLR3 in FLSs resulted from T cell-derived inflammatory stimulation and could further mediate FLS activation in arthritis. We conclude that TLR3 upregulation of FLSs activated by T cells results in articular inflammation.
Rac2 is required for the formation of neutrophil extracellular traps
Authors: Lim Michael Byung H , Kuiper Jan W P , Katchky Ashley , Goldberg Hailey , Glogauer Michael
Published: June 2011

Neutrophils play a critical role as a first line of defense against invading pathogens. Recently, a new defense strategy of neutrophils was described, in which pathogens are trapped and killed by NETs. However, the exact underlying mechanisms leading to the formation of NETs remain elusive. Here, we explored the role of the Rac small GTPases in the formation of NETs using neutrophils that lack Rac1, Rac2, or both isoforms. Efficient NET formation was observed in WT and Rac1null neutrophils. In contrast, NET formation was markedly impaired in cells lacking Rac2 or both Rac2 and Rac1. The defect in NET formation in Rac2null cells was rescued by exogenous ROS sources, suggesting that Rac2-mediated ROS generation is required for NET formation. In addition, we assessed the role of NO in NET formation in mouse neutrophils. Blocking NO production with the NOS inhibitor L-NAME significantly reduced NET formation. Moreover, we show that Rac2null cells produce significantly less NO than Rac1null cells or their WT counterparts. Our data suggest that Rac2 is essential for NET formation via pathways involving ROS and NO.
Paracrine-Acting Adiponectin Promotes Mammary Epithelial Differentiation and Synergizes with Genistein to Enhance Transcriptional Response to Estrogen Receptor β Signaling
Authors: Rahal Omar M. , Simmen Rosalia C. M.
Published: June 2011

Mammary stromal adipocytes constitute an active site for the synthesis of the adipokine, adiponectin (APN) that may influence the mammary epithelial microenvironment. The relationship between “local,” mammary tissue-derived APN and breast cancer risk is poorly understood. Here, we identify a novel mechanism of APN-mediated signaling that influences mammary epithelial cell proliferation, differentiation, and apoptosis to modify breast cancer risk. We demonstrate that early dietary exposure to soy protein isolate induced mammary tissue APN production without corresponding effects on systemic APN levels. In estrogen receptor (ER)-negative MCF-10A cells, recombinant APN promoted lobuloalveolar differentiation by inhibiting oncogenic signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 activity. In ER-positive HC11 cells, recombinant APN increased ERβ expression, inhibited cell proliferation, and induced apoptosis. Using the estrogen-responsive 4X-estrogen response element promoter-reporter construct to assess ER transactivation and small interfering RNA targeting of ERα and ERβ, we show that APN synergized with the soy phytoestrogen genistein to promote ERβ signaling in the presence of estrogen (17β-estradiol) and ERβ-specific agonist 2,3-bis(4-hydroxyphenyl)-propionitrile and to oppose ERα signaling in the presence of the ERα-specific agonist 4,4′,4′-(4-propyl-(1H)-pyrazole-1,3,5-triyl)trisphenol. The enhancement of ERβ signaling with APN + genistein cotreatments was associated with induction of apoptosis, increased expression of proapoptotic/prodifferentiation genes (Bad, p53, and Pten), and decreased antiapoptotic (Bcl2 and survivin) transcript levels. Our results suggest that mammary-derived APN can influence adjacent epithelial function by ER-dependent and ER-independent mechanisms that are consistent with reduction of breast cancer risk and suggest local APN induction by dietary factors as a targeted approach for promotion of breast health.
Myosin-1C associates with microtubules and stabilizes the mitotic spindle during cell division
Authors: Rump Agrani , Scholz Tim , Thiel Claudia , Hartmann Falk K. , Uta Petra , Hinrichs Maike H. , Taft Manuel H. , Tsiavaliaris Georgios
Published: June 2011

The mitotic spindle in eukaryotic cells is composed of a bipolar array of microtubules (MTs) and associated proteins that are required during mitosis for the correct partitioning of the two sets of chromosomes to the daughter cells. In addition to the well-established functions of MT-associated proteins (MAPs) and MT-based motors in cell division, there is increasing evidence that the F-actin-based myosin motors are important mediators of F-actin–MT interactions during mitosis. Here, we report the functional characterization of the long-tailed class-1 myosin myosin-1C from Dictyostelium discoideum during mitosis. Our data reveal that myosin-1C binds to MTs and has a role in maintenance of spindle stability for accurate chromosome separation. Both myosin-1C motor function and tail-domain-mediated MT–F-actin interactions are required for the cell-cycle-dependent relocalization of the protein from the cell periphery to the spindle. We show that the association of myosin-1C with MTs is mediated through the tail domain. The myosin-1C tail can inhibit kinesin motor activity, increase the stability of MTs, and form crosslinks between MTs and F-actin. These data illustrate that myosin-1C is involved in the regulation of MT function during mitosis in D. discoideum.
What Do Trade Negotiators Negotiate About? Empirical Evidence from the World Trade Organization
Authors: Bagwell Kyle , Staiger Robert W
Published: June 2011

According to the terms-of-trade theory, governments use trade agreements to escape from a terms-of-trade-driven prisoner's dilemma. We use the terms-of-trade theory to develop a relationship that predicts negotiated tariff levels on the basis of pre-negotiation data: tariffs, import volumes and prices, and trade elasticities. We then confront this predicted relationship with data on the outcomes of tariff negotiations associated with the accession of new members to the World Trade Organization. We find strong and robust support for the central predictions of the terms-of-trade theory in the observed pattern of negotiated tariff cuts. (JEL F11, F13)
Comparison of 18F-FDG PET/CT with bone scintigraphy for detection of bone metastasis: a meta-analysis
Authors: Cheng Xu , Li Yongjun , Xu Zhaoqiang , Bao Lihua , Li Dianfu , Wang Jie
Published: June 2011

Background

The skeleton is one of the favorable sites for the metastasis of almost all human malignant neoplasms. An accurate diagnosis of bone metastasis is crucial for the patient's staging and management.

Purpose

To investigate and compare diagnostic performance of 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose (18F-FDG) positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) and bone scintigraphy (BS) for detection of bone metastasis in malignancies using meta-analysis.

Material and Methods

PubMed (Medline included) was searched for relevant articles. We assessed the methodological quality with Quality Assessment of Diagnosis Accuracy Studies (QUADAS) score tool, and used statistical software to obtain pooled estimates of sensitivity, specificity, diagnostic odds ratio (DOR), and summary receiver-operating characteristic (SROC) curve.

Results

Six studies met inclusion criteria. For 18F-FDG PET/CT, the pooled sensitivity and specificity were 0.934 and 0.975, respectively. The pooled positive likelihood ratio (LR+), negative likelihood ratio (LR–) and diagnostic odds ratio (DOR) were 34.990, 0.068 and 559.02, respectively. The area under the SROC curve was 0.9854. For BS, the pooled sensitivity, specificity, LR + , LR– and DOR were 0.706 (0.642–0.764), 0.911 (0.896–0.926), 13.982 (2.419–80.817), 0.319 (0.143–0.712), and 60.420 (21.393–170.64), respectively. The area under the SROC curve was 0.9386.

Conclusion

The results indicate that 18F-FDG PET/CT do have both higher sensitivity and specificity than bone scintigraphy for detecting metastatic bone tumor. However, further research is needed to evaluate the diagnostic performance of 18F-FDG PET/CT and BS in each common malignancy.
Entextualizing institutional memories: retelling the academic story
Authors: Cook-Gumperz Jenny
Published: June 2011

This paper explores the making of academic knowledge as discourse. It reports on the closing down of an academic program based on memories reconstructed through narrative interviews of two professors who organized this program. A narrative analysis of the two long interviews contrasting performance styles reveals differences in response by the two professors, even though their position within the institution is nominally the same. Their tales emerge through the multiple layering of their discourse as moral commentaries of their life and times, albeit from two very different perspectives. The narratives unfold through retellings; the tale shifts to a moral commentary on participants' actions that reveals the longevity of institutionally shaped ways of thinking.
Development and Calibration of an Electronic Miniature Cone Penetrometer for Design of Small Piles in Silty Clays
Authors: Cui Xinzhuang
Published: June 2011

For the design of shallowly embedded small size pile under lateral load, a new kind of electronic miniature cone penetrometer is developed. And a novel mini calibration chamber is also designed to form homogeneous soil specimens for miniature cone penetration test (MCPT) in laboratory. A series of MCPTs and pile loading tests in silty clay are carried out. For silty clay, penetration curve has no correlation with cone angles within the tested range of 19° to 32°. The initial segment of penetration curve is linear for silty clay. However, the cone tip resistance tends to be stable when the cone is penetrated to a certain depth. It is implied that the critical depth effect occurs for MCPT of silty clay. For silty clay, the critical depth effect is caused by different soil failure mechanisms under different confining pressures. The lateral bearing capacity and stiffness of small size pile are all directly related to the ultimate cone tip resistance of soil. It is concluded that the miniature cone penetrometer is an effective apparatus for the design of small size shallowly embedded pile.
Media Use and Child Sleep: The Impact of Content, Timing, and Environment
Authors: Garrison Michelle M. , Liekweg Kimberly , Christakis Dimitri A.
Published: June 2011

BACKGROUND:

Media use has been shown to negatively affect a child's sleep, especially in the context of evening use or with a television in the child's bedroom. However, little is known about how content choices and adult co-use affect this relationship.

OBJECTIVE:

To describe the impact of media content, timing, and use behaviors on child sleep.

METHODS:

These data were collected in the baseline survey and media diary of a randomized controlled trial on media use in children aged 3 to 5 years. Sleep measures were derived from the Children's Sleep Habits Questionnaire. Media diaries captured time, content title, and co-use of television, video-game, and computer usage; titles were coded for ratings, violence, scariness, and pacing. Nested linear regression models were built to examine the impact of timing, content, and co-use on the sleep problem score.

RESULTS:

On average, children consumed 72.9 minutes of media screen time daily, with 14.1 minutes occurring after 7:00 pm. Eighteen percent of parents reported at least 1 sleep problem; children with a bedroom television consumed more media and were more likely to have a sleep problem. In regression models, each additional hour of evening media use was associated with a significant increase in the sleep problem score (0.743 [95% confidence interval: 0.373–1.114]), as was daytime use with violent content (0.398 [95% confidence interval: 0.121–0.676]). There was a trend toward greater impact of daytime violent use in the context of a bedroom television (P = .098) and in low-income children (P = .07).

CONCLUSIONS:

Violent content and evening media use were associated with increased sleep problems. However, no such effects were observed with nonviolent daytime media use.
Teaching Writing and Civic Literacy
Authors: Kessler Kate
Published: June 2011

Writing pedagogy and civic literacy can form an interactive, interdisciplinary partnership beneficial to students. Students learn to compare the classical rhetorical genres of epideictic, forensic, and deliberative rhetoric to modern ceremonial, judicial, and legislative rhetorical genres. Elements essential to writing pedagogy – ethos, logos, pathos, claims, warrants, and enthymemes – become meaningful as students engage in civic-themed reading and writing assignments designed for first-year composition. Writing pedagogy enriched with a civic literacy motif encourages students to practice writing to authentic audiences for genuine civic purposes.
“The Job of Teaching Writing”
Authors: Ferris Dana , Liu Hsiang , Rabie Brigitte
Published: June 2011

Although response to student writing often consumes the majority of a writing instructor’s time and energy, studies of teachers’ philosophies and practices with regard to feedback have been relatively rare in the response literature. In the study described in this article, college writing instructors from six community colleges and two four-year universities in Northern California (N=129) were surveyed, and volunteers from this group (N=23) gave follow-up in-depth interviews. In addition, each interview participant provided 3-5 samples of student texts with their own written commentary. Based on the findings, our analysis focuses on two questions: 1. How do the participants (college-level writing instructors in Northern California) perceive response to student writing? 2. In what ways might the participants’ own practices be causing or adding to their frustrations? We found that although most of the participants value response and believe it is very important, they are often frustrated and dissatisfied with the task itself and with its apparent lack of impact on student progress. Our data analyses suggest some possible underlying explanations for these teachers’ complex attitudes toward response. The discussion concludes with suggestions of ways writing instructors can adapt or focus their response practices to increase the efficiency and quality of their feedback, to reduce frustration, and to increase satisfaction with this aspect of their teaching practice.
Writing Across the Curriculum for Secondary School English Language Learners
Authors: Wilcox Kristen C
Published: June 2011

This study employs ethnographic case study method to explore secondary English language learners’ experiences with content-area writing in a U.S. public school setting. Documentary evidence, interviews, and students’ written work comprise the data set. Data are interpreted through a sociocognitive theoretical lens to take into account contextual and individual cognitive factors that come into play in English language learners’ development of content-specific writing. Findings suggest that a combination of institutional factors (e.g. school program design, state regulations, and state assessment systems) in concert with teacher beliefs and expectations of English language learners impact the content-area writing instruction which English language learners receive. This study points to the need for continued investigation of state policies, school processes, and teacher beliefs and practices that may enhance the quality and breadth of writing English language learners experience as they move through secondary school.
A Prospective, Controlled Study of the Botanical Compound Mixture LCS101 for Chemotherapy-Induced Hematological Complications in Breast Cancer
Authors: Yaal-Hahoshen Neora , Maimon Yair , Siegelmann-Danieli Nava , Lev-Ari Shahar , Ron Ilan G. , Sperber Fani , Samuels Noah , Shoham Jacob , Merimsky Ofer
Published: June 2011

Background.

This prospective, controlled study evaluated the safety, tolerability, and efficacy of the mixture of botanical compounds known as LCS101 in preventing chemotherapy-induced hematological toxicity in breast cancer patients.

Methods.

Female patients diagnosed with localized breast cancer were randomly allocated to receive treatment with either LCS101 or placebo capsules, in addition to conventional chemotherapy. The study intervention was initiated 2 weeks prior to the initiation of chemotherapy and continued until chemotherapy was completed, with participants receiving 2 g of LCS101 capsules thrice daily. Subjects were assessed for the development of hematological and nonhematological toxicities, as well as the tolerability and safety of the study intervention.

Results.

Sixty-five breast cancer patients were recruited, with 34 allocated to LCS101 and 31 allocated to placebo treatment. Patients in the treatment group developed significantly less severe (grades 2–4) anemia (p < .01) and leukopenia (p < .03) when comparing grades 0–1 with grades 2–4, with significantly less neutropenia (p < .04) when comparing grades 0–2 with grades 3–4. This effect was more significant among patients undergoing a dose-dense regimen. No statistically significant effect was found with respect to nonhematological toxicities, and side effect rates were not significantly different between the groups, with no severe or life-threatening events observed in either group.

Conclusion.

The addition of LCS101 to anthracycline- and taxane-based chemotherapy is safe and well tolerated, and may significantly prevent some chemotherapy-induced hematological toxicities in early breast cancer patients. These results should encourage further larger and more extensive clinical trials.
Application of non-conventional materials in construction
Authors: Zhang Chao , Canning Lee
Published: June 2011

There has been growing interest in the use of non-conventional materials in the construction industry, and their introduction has presented both opportunities and challenges to researchers and engineers worldwide. This paper gives a brief overview of new and emerging materials in construction. The background to their introduction is introduced and discussed within the context of sustainable construction, with the significance of sustainable material selection highlighted. Attention is specifically drawn to the importance of considering both the cost and environmental implications when any new material is introduced into construction. The main barriers to application of new materials within the construction industry are discussed in detail with reference to the development of an advanced composite bridge decking system. Based on this, a successful model for conversion from academic excellence to commercial viability is suggested.
Managing UK Highways Act section 278 projects – a collaborative approach
Authors: Yates Ian , Povall Jamie
Published: June 2011

Liverpool City Council has developed a collaborative approach to managing section 278 agreements under the UK Highways Act 1980 through its highways development control service. This paper examines how highways development control has changed in recent years in Liverpool, and some of the different approaches to managing section 278 agreements used by local authorities. It provides details of a new system currently being utilised in Liverpool, which employs an open book approach. This system has been proven to bring clarity to all those involved in the section 278 process; the developer, the highway authority, and the technical service provider (increasingly common as authorities outsource technical service provision). It also suggests how some local authorities might improve this area of service provision, through collaborative working. The city council formed the 2020Liverpool Ltd joint venture with Mouchel in 2003 for the provision of technical and professional services across the authority, and the paper is written jointly from the perspectives of the highway authority and the technical service provider.
Briefing: Specifics of construction procurement strategies in CIS
Authors: Gan Sergii
Published: June 2011

The successful completion of a construction project and the satisfaction of an individual client’s needs depend upon a reasonable balance between three core elements: cost, quality and time. Such a balance is ensured through the choice of an appropriate procurement method. A decision between a separated, integrated or management strategy has to be made. Their suitability, benefits and shortcomings are substantially described within the literature. Meanwhile, there are many legal, financial, technical and other factors which are recommended to be resolved because they have a significant influence on the progress of the project. This paper is not intended to list all legal aspects impacting construction processes in the Community of Independent States (CIS), but rather it is an attempt to draw attention to the most important ones that should be considered when making a decision about the procurement strategy for the construction of a facility, and to improve the outcome of the clients’ and contractors’ decision.
Optimization of the growth of and α-amylase production by Bacillus subtilis IP 5832 in shake flask and laboratory fermenter batch cultures
Authors: Bozic Natasa , Ruiz Jordi , López-Santín Josep , Vujcic Zoran
Published: June 2011

Cell growth and the level of ?-amylase in response to the carbon and nitrogen
sources used for the growth of the strain Bacillus subtilis IP 5832 were
examined. Based on the amylase productivity level in shake flask cultures
after 24 hours of growth, the growth medium containing starch and peptone
was selected as the best medium. Amylase production was greatly reduced when
glutamate or citrate as sources of carbon were used. Experiments performed
at different initial concentrations of starch showed that although the
strain grew well with all the starch concentration used, 0.5 % starch was
necessary for maximum ?-amylase production, inducing 1.55 IU mL-1 of amylase
to be secreted after 8 h of cultivation in shaking flasks. During the batch
fermentation of B. subtilis IP 5832 strain in 2 L laboratory fermenter, a 60
% higher activity (2.5 IU mL-1) was obtained. The production of the enzyme
was directly related to the growth of the strain. Maximum enzyme activity
was obtained at the beginning of the stationary growth phase.