bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Role of cricothyroid cannulation in head and neck surgery
Authors: Ryan J C , McGuire B 
Published: February 2008

AbstractObjectives:This paper outlines our use of cricothyroid cannulation in those patients undergoing head and neck surgery in whom a ‘difficult airway’ is anticipated. Audit results are presented.Materials and methods:Prospective data collection for all patients undergoing cricothyroid cannulation for management of head and neck neoplasms, over a two-year period.Results:Thirty-nine cricothyroid cannulae were sited in 32 patients. All patients with laryngeal tumours underwent the procedure while awake, prior to the anticipated difficult intubation, and the cannulae were removed within six hours. Most cannulations performed under general anaesthetic were for anticipated ‘dangerous extubations’ in patients with oral cavity tumours, and these cannulae remained in place for 24 hours. Tracheostomy was possibly avoided in six patients. No complications were identified.Conclusion:Cricothyroid cannulation can be a simple, safe, reliable technique which is a useful adjunct in the management of patients with a potentially difficult airway.
Al-Ma'mūn's alleged apocalyptic beliefs: a reconsideration of the evidence
Authors: Bayhom-Daou Tamima 
Published: February 2008

AbstractThe designation by the caliph al-Ma'mūn of the ‘Alid imām ‘Alī al-Riọā as his successor was an extraordinary event by the standards of the time. Based on a letter that al-Ma'mūn is said to have written to the ‘Abbāsids after the death of al-Riḍā, in which he appears to confess that his decision to designate the latter had been influenced by apocalyptic beliefs about the end of the ‘Abbāsid dynasty, Madelung has argued that the caliph's decision can indeed be explained in terms of those beliefs. This article seeks to demonstrate that the relevant passage of the confession is unlikely to have been part of the original document. It goes on to suggest that the passage was probably added by Ibn Ṭāwūs (d. 664/1266), the document's redactor, in an attempt to support his own perceived role as the pre-Mahdic ‘Alid destined to rule after the fall of the ‘Abbāsids.
Blaming the messenger: a controversy in late Sanskrit poetics and its implications
Authors: Bronner Yigal , Tubb Gary A 
Published: February 2008

AbstractThe last active period in the tradition of Sanskrit poetics, although associated with scholars who for the first time explicitly identified themselves as new, has generally been castigated in modern histories as repetitious and devoid of thoughtfulness. This paper presents a case study dealing with competing analyses of a single short poem by two of the major theorists of this period, Appayya Dīkṣita (sixteenth century) and Jagannātha Paṇḍitarāja (seventeenth century). Their arguments on this one famous poem touch in new ways on the central questions of what the role of poetics had become within the Sanskrit world and the way in which it should operate in relation to other systems of knowledge and literary cultures.
Opening other windows: a political economy of ‘openness’ in a global information society
Authors: MAY CHRISTOPHER 
Published: February 2008

AbstractAlthough analysis in IR and IPE has increasingly started to focus on non-state actors and the information society, the role of the legal architecture of the Internet has been relatively under-analysed in terms of the structural power around communication interfaces. In this article I suggest the work of Lewis Mumford offers a useful lens for thinking about the political economy of technological change in an information society. I set out the role of intellectual property rights as the legal form of the global information society, and suggest a major challenge to this legal form is the idea of ‘openness’, specifically in the realm of open-source and/or free software. I examine this issue in the realm of (so-called) informational development, where major proprietary players (predominantly Microsoft) have been confronted by an increasingly vibrant open-source alternative. The open-source and free-software movements can be analysed as an emerging example of a globalised ‘double movement’, seeking to re-embed the tools of informational development in a societal realm of information, establishing in Mumford’s terms a ‘democratic technics’ as a reaction to the programme of information and knowledge commodification spurred by the TRIPs agreement.
Humanitarian travels: ethical communication in Lonely Planet guidebooks
Authors: LISLE DEBBIE 
Published: February 2008

AbstractAside from the more mundane purpose of telling us where to eat, sleep and sightsee in foreign lands, guidebooks communicate an ethical vision that sees travel as the key to reducing cultural differences and inequalities. This article argues that Lonely Planet guidebooks in particular encourage a form of ‘responsible independent travel’ that both reflects and produces a powerful discourse of humanitarianism. By examining the controversy over Lonely Planet’s publication of guidebooks to Burma, this article uncovers the problematic colonial logic embedded in that ethical vision.
Biopolitics, communication and global governance
Authors: EDKINS JENNY 
Published: February 2008

AbstractIn the aftermath of the 7th July 2005 bombings in London, communication with those searching desperately for relatives and friends was one-way or non-existent. The authorities dealing with the processes of the identification of the bodies of those killed or the treatment of those injured adopted procedures and protocols derived from emergency or disaster planning that were framed in terms of an instrumentalisation or objectification of persons. This article traces how these procedures reflect biopolitical forms of global governance that involve the production of life as ‘bare life’ and details how inappropriate and brutal these forms of governance seemed both to those searching for the missing and to the London Assembly 7th July Review Committee. It concludes that attention needs to be paid to the proliferation of such forms of politics as administration and the objectification they entail before we reach a stage where all life becomes nothing more than bare life, life with no political voice as such.
Review of: Tamoxifen and TRAIL synergistically induce apoptosis in breast cancer cells
Authors: Butt Alison J. 
Published: February 2008

Citation of original article:C. Lagadec, E. Adriaenssens, R. A. Toillon, V. Chopin, R. Romon, F. Van Coppenolle, H. Hondermarck, X. Le Bourhis. Oncogene advance online publication, 3 September 2007; doi:10.1038/sj.onc.1210749.Abstract of the original article:Tamoxifen (TAM), is widely used as a single agent in adjuvant treatment of breast cancer. Here, we investigated the effects of TAM in combination with tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL) in estrogen receptor-α (ER-α)-positive and -negative breast cancer cells. We showed that cotreatment with TAM and TRAIL synergistically induced apoptosis regardless of ER-α status. By contrast, cotreatment did not affect the viability of normal breast epithelial cells. Cotreatment with TAM and TRAIL in breast cancer cells decreased the levels of antiapoptotic proteins including FLIPs and Bcl-2, and enhanced the levels of proapoptotic proteins such as FADD, caspase 8, tBid, Bax and caspase 9. Furthermore, cotreatment-induced apoptosis was efficiently reduced by FADD- or Bid-siRNA, indicating the implication of both extrinsic and intrinsic pathways in synergistic apoptosis induction. Importantly, cotreatment totally arrested tumor growth in an ER-α-negative MDA-MB-231 tumor xenograft model. The abrogation of tumor growth correlated with enhanced apoptosis in tumor tissues. Our findings raise the possibility to use TAM in combination with TRAIL for breast cancers, regardless of ER-α status.
T-cell regulator RNF125/TRAC-1 belongs to a novel family of ubiquitin ligases with zinc fingers and a ubiquitin-binding domain
Authors: Giannini Ana Lucia , Gao Yifang , Bijlmakers Marie-José 
Published: February 2008

The recently identified RNF125 [RING (really interesting new gene) finger protein 125], or TRAC-1 (T-cell RING protein in activation 1), is unique among ubiquitin ligases in being a positive regulator of T-cell activation. In addition, TRAC-1 has been shown to down-modulate HIV replication and to inhibit pathogen-induced cytokine production. However, apart from the presence of an N-terminal C3HC4 (Cys3-His-Cys4) RING domain, the TRAC-1 protein remains uncharacterized. In the present paper, we report novel interactions and modifications for TRAC-1, and elucidate its domain organization. Specifically, we determine that TRAC-1 associates with membranes and is excluded from the nucleus through myristoylation. Our data are further consistent with a crucial role for the C-terminus in TRAC-1 function. In this region, novel domains were recognized through the identification of three closely related proteins: RNF114, RNF138 and RNF166. TRAC-1 and its relatives were found to contain, apart from the RING domain, a C2HC (Cys2-His-Cys)- and two C2H2 (Cys2-His2)-type zinc fingers, as well as a UIM (ubiquitin-interacting motif). The UIM of TRAC-1 binds Lys48-linked polyubiquitin chains and is, together with the RING domain, required for auto-ubiquitination. As a consequence of auto-ubiquitination, the half-life of TRAC-1 is shorter than 30 min. The identification of these novel modifications, interactions, domains and relatives significantly widens the contexts for investigating TRAC-1 activity and regulation.
Activation and stabilization of human tryptophan hydroxylase 2 by phosphorylation and 14-3-3 binding
Authors: Winge Ingeborg , Mckinney Jeffrey A. , Ying Ming , D'Santos Clive S. , Kleppe Rune , Knappskog Per M. , Haavik Jan 
Published: February 2008

TPH (tryptophan hydroxylase) catalyses the rate-limiting step in the synthesis of serotonin, and exists in two isoforms: TPH1, mainly found in peripheral tissues and the pineal body, and TPH2, a neuronal form. In the present study human TPH2 was expressed in Escherichia coli and in HEK (human embryonic kidney)-293 cells and phosphorylated using several different mammalian protein kinases. TPH2 was rapidly phosphorylated to a stoichiometry of 2 mol of phosphate/mol of subunit by PKA (protein kinase A), but only to a stoichiometry of 0.2 by Ca2+/calmodulin dependent protein kinase II. Both kinases phosphorylated Ser19, but PKA also phosphorylated Ser104, as determined by MS, phosphospecific antibodies and site-directed mutagenesis of several possible phosphorylation sites, i.e. Ser19, Ser99, Ser104 and Ser306. On average, purified TPH2 WT (wild-type) was activated by 30% after PKA phosphorylation and studies of the mutant enzymes showed that enzyme activation was mainly due to phosphorylation at Ser19. This site was phosphorylated to a stoichiometry of up to 50% in HEK-293 cells expressing TPH2, and the enzyme activity and phosphorylation stoichiometry was further increased upon treatment with forskolin. Purified PKA-phosphorylated TPH2 bound to the 14-3-3 proteins γ, ϵ and BMH1 with high affinity, causing a further increase in enzyme stability and activity. This indicates that 14-3-3 proteins could play a role in consolidating and strengthening the effects of phosphorylation on TPH2 and that they may be important for the regulation of serotonin function in the nervous system.
High strain rate properties of a polymer-bonded sugar: their dependence on applied and internal constraints
Authors: Siviour C.R , Laity P.R , Proud W.G , Field J.E , Porter D , Church P.D , Gould P , Huntingdon-Thresher W 
Published: February 2008

This paper describes research performed on a polymer-bonded sugar (PBS) consisting of 66% caster sugar in a hydroxyl-terminated polybutadiene (HTPB) binder The mechanical response of the PBS and pure HTPB to applied loading at a strain rate of approximately 2000 s−1at temperatures from −80 to +22°C is presented. The materials were also characterized using dynamic mechanical analysis, X-ray tomography and quasi-static loading. These measurements are required for the development of intermediate strain rate constitutive models of polymer-bonded explosives, for which PBSs are a commonly used mechanical simulant.The current constitutive modelling suffers from a lack of experimental data on well-characterized composites and binders, especially at intermediate strain rates. This is particularly important for understanding the effects of mixing two materials. Applications of such modelling include explosive safety and fundamental understanding of the various deformation mechanisms. In this paper, the dependences of strength and deformation mechanism on temperature, and, in particular, the glass transition temperature of the binder, are shown. Physical damage plays an important role; X-ray tomography scans support debonding as the primary form of damage during room-temperature deformation. These results are in agreement with previous investigations and are discussed in this context.
Prediction of reversibly oxidized protein cysteine thiols using protein structure properties
Authors: Sanchez Ricardo , Riddle Megan , Woo Jongwook , Momand Jamil 
Published: February 2008

AbstractProtein cysteine thiols can be divided into four groups based on their reactivities: those that form permanent structural disulfide bonds, those that coordinate with metals, those that remain in the reduced state, and those that are susceptible to reversible oxidation. Physicochemical parameters of oxidation‐susceptible protein thiols were organized into a database named the Balanced Oxidation Susceptible Cysteine Thiol Database (BALOSCTdb). BALOSCTdb contains 161 cysteine thiols that undergo reversible oxidation and 161 cysteine thiols that are not susceptible to oxidation. Each cysteine was represented by a set of 12 parameters, one of which was a label (1/0) to indicate whether its thiol moiety is susceptible to oxidation. A computer program (the C4.5 decision tree classifier re‐implemented as the J48 classifier) segregated cysteines into oxidation‐susceptible and oxidation‐non‐susceptible classes. The classifier selected three parameters critical for prediction of thiol oxidation susceptibility: (1) distance to the nearest cysteine sulfur atom, (2) solvent accessibility, and (3) pKa. The classifier was optimized to correctly predict 136 of the 161 cysteine thiols susceptible to oxidation. Leave‐one‐out cross‐validation analysis showed that the percent of correctly classified cysteines was 80.1% and that 16.1% of the oxidation‐susceptible cysteine thiols were incorrectly classified. The algorithm developed from these parameters, named the Cysteine Oxidation Prediction Algorithm (COPA), is presented here. COPA prediction of oxidation‐susceptible sites can be utilized to locate protein cysteines susceptible to redox‐mediated regulation and identify possible enzyme catalytic sites with reactive cysteine thiols.
The solution structure of ZNF593 from Homo sapiens reveals a zinc finger in a predominately unstructured protein
Authors: Hayes Paulette L. , Lytle Betsy L. , Volkman Brian F. , Peterson Francis C. 
Published: February 2008

AbstractHere, we report the solution structure of ZNF593, a protein identified in a functional study as a negative modulator of the DNA‐binding activity of the Oct‐2 transcription factor. ZNF593 contains a classic C2H2 zinc finger domain flanked by about 40 disordered residues on each terminus. Although the protein contains a high degree of intrinsic disorder, the structure of the zinc finger domain was resolved by NMR spectroscopy without a need for N‐ or C‐terminal truncations. The tertiary structure of the zinc finger domain is composed of a β‐hairpin that positions the cysteine side chains for zinc coordination, followed by an atypical kinked α‐helix containing the two histidine side chain ligands. The structural topology of ZNF593 is similar to a fragment of the double‐stranded RNA‐binding protein Zfa and the C‐terminal zinc finger of MBP‐1, a human enhancer binding protein. The structure presented here will provide a guide for future functional studies of how ZNF593 negatively modulates the DNA‐binding activity of Oct‐2, a POU domain‐containing transcription factor. Our work illustrates the unique capacity of NMR spectroscopy for structural analysis of folded domains in a predominantly disordered protein.
An intramolecular FRET system monitors fingers subdomain opening in Klentaq1
Authors: Allen William J. , Rothwell Paul J. , Waksman Gabriel 
Published: February 2008

AbstractA major goal of polymerase research is to determine the mechanism through which a nucleotide complementary to a templating DNA base is selected and delivered to the polymerase active site. Structural evidence suggests a large open‐to‐closed conformational change affecting the fingers subdomain as being crucial to the process. We previously designed a FRET system capable of measuring the rate of fingers subdomain closure in the presence of correct nucleotide. However, this FRET system was limited in that it could not directly measure the rate of fingers subdomain opening by FRET after polymerization or in the absence of DNA. Here we report the development of a new system capable of measuring both fingers subdomain closure and reopening by FRET, and show that the rate of fingers subdomain opening is limited only by the rate of polymerization. We anticipate that this system will scale down to the single molecule level, allowing measurement of fingers subdomain movements in the presence of incorrect nucleotide and in the absence of DNA.
Integrin alphavbeta6 mediates the potential for colon cancer cells to colonize in and metastasize to the liver
Authors: Yang Guang‐Yun , Xu Ke‐Sen , Pan Zhong‐Qing , Zhang Zhao‐Yang , Mi Yue‐Tang , Wang Jin‐Shen , Chen Rong , Niu Jun 
Published: February 2008

Integrin alphavbeta6 (αvβ6) is correlated with colon cancer progression. To detect the effects of αvβ6 on liver metastasis, the specificity of αvβ6 against the monoclonal antibody (mAb) 2G2 was examined by immunoprecipitation. Integrin αvβ6‐immunoreactivity (IR) in liver metastasis tissues (63 cases) and colon carcinoma (358 cases) were examined. These results showed that αvβ6 was specifically recognized by the mAb 2G2, and that rates of αvβ6 positivity in liver metastatic tissues (71.4%, 45/63) were higher than that for primary colon cancer (34.0%, 122/358) (P < 0.01). Patients who were αvβ6‐positive had higher liver metastasis rates (17%, 21/122) than those who were αvβ6‐negative (only 3%, 7/236) (P < 0.01). To examine the underlying mechanisms associated with αvβ6 regulating colonic metastasis in the liver, experimental liver metastasis (intrasplenic injection of HT29 transfectants) and liver colonization assays (direct injection of WiDr transfectants into the liver) in nude mice were performed; these demonstrated that αvβ6 contributed to the promotion of the metastatic potential and the survival of cancer cells in the liver. Matrix metalloproteinase‐9 (MMP‐9) levels in the cultures of both HT29 and WiDr cells were detected by the Biotrak MMP‐9 activity assay system and gelatin zymography assay, and showed that suppression of αvβ6‐IR inhibited MMP‐9 activity and secretion. Transwell migration assay in vitro also showed that αvβ6 promoted migration on fibronectin for HT29/WiDr mock compared with HT29/WiDr antisense β6 transfects (P < 0.01). We concluded that αvβ6 may mediate the potential for colon cancer cells to colonize in and metastasize to the liver. The mechanisms that αvβ6 may be involved in include the promotion of MMP‐9 secretion, the enhancement of migration on fibronectin, and the survival of cancer cells in the liver. (Cancer Sci 2008; 99: 879–887)
Phase I study of dexamethasone, methotrexate, ifosfamide, l‐asparaginase, and etoposide (SMILE) chemotherapy for advanced‐stage, relapsed or refractory extranodal natural killer (NK)/T‐cell lymphoma and leukemia
Authors: Yamaguchi Motoko , Suzuki Ritsuro , Kwong Yok‐Lam , Kim Won Seog , Hasegawa Yuichi , Izutsu Koji , Suzumiya Junji , Okamura Takayuki , Nakamura Shigeo , Kawa Keisei , Oshimi Kazuo 
Published: February 2008

Extranodal natural killer (NK)/T‐cell lymphoma, nasal type, and aggressive NK‐cell leukemia are rare, and their standard therapy has not been established. They are Epstein–Barr virus‐associated lymphoid malignancies, and tumor cells express P‐glycoprotein leading to multidrug resistance of the disease. Patients with stage IV, relapsed or refractory diseases have a dismal prognosis, with survival measured in months only. To develop an efficacious chemotherapeutic regimen, we conducted a dose‐escalation feasibility study of a new chemotherapeutic regimen, SMILE, comprising the steroid dexamethasone, methotrexate, ifosfamide, l‐asparaginase, and etoposide. The components of SMILE are multidrug resistance‐unrelated agents and etoposide. Etoposide shows both in vitro and in vivo efficacy for Epstein–Barr virus‐associated lymphoproliferative disorders. Eligible patients had newly diagnosed stage IV, relapsed or refractory diseases after first‐line chemotherapy, were 15–69 years of age, and had satisfactory performance scores (0–2). Four dose levels of methotrexate and etoposide were originally planned to be evaluated. At level 1, six patients with extranodal NK/T‐cell lymphoma, nasal type, were enrolled. Their disease status was newly diagnosed stage IV (n = 3), first relapse (n = 2), and primary refractory (n = 1). All of the first three patients developed dose‐limiting toxicities, and one of them died of sepsis with grade 4 neutropenia. A protocol revision stipulating early granulocyte colony‐stimulating factor administration was made. Two out of three additional patients developed dose‐limiting toxicities that were all manageable and transient. For the six enrolled patients, the overall response rate was 67% and the complete response rate was 50%. Although its safety and efficacy require further evaluation, we recommend a SMILE chemotherapy dose level of 1 for further clinical studies. (Cancer Sci 2008; 99: 1016–1020)