bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Estimation of petrophysical parameters by linearized inversion of angle domain pre‐stack data
Authors: Chiappa F. , Mazzotti A. 
Published: April 2009

ABSTRACTWe describe a linear Bayesian inversion method to estimate the relevant petrophysical properties of the media forming a reflecting interface from the observations of amplitude variation with incidence angle. Three main steps characterize the proposed approach:– information from borehole logs are statistically analysed to estimate the empirical models that describe the functional relationship between petrophysical (e.g. porosity, saturation, pressure or depth) and seismic variable(P and S velocities and density);– the pure‐mode (PP) reflection coefficient is parameterized in terms of the relevant petrophysical variables and is linearized in order to implement the linear inversion;– the sought petrophysical parameters are estimated from the seismic reflected amplitudes by applying the linearized inversion wherea prioriinformation, data and model errors and solutions are described by probability density functions.We test the method on synthetic and real data relative to reflections from a shale/gas‐sand interface where the amplitude versus angle response, besides the lithological contrast, is mainly controlled by the saturation and porosity of the sand layer. The outcomes of the linearized inversion are almost identical to those obtained by a previously developed non‐linear inversion method demonstrating the applicability of the linear inversion. It turns out that the gas‐sand saturation in the range 0%–95% is a poorly resolved parameter while the porosity is the best resolved parameter. The issues of robustness and resolution of the inversion are discussed either through singular value decomposition analysis or the observation of thea posterioriprobability density functions.The linear inversion algorithm, compared with the previously developed non‐linear method, reduces significantly the computation time allowing for more extensive applications.
ENTREPRENEURIAL GOVERNANCE: CHALLENGES OF LARGE‐SCALE PROPERTY‐LED URBAN REGENERATION PROJECTS
Authors: TAŞAN‐KOK TUNA 
Published: April 2009

ABSTRACTLarge‐scale urban regeneration projects become highly complex as they involve multiple actors with different expectations. In general, the implementation of such projects entails building governance regimes at the city or regional level, but this often means forging partnerships between public and private actors to serve as policy instruments. Each city government formulates its own strategy for coping with the complexities of various levels of policy‐making, thereby establishing multi‐level governance regimes. And each city has its own particular experience with the implementation trajectory: long or short, successful or unsuccessful. This paper focuses on how the complexities of multi‐actor governance influence the implementation of these projects. The purpose is to show how the macro‐level institutional context affects the project's success and to analyse the challenges posed by multi‐actor governance. Comparative analysis of two old port regeneration projects, namely Rotterdam's Kop van Zuid in the Netherlands, and Het Eilandje in Antwerp, Belgium, reveals how similar challenges were dealt with in different institutional contexts.
Stress‐induced activation of Nox contributes to cell survival signalling via production of hydrogen peroxide
Authors: Groeger Gillian , Mackey Ashley M. , Pettigrew Christopher A. , Bhatt Lavinia , Cotter Thomas G. 
Published: April 2009

AbstractReactive oxygen species (ROS) have traditionally been viewed as a toxic group of molecules; however, recent publications have shown that these molecules, including H2O2, can also strongly promote cell survival. Even though the retina has a large capacity to produce ROS, little is known about its non‐mitochondrial sources of these molecules, in particular the expression and function of NADPH oxidase (Nox) proteins which are involved in the direct generation of superoxide and indirectly H2O2. This study demonstrated that 661W cells, a retina‐derived cell line, and mouse retinal explants express Nox2, Nox4 and certain of their well‐established regulators. The roles of Nox2 and Nox4 in producing pro‐survival H2O2 were determined using 661W cells and some of the controlling factors were identified. To ascertain if this phenomenon could have physiological relevance, the novel technique of time‐lapse imaging of dichlorofluorescein fluorescence (generated upon H2O2 production) in retinal explants was established and it showed that explants also produce a burst of H2O2. The increase in H2O2 production was partly blocked by an inhibitor of Nox proteins. Overall, this study demonstrates a pro‐survival role of Nox2 and Nox4 in retina‐derived cells, elucidates some of the regulatory mechanisms and reveals that a similar phenomenon exists in retinal tissue as a whole.
Immigration, Europe and the ‘new’ cultural dimension
Authors: VAN DER BRUG WOUTER , VAN SPANJE JOOST 
Published: April 2009

AbstractKriesi et al. announced the birth of a new cleavage in contemporary Western Europe, one dividing the winners and losers of globalisation. Their studies in 2006 and 2008 contain analyses of party positions in six countries, based on the contents of editorial sections of newspapers. This article challenges the main conclusion of Kriesi et al. by demonstrating − on the basis of two expert surveys − that party positions are mainly structured by one dimension. The structure detected by Kriesi et al. in their analysis of parties is not found, except concerning voter positions. A consequence of this article's findings is that large groups of citizens are not represented by any parties, in particular those who are left‐wing on socio‐economic issues and right‐wing on cultural issues. The article in its conclusion discusses possible causes for the differences between these findings and those of Kriesi et al., and the implications of these findings for democratic representation.
Trochlear Block Recession in an Alpaca with Traumatic Lateral Patellar Luxation
Authors: FURMAN STEPHANIE M. , FORTIER LISA A. , SCHNABEL LAUREN V. , KROTSCHECK URSULA 
Published: April 2009

Objective—To report surgical treatment of traumatic lateral patellar luxation using trochlear block recession in an alpaca.Study Design—Clinical case report.Animals—Five‐year‐old female alpaca.Methods—Grade IV/IV lateral, left patella luxation and mild femoropatellar joint effusion was identified by palpation and visual assessment, and confirmed by ultrasonography and radiographs. Trochlear block recession combined with lateral retinacular release and medial imbrication to restore patella function.Results—Progressive improvement in weight bearing occurred during hospitalization (6 days) and at 3.5 weeks, no lameness was observed; radiographically, the patella was in normal anatomic alignment. At 15 months, there were no signs of lameness with unrestricted exercise and the alpaca had given birth to another cria.Conclusions—In this alpaca with traumatic origin of the lateral patellar luxation and normal femoro‐tibial alignment, a combination of retinacular imbrication, contralateral release, and trochlear block recession were successful for long‐term treatment of lateral patellar luxation.Clinical Relevance—Although trochlear block recession is most commonly performed in small animals, this technique may be useful in treatment of traumatic patellar luxations in camelids.
Distinct roles of the mTOR components Rictor and Raptor in MO7e megakaryocytic cells
Authors: Fuhler Gwenny M. , Tyl Monika R. , Olthof Sandra G.M. , Lyndsay Drayer A. , Blom Nel , Vellenga Edo 
Published: April 2009

AbstractObjective:  During megakaryopoiesis, hematopoietic progenitor cells in the bone marrow proliferate and ultimately differentiate in mature megakaryocytes (MK). We and others have recently described a role for the mammalian target of Rapamycin (mTOR) in proliferation and differentiation of MK cells. Two non‐redundant complexes of mTOR have been described; mTORC1 containing rapamycin‐associated TOR protein (Raptor) and mTORC2 containing Rapamycin‐insensitive companion of mTOR (Rictor). The individual roles of these complexes in MK development have so far not been elucidated, and were investigated in this study.Methods:  We have used an siRNA approach to selectively knock down either Rictor or Raptor expression in MO7e megakaryoblastic cells. Using flow cytometry, nuclear ploidity, and cell cycling as assessed by BrdU incorporation were investigated. Electron microscopy and cotransductions with GFP‐LC3 were used to quantify autophagy. Activation of intracellular signal transduction pathways was studied by Western blot analysis.Results:  We observed a reduced cell cycling upon Rictor siRNA transduction, resulting in decreased numbers of polypoid cells. Knocking down Raptor expression resulted in a reduced expansion and a reduced cell size. In addition, increased autophagy was observed in Raptor siRNA‐transduced cells, in correspondence with an attenuation of activation of the p70S6K/S6, and 4E‐BP pathways.Conclusions:  The current study shows that the mTORC1 and mTORC2 complexes have distinct, non‐redundant functions in MO7e MK cell proliferation, and development. The mTOR/Rictor complex affects megakaryopoiesis by regulating nuclear division and subsequent cell cycle progression, whereas Raptor signaling protects MK cells from autophagic cell death, enabling normal megakaryopoiesis to take place.
ORIGINAL ARTICLE: Preterm Labor: CD55 in Maternal Blood Leukocytes
Authors: Nowicki Stella , Izban Michael G. , Pawelczyk Edyta , Agboto Vincent K. , Pratap Siddarth , Olson Gayle , Nowicki Bogdan 
Published: April 2009

Problem  Intrauterine inflammation is a frequent and significant factor associated with the pathogenesis of preterm labor/birth (PTL/PTB). However, it remains unclear whether the intrauterine inflammatory responses activate the maternal peripheral circulation. We explored the association between PTL/PTB and the ‘activation’ of the peripheral circulatory system by determining whether CD55 mRNA expression within peripheral WBCs differed between PTL and control patients not in labor.Method of Study  RNA was purified from white blood cells collected from pregnant women with preterm labor (n = 45), and from pregnant (n = 30) control women. CD55 gene expression was evaluated by quantitative PCR.Results  The mean CD55 mRNA level within the PTL group (0.77 ± 0.03) was 1.48‐fold higher than that observed (0.52 ± 0.02) within the control group (P < 0.0001); 71% of PTL patients and only 6.7% of control subjects expressed elevated CD55 mRNA. The receiver operating characteristics (with 95% CI) of CD55 as a marker for PTL were as follows: Sensitivity, 69% (53–82%); Specificity, 93% (78–99%); Positive Predictive Value, 94% (80–99%); and Negative Predictive Value, 67% (51–80%). In the patient population that delivered prematurely (before 37 weeks), 81% expressed elevated CD55 mRNA levels with a mean of 0.78 ± 0.03 and 95% CI of 0.71–0.84. The receiver operating characteristics were as follows: Sensitivity, 73% (54–88%); Specificity, 86% (71–95%); Positive Predictive Value, 81.5% (62–94%); and Negative Predictive Value, 80% (64–91%).Conclusion  Here we report for the first time that CD55 mRNA expression was elevated in the peripheral WBCs of subjects with preterm labor compared with control gestationally‐matched pregnant woman and that elevated leukocyte CD55 may be a useful predictor of subsequent PTB.
‘Understood Relations’: Law and Literature in Early Modern Studies1
Authors: Mukherji Subha 
Published: April 2009

AbstractThis overview situates early modern criticism engaged with the interface between law and literature in relation to the larger intellectual dialogue that has, since the 1980s, become definable as the ‘Law and Literature movement’. It outlines the history of the field in academia, defines the key issues at stake, and finally goes on to address the specific disciplinary connections and indeed disconnections that underlie the interest that has been focused on this interrelation in the culture of Renaissance England. Through a survey of symptomatic recent publications that take on the challenges of the subject, it seeks to identify trends, acknowledge crises and intimate possibilities of further exploration. The implications of such work are significant for both legal and literary hermeneutics, and suggestive not only of the history of interdisciplinarity, but also of what academic disciplines mean and how they function in our times.
Wishful Thinking about the Future: Does Desire Impact Optimism?
Authors: Krizan Zlatan , Windschitl Paul D. 
Published: April 2009

AbstractThe notion that desire for an outcome inflates optimism about that outcome has been dubbed the desirability bias or wishful thinking. In this paper, we discuss the importance of distinguishing wishful thinking from the more general concept of motivated reasoning, and we explain why documenting overoptimism or correlations between preferences and optimism is not sufficient to infer a desirability bias. Then, we discuss results from a review and meta‐analysis of the experimental literature on wishful thinking. These findings, in conjunction with more recent work, not only highlight important moderators and mediators of the desirability bias but also point out limitations of the empirical research on the bias. These results also reveal an important difference between how likelihood judgments and discrete outcome predictions respond to desirability of outcomes. We conclude by presenting avenues for future research useful for understanding wishful thinking's manifestation in everyday environments and its integration with related phenomena.
Research on the Effects of Violent Video Games: A Critical Analysis
Authors: Ferguson Christopher J. 
Published: April 2009

AbstractThe impact of violent video games on youth and adults who play these games has been a source of great controversy for years. This paper reviews the research on violent video games across three main areas: general effects on aggression, negative effects on specific high‐risk populations, and effects on visuospatial cognition. Difficulties in adequately measuring constructs such as aggression are also highlighted. It is concluded that the extreme focus on general aggression effects is not supported by the current literature, and that social science's focus on general aggression effects distracts from research on specific at‐risk populations, and potential positive uses of some violent video games.
Noninvasive Detection of Lentiviral-Mediated Choline Kinase Targeting in a Human Breast Cancer Xenograft
Authors: Krishnamachary Balaji , Glunde Kristine , Wildes Flonne , Mori Noriko , Takagi Tomoyo , Raman Venu , Bhujwalla Zaver M. 
Published: April 2009

Abstract
Elevated phosphocholine (PC) and total choline (tCho) metabolites are widely established characteristics of most cancer cells, including breast cancer. Effective silencing of choline kinase (chk), the enzyme that converts choline to PC, is associated with reduced tumor growth. The functional importance and down-regulation of chk using RNA interference has been previously established. Here, we report on the preclinical evaluation of lentiviral vector–mediated down-regulation of chk using short hairpin RNA (shRNA) in established tumors derived from human breast cancer cells. Concentrated lentivirus expressing shRNA against chk was injected i.v. in the tail vein of MDA-MB-231 tumor-bearing female severe combined immunodeficient mice. Transduction efficiency in cells and tumors in vivo was assessed optically by enhanced green fluorescent protein expression and additionally from chk mRNA and protein levels. An 80% reduction in chk mRNA and protein was achieved following ∼90% transduction efficiency in cells. After transduction with chk-shRNA, 1H magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) of cell and tumor extracts showed decreases in PC and tCho levels (P &lt; 0.01 and 0.05, respectively) in comparison with controls. PC levels were monitored noninvasively by 31P MRS in tumors and by 1H MRS in cell and tumor tissue extracts. Noninvasive 31P MR spectra of chk-shRNA–transduced tumors in vivo showed lower PC and phosphomonoester levels that were associated with reduced tumor growth and proliferation. This study shows the use of lentiviral vectors to target chk in a human breast cancer xenograft and noninvasive MRS detection of this targeting. [Cancer Res 2009;69(8):3464–71]
Characterization and Regulation of Bv8 in Human Blood Cells
Authors: Zhong Cuiling , Qu Xueping , Tan Martha , Meng Y. Gloria , Ferrara Napoleone 
Published: April 2009

AbstractPurpose: Bv8, also known as prokineticin 2, has been recently shown to be a mediator of myeloid cell–dependent tumor angiogenesis in mouse models. We wished to determine whether these findings might be potentially relevant to human disease.Experimental Design: We characterized Bv8 expression in human blood cells in vitro and in vivo, and did Bv8 immunohistochemistry in human tumor sections. We also partially purified Bv8 from human neutrophils and tested its bioactivity.Results: We found that Bv8 expression is regulated by several cytokines in a cell type–specific fashion. Both granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) and granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor induced Bv8 expression in neutrophils and bone marrow cells, whereas interleukin 10 up-regulated Bv8 expression in monocytes and lymphocytes. Bv8 potently promoted neutrophil chemotaxis. Bv8 protein isolated from human neutrophils was found to be biologically active. Of the two receptors for Bv8 [prokineticin receptor 1(PKR1)/endocrine gland–derived vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 1 (EG-VEGFR1) and PKR2/EG-VEGFR2], only PKR2/EG-VEGFR2 was detectable in human neutrophils. Also, we found a marked up-regulation of Bv8 mRNA and protein in peripheral blood mononuclear cells from G-CSF–treated donors compared with those from untreated individuals, verifying our in vitro observations. Finally, immunohistochemistry showed Bv8 expression in neutrophils infiltrating human tumors.Conclusions: These results provide the basis for further investigation of the pathophysiologic role of Bv8 in human tumors and inflammatory disorders and, potentially, for therapeutic application of Bv8 inhibitors.
Development and Characterization of a Novel In vivo Model of Carcinoid Syndrome
Authors: Jackson Lindsey N. , Chen L. Andy , Larson Shawn D. , Silva Scott R. , Rychahou Piotr G. , Boor Paul J. , Li Jing , DeFreitas Gilberto , Stafford W. Lane , Townsend Courtney M. , Evers B. Mark 
Published: April 2009

Abstract
Purpose: Carcinoid syndrome, characterized by flushing, diarrhea, and valvular heart disease, can occur following carcinoid tumor metastasis to the liver and systemic release of bioactive hormones into the systemic circulation. Treatment of this devastating disease is hampered by the lack of an in vivo model that recapitulates the clinical syndrome.
Experimental Design: Here, we have injected BON cells, a novel human carcinoid cell line established in our laboratory, into the spleens of athymic nude mice to establish liver metastases.
Results: The majority of mice injected intrasplenically with BON cells developed significant increases in plasma serotonin and urine 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid, and several mice exhibited mesenteric fibrosis, diarrhea, and fibrotic cardiac valvular disease reminiscent of carcinoid syndrome by both echocardiographic and histopathologic evaluation. Mice pretreated with octreotide, a long-acting somatostatin analogue, or bevacizumab, a vascular endothelial growth factor inhibitor, developed fewer liver metastases and manifestations of carcinoid syndrome, including valvular heart disease.
Conclusion: We have provided an important in vivo model to further delineate novel treatment modalities for carcinoid syndrome that will also be useful to elucidate the factors contributing to the sequelae of carcinoid disease (e.g., mesenteric fibrosis and valvular heart disease).
The Chemopreventive Agent Myoinositol Inhibits Akt and Extracellular Signal-Regulated Kinase in Bronchial Lesions from Heavy Smokers
Authors: Han Wei , Gills Joell J. , Memmott Regan M. , Lam Stephen , Dennis Phillip A. 
Published: April 2009

Abstract
Myoinositol is an isomer of glucose that has chemopreventive activity in animal models of cancer. In a recent phase I clinical trial, myoinositol administration correlated with a statistically significant regression of preexisting bronchial dysplastic lesions in heavy smokers. To shed light on the potential mechanisms involved, activation of Akt and extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK), two kinases that control cellular proliferation and survival, was assessed in 206 paired bronchial biopsies from 21 patients who participated in this clinical trial. Before myoinositol treatment, strongly positive staining for activation of Akt was detected in 27% of hyperplastic/metaplastic lesions and 58% of dysplastic lesions (P = 0.05, χ2 test). There was also a trend toward increased activation of ERK (28% in regions of hyperplasia/metaplasia to 42% of dysplastic lesions). Following myoinositol treatment, significant decreases in Akt and ERK phosphorylation were observed in dysplastic (P &lt; 0.01 and 0.05, respectively) but not hyperplastic/metaplastic lesions (P &gt; 0.05). In vitro, myoinositol decreased endogenous and tobacco carcinogen–induced activation of Akt and ERK in immortalized human bronchial epithelial cells, which decreased cell proliferation and induced a G1-S cell cycle arrest. These results show that the phenotypic progression of premalignant bronchial lesions from smokers correlates with increased activation of Akt and ERK and that these kinases are targets of myoinositol. Moreover, they suggest that myoinositol might cause regression of bronchial dysplastic lesions through inhibition of active Akt and ERK.