bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
In situ High-Temperature Visible Microspectroscopy for Volcanic Materials
Authors: Yamanoi Yuta , Nakashima Satoru
Published: November 2005

In situ high-temperature visible microspectroscopy has been developed in order to study color change kinetics of volcanic materials. Olivine thin sections put on a synthetic alumina plate are heated on a heating stage at 600–800 °C under a visible microspectroscope. Changes in visible absorption spectra are monitored every 60 s for 5 hours. The obtained high-temperature visible spectra showed a gradual increase with time in absorbance in the shorter wavelength region (400–600 nm). The 430 nm absorbance (ligand field transition of Fe3+) increased more with time at higher temperatures. Assuming diffusional transport in plane sheets, apparent diffusion coefficients were determined at temperatures of 600–800 °C. The activation energy for this diffusion in olivine is 208 ± 17 kJ/mol. This activation energy value is similar to those for the metal vacancy diffusion in olivine. This newly developed in situ high-temperature visible microspectroscopy can provide kinetic measurements of visible spectral change of materials at high temperatures such as volcanic materials.
Analysis of Sticky Cotton by Near-Infrared Spectroscopy
Authors: Barton F. E. , Bargeron J. D. , Gamble G. R. , McAlister D. L. , Hequet E.
Published: November 2005

“Stickiness” in cotton is a major problem affecting throughput in cotton gins and spinning mills alike. Stickiness is thought to be caused by the deposition of sugars by insects, principally aphid and whitefly, on the open boll. Fourier transform near-infrared (FT-NIR) spectroscopy was used to develop models for sugar content from high-pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC), thermodetector, and mini-card data. A total of 457 cotton samples were selected to represent both Upland and Pima varieties and cotton processing before and after ginning. The Unscrambler was used to develop the models. A successful model was made to determine the mini-card value and successfully detect “stickiness”. The standard error of cross-validation (SECv) was 0.26 with an R2 of 0.96. The model was not improved by increasing the range of “stickiness” as measured by the mini-card from the usual 0–3 scale to a scale of 0–8. If a value is determined to be greater than 1 it will be difficult to blend bales at a spinning plant “opening line” to allow for maximum efficiency of spinning.
Forensic Analysis of Architectural Finishes Using Fourier Transform Infrared and Raman Spectroscopy, Part II: White Paint
Authors: Bell Steven E. J. , Fido Louise A. , Speers S. James , Armstrong W. James , Spratt Sharon
Published: November 2005

White household paints are commonly encountered as evidence in the forensic laboratory but they often cannot be readily distinguished by color alone so Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) microscopy is used since it can sometimes discriminate between paints prepared with different organic resins. Here we report the first comparative study of FT-IR and Raman spectroscopy for forensic analysis of white paint. Both techniques allowed the 51 white paint samples in the study to be classified by inspection as either belonging to distinct groups or as unique samples. FT-IR gave five groups and four unique samples; Raman gave seven groups and six unique samples. The basis for this discrimination was the type of resin and/or inorganic pigments/extenders present. Although this allowed approximately half of the white paints to be distinguished by inspection, the other half were all based on a similar resin and did not contain the distinctive modifiers/pigments and extenders that allowed the other samples to be identified. The experimental uncertainty in the relative band intensities measured using FT-IR was similar to the variation within this large group, so no further discrimination was possible. However, the variation in the Raman spectra was larger than the uncertainty, which allowed the large group to be divided into three subgroups and four distinct spectra, based on relative band intensities. The combination of increased discrimination and higher sample throughput means that the Raman method is superior to FT-IR for samples of this type.
Visible and Near-Infrared Calibrations for Quality Assessment of Fresh Phase I and II Mushroom (Agaricus Bisporus) Compost
Authors: Sharma H. S. S. , Kilpatrick M. , Lyons G. , Sturgeon S. , Archer J. , Moore S. , Cheung L. , Finegan K.
Published: November 2005

Previous studies have shown that visible and near-infrared spectra (Vis-NIR) of dry and milled compost can be used for generating partial least squares (PLS) calibrations of phase II compost parameters including ammonia, nitrogen dry matter (NDM), dry matter (DM), pH, conductivity, carbon, microbial population, and potential productivity. The objective of this study was to develop robust calibrations for some of the key parameters from the spectra of fresh phase I and II composts. Samples of substrates from six commercial production yards were obtained during winter and summer months of 2000–2004 to monitor changes in quality and were analyzed for the test factors. Vis-NIR reflectance measurements of fresh samples (740) were made over the range of 400–2500 nm. After mathematical pretreatments, PLS calibrations of the key parameters were developed using the NIR (1100–2500 nm) and visible and NIR (400–2500 nm) regions and subsequently validated using an independent sample set of 123 phase I and II samples obtained during 2004–2005. The phase I and II standard errors of laboratory measurements of ammonia, pH, conductivity, DM, NDM, and ash were lower than the standard error of predictions of the same parameters, respectively, by the best NIR or Vis-NIR models. The degree of precision for some of the calibrations, especially ammonia, NDM, and DM, is suitable for composters to monitor changes in quality parameters during production. The laboratory measurement errors for phase I samples were greater than those of the phase II samples, except for ash, due to a higher degree of heterogeneity in the substrate. The calibrations, especially for pH, conductivity, and ash, need to be improved with new sample sets. A major advantage of NIR spectroscopy is the ability to assess substrate quality for a range of target parameters simultaneously, within a few hours of receiving the samples. The main drawbacks are the expensive instrumentation, expertise, and training necessary for operating the spectrometer and a dedicated chemometrician required for maintaining the equations compared to the reference methods.
Read-Noise Characterization of Focal Plane Array Detectors via Mean-Variance Analysis
Authors: Sperline R. P. , Knight A. K. , Gresham C. A. , Koppenaal D. W. , Hieftje G. M. , Denton M. B.
Published: November 2005

Mean-variance analysis is described as a method for characterization of the read-noise and gain of focal plane array (FPA) detectors, including charge-coupled devices (CCDs), charge-injection devices (CIDs), and complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) multiplexers (infrared arrays). Practical FPA detector characterization is outlined. The nondestructive readout capability available in some CIDs and FPA devices is discussed as a means for signal-to-noise ratio improvement. Derivations of the equations are fully presented to unify understanding of this method by the spectroscopic community.
Scatter Correction of Transmission Near-Infrared Spectra by Photon Migration Data: Quantitative Analysis of Solids
Authors: Abrahamsson Christoffer , Löwgren Alexandra , Strömdahl Birgitta , Svensson Tomas , Andersson-Engels Stefan , Johansson Jonas , Folestad Staffan
Published: November 2005

The scope of this work is a new methodology to correct conventional near-infrared (NIR) data for scattering effects. The technique aims at measuring the absorption coefficient of the samples rather than the total attenuation measured in conventional NIR spectroscopy. The main advantage of this is that the absorption coefficient is independent of the path length of the light inside the sample and therefore independent of the scattering effects. The method is based on time-resolved spectroscopy and modeling of light transport by diffusion theory. This provides an independent measure of the scattering properties of the samples and therefore of the path length of light. This yields a clear advantage over other preprocessing techniques, where scattering effects are estimated and corrected for by using the shape of the measured spectrum only. Partial least squares (PLS) calibration models show that, by using the proposed evaluation scheme, the predictive ability is improved by 50% as compared to a model based on conventional NIR data alone. The method also makes it possible to predict the concentration of active substance in samples with other physical properties than the samples included in the calibration model.
Hydrogen—Deuterium Exchange in Bovine Serum Albumin Protein Monitored by Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy, Part II: Kinetic Studies
Authors: Grdadolnik Jože , Maréchal Yves
Published: November 2005

The set of infrared spectra recorded at different levels of hydrogen–deuterium (H/D) exchange as a function of time were processed using spectral decomposition. The most precise information about H/D exchange of the NH groups of the protein backbone was retrieved by observing the intensity change of the nearest C=O stretching vibration. The H/D exchange at the protein backbone begins with NH groups bonded to C=O with a characteristic frequency of 1683 cm−1. These amide groups were initially free and are the first to accept H-bonds from water during the hydration process. The NH groups, which are connected to C=O groups with a characteristic band at 1657 cm−1, exchange at a slower rate. For both populations the pairs of comparable exchange rates were calculated with rate constants of 10−3 min 1, 0.014 min 1, 0.0046 min 1, and 0.09 min 1. The appearance of two different exchange rates for each population is a consequence of the distinct exposure of particular molecular groups to the solvent. Two additional bands sensitive to exchange are attributed to NH bending modes in the side chains and are located at 1610 cm−1 and 1585 cm−1. These NH groups undergo H/D exchange at the beginning of the exchange with exchange rates of 0.019 min−1 and 0.17 min−1, respectively. The calculated exchange rate for hydrating water molecules is 0.037 min−1. The distribution of water's exchange rate is extremely broad and covers almost the entire interval of the time-dependent experiment. From the efficiency of the exchange (96%) it is evident that some parts of the protein are completely forbidden to water molecules.
Forensic Analysis of Architectural Finishes Using Fourier Transform Infrared and Raman Spectroscopy, Part I: The Resin Bases
Authors: Bell Steven E. J. , Fido Louise A. , Speers S. James , Armstrong W. James , Spratt Sharon
Published: November 2005

The ability of Raman spectroscopy and Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) microscopy to discriminate between resins used for the manufacture of architectural finishes was examined in a study of 39 samples taken from a commercial resin library. Both Raman and FT-IR were able to discriminate between different types of resin and both split the samples into several groups (six for FT-IR, six for Raman), each of which gave similar, but not identical, spectra. In addition, three resins gave unique Raman spectra (four in FT-IR). However, approximately half the library comprised samples that were sufficiently similar that they fell into a single large group, whether classified using FT-IR or Raman, although the remaining samples fell into much smaller groups. Further sub-division of the FT-IR groups was not possible because the experimental uncertainty was of similar magnitude to the within-group variation. In contrast, Raman spectroscopy was able to further discriminate between resins that fell within the same groups because the differences in the relative band intensities of the resins, although small, were larger than the experimental uncertainty.
Raman and Near-Infrared Spectroscopy for Quantification of Fat Composition in a Complex Food Model System
Authors: Afseth N. K. , Segtnan V. H. , Marquardt B. J. , Wold J. P.
Published: November 2005

Raman and near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopy have been evaluated for determining fatty acid composition and contents of main constituents in a complex food model system. A model system consisting of 70 different mixtures of protein, water, and oil blends was developed in order to create a rough chemical imitation of typical fish and meat samples, showing variation both in fatty acid composition and in contents of main constituents. The model samples as well as the pure oil mixtures were measured using Raman and NIR techniques. Partial least squares regression was utilized for prediction, and fatty acid features were expressed in terms of the iodine value and as contents of saturated, monounsaturated, and polyunsaturated fatty acids. Raman spectroscopy provided the best results for predicting iodine values of the model samples, giving validated estimation errors accounting for 2.8% of the total iodine value range. Both techniques provided good results for predicting the content of saturated, monounsaturated, and polyunsaturated fatty acids in the model samples, yielding validated estimation errors in the range of 2.4–6.1% of the total range of fatty acid content. Prediction results for determining fatty acid features of the pure oil mixtures were similar for the two techniques. NIR was clearly the best technique for modeling content of main constituents in the model samples.
High-Speed Gas Chromatography—Multiplex Coherent Raman Analysis of BTEX
Authors: Chen Peter C. , Cottingham Kyndra A. , Royster Rebecca M. , Joyner Candace C.
Published: November 2005

Gas chromatography–multiplex coherent Raman (GC-MCR) is a new tandem technique that can be used for the high-speed analysis of volatile mixtures. BTEX serves as a useful and challenging test sample because of the similarity in boiling point and spectroscopic properties of its constituents. The ability to spectroscopically resolve isomers (e.g., m-xylene and p-xylene) allows GC-MCR to sacrifice chromatographic resolution for speed. The result is the analysis of BTEX in less than 5 min, which is relatively fast compared with other tandem GC techniques.
Determination of the Polymorphic Forms of Bicifadine Hydrochloride by Differential Scanning Calorimetry—Thermogravimetric Analysis, X-Ray Powder Diffraction, Attenuated Total Reflectance—Infrared Spectroscopy, and Attenuated Total Reflectance—Near-Infrared Spectroscopy
Authors: McArdle Patrick , Gilligan Karen , Cunningham Desmond , Ryder Alan
Published: November 2005

The pharmaceutical compound bicifadine hydrochloride, which has been found to crystallize in two polymorphic forms, has been characterized by thermal analysis, X-ray powder diffraction (XRPD), infrared (IR) spectroscopy, and near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopy. A series of 22 sample mixtures of polymorph 1 and polymorph 2 were prepared and calibration models for the quantitation of these binary mixtures have been developed for each of the XRPD, attenuated total reflectance (ATR)-IR, and ATR-NIR analytical techniques. The quantitative results were obtained using a partial least squares (PLS) algorithm, which predicted the concentration of polymorph 1 from the XRPD spectra with a root mean standard error of prediction (RMSEP) of 4.4%, from the IR spectra with a RMSEP of 3.8%, and from the NIR spectra with a RMSEP of 1.4%. The studies indicate that when analyses are carried out on equivalent sets of spectra, NIR spectroscopy offers significant advantages in quantitative accuracy as a tool for the determination of polymorphs in the solid state and is also more convenient to use than both the ATR-IR and XRPD methods. Density functional theory (DFT) B3LYP calculations and IR spectral simulation have been used to determine the nature of the vibrational modes that are the most sensitive in the analysis.
Hyperhomocysteinemia, Endothelial Nitric Oxide Synthase Polymorphism, and Risk of Coronary Artery Disease
Authors: Kerkeni Mohsen , Addad Faouzi , Chauffert Maryline , Myara Anne , Ben Farhat Mohamed , Miled Abdelhedi , Maaroufi Khira , Trivin François
Published: November 2005

Background: Hyperhomocysteinemia is an independent, graded risk factor for coronary artery disease (CAD). The G894T variant of endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) was postulated to be associated with hyperhomocysteinemia and could influence individual susceptibility to CAD. The aims of this study were to investigate (a) the relationship of the eNOS G894T polymorphism with the presence and the severity of CAD and (b) the possible relationship between hyperhomocysteinemia and the eNOS G894T variant for the risk of CAD severity in a Tunisian population.

Methods: We used PCR with restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis to detect the G894T variant of the eNOS gene in 100 patients with CAD and 120 healthy controls. The severity of CAD was expressed by the number of affected vessels. Total plasma homocysteine concentrations were determined by direct chemiluminescence assay.

Results: The frequencies of the eNOS GG, GT, and TT genotypes in the CAD group were significantly different from those in the control group (45%, 44%, and 11% vs 60%, 35.8% and 4.2%, respectively; P = 0.035). There was no association between the eNOS G894T genotype frequencies and the number of stenosed vessels (P = 0.149). In the CAD group, the coexistence of the 894 GT or TT genotypes and hyperhomocysteinemia led to an increased risk of CAD severity.

Conclusion: The G894T polymorphism of the eNOS gene is associated with the presence of CAD, and in conjunction with hyperhomocysteinemia, increased the risk of CAD severity in a Tunisian population.
Human Side Population Keratinocytes Exhibit Long-Term Proliferative Potential and a Specific Gene Expression Profile and Can Form a Pluristratified Epidermis
Authors: Larderet Gaëlle , Fortunel Nicolas O. , Vaigot Pierre , Cegalerba Marine , Maltère Peggy , Zobiri Olivia , Gidrol Xavier , Waksman Gilles , Martin Michèle T.
Published: November 2005

The aim of the present study was to characterize human side population (SP) epidermal keratinocytes isolated from primary cell cultures. For that purpose, keratinocytes were isolated from normal adult breast skin samples and the Hoechst 33342 exclusion assay described for hematopoietic cells was adapted to keratinocytes. Three types of keratinocytes were studied: the SP, the main population (MP), and the unsorted initial population. SP keratinocytes represented 0.16% of the total population. In short-term cultures, they exhibited an increased colony-forming efficiency and produced more actively growing colonies than did unsorted and MP keratinocytes. In long-term cultures, SP cells exhibited an extensive expansion potential, performing a mean of 44 population doublings for up to 12 successive passages after cell sorting. Moreover, even in long-term cultures, SP keratinocytes were able to form a pluristratified epidermis when seeded on a dermal substrate. Unsorted and MP keratinocytes promoted a reduced expansion: mean values of 14 population doublings for five passages and 12 population doublings for four successive passages, respectively. To further characterize SP cells, cDNA microarrays were used to identify their molecular signature. Transcriptome profiling showed that 41 genes were differentially expressed in SP (vs. MP) cells, with 37 upregulated genes and only four downregulated genes in SP cells. The majority of these genes were functionally related to the regulation of transcription and cell signaling. In conclusion, SP human keratinocytes isolated from primary cultures exhibited both short- and long-term high proliferative potential, formed a pluristratified epidermis, and were characterized by a specific gene expression profile.
Basic Fibroblast Growth Factor Support of Human Embryonic Stem Cell Self-Renewal
Authors: Levenstein Mark E. , Ludwig Tenneille E. , Xu Ren-He , Llanas Rachel A. , VanDenHeuvel-Kramer Kaitlyn , Manning Daisy , Thomson James A.
Published: November 2005

Human embryonic stem (ES) cells have most commonly been cultured in the presence of basic fibroblast growth factor (FGF2) either on fibroblast feeder layers or in fibroblast-conditioned medium. It has recently been reported that elevated concentrations of FGF2 permit the culture of human ES cells in the absence of fibroblasts or fibroblast-conditioned medium. Herein we compare the ability of unconditioned medium (UM) supplemented with 4, 24, 40, 80, 100, and 250 ng/ml FGF2 to sustain low-density human ES cell cultures through multiple passages. In these stringent culture conditions, 4, 24, and 40 ng/ml FGF2 failed to sustain human ES cells through three passages, but 100 ng/ml sustained human ES cells with an effectiveness comparable to conditioned medium (CM). Two human ES cell lines (H1 and H9) were maintained for up to 164 population doublings (7 and 4 months) in UM supplemented with 100 ng/ml FGF2. After prolonged culture, the cells formed teratomas when injected into severe combined immunodeficient beige mice and expressed markers characteristic of undifferentiated human ES cells. We also demonstrate that FGF2 is degraded more rapidly in UM than in CM, partly explaining the need for higher concentrations of FGF2 in UM. These results further facilitate the large-scale, routine culture of human ES cells and suggest that fibroblasts and fibro-blast-conditioned medium sustain human ES cells in part by stabilizing FGF signaling above a critical threshold.
Transcriptional Profiling of Mammary Gland Side Population Cells
Authors: Behbod Fariba , Xian Wa , Shaw Chad A. , Hilsenbeck Susan G. , Tsimelzon Anna , Rosen Jeffrey M.
Published: November 2005

Similar to the bone marrow, the mammary gland contains a distinct population of Hoechst-effluxing side population cells, mammary gland side population cells (MG-SPs). To better characterize MG-SPs, their microarray gene profiles were compared to the remaining cells, which retain Hoechst dye (mammary gland non-side population cells [MG-NSPs]). For analysis, Gene Ontology (GO) that describes genes in terms of biological processes and Ontology Traverser (OT) that performs enrichment analysis were used. OT showed that MG-SP-specific genes were enriched in the GO categories of cell cycle regulation and checkpoints, multidrug-resistant transporters, organogenesis, and vasculogenesis. The MG-NSP-upregulated genes were enriched in the GO category of cellular organization and biogenesis, which includes basal epithelial markers, p63, smooth muscle actin, myosin, α6 integrin, cytokeratin (CK) 14, and luminal markers CK8 and CD24. Additional studies showed that a higher percentage of MG-SPs exist in the G1 phase of the cell cycle compared with the MG-NSPs. G1 cell cycle block of MG-SPs may be explained by higher expression of cell cycle-negative regulatory genes such as transforming growth factor-β2, insulin-like growth factor binding protein-5, P18INK4C, and wingless-5a (Wnt-5a). Accordingly, a smaller percentage of MG-SPs expressed nuclear β-catenin, possibly as a consequence of the higher expression of Wnt-5a. In conclusion, microarray gene profiling suggests that MG-SPs are a lineage-deficient mammary gland subpopulation expressing key genes involved in cell cycle regulation, development, and angiogenesis.
Integrins in Slow-Cycling Corneal Epithelial Cells at the Limbus in the Mouse
Authors: Pajoohesh-Ganji Ahdeah , Pal-Ghosh Sonali , Simmens Samuel J. , Stepp Mary Ann
Published: November 2005

Adult corneal epithelial stem cells (CESCs) have been shown to reside at the periphery of the cornea at a site called the corneoscleral junction or limbus. Although studies have shown that these cells are slow cycling, their molecular characteristics are not well understood. Using a whole-mount procedure, we show that whereas α9-integrin is present in a subset of the basal cells at the corneal limbus and absent in the central cornea, β1-, β4-, α3-, and α6-integrins are more highly expressed overall in central corneal basal cells. To characterize CESCs based on their slow-cycling nature, we simultaneously evaluated 5-bromo-2-deoxyuridine (BrdU) label-retaining cells (LRCs) and integrin expression (α9, β1, and β4) in a total of 1,889 cells at the limbus of adult mice that had been injected as neonates with BrdU. Whereas the LRCs were usually observed adjacent to α9-integrin-positive cells, most LRCs were α9-integrin–negative and expressed high levels of β1- and β4-integrin. In addition, we observed more BrdU-positive LRCs at the superior and inferior quadrants of adult mouse corneas than at the nasal and temporal quadrants, and determined that 0.94 to 3.6% of the limbal basal cells were slow cycling. We conclude from these data that the slow-cycling LRCs in the adult mouse cornea are enriched in cells that express high levels of β1- and β4-integrin and little α9-integrin.
In Vivo Formation of Unstable Heterokaryons after Liver Damage and Hematopoietic Stem Cell/Progenitor Transplantation
Authors: Kashofer Karl , Siapati Elena K. , Bonnet Dominique
Published: November 2005

Following reports of lineage plasticity in human hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs), we investigated the potential of human cord blood HSC-enriched cells to create hepatocytes in hosts after inducing liver damage. Carbon tetrachloride induces severe liver damage and subsequent repair via mitosis of resident hepatocytes. It additionally leads to a threefold increase in homing of human mononuclear cells to bone marrow and liver and subsequently to a substantial enhancement of bone marrow engraftment. Eight weeks after liver damage and infusion of an enhanced green fluorescent protein (eGFP) lentivirus-transduced human HSC-enriched cell population, we observed eGFP-positive cells with clear hepatocyte morphology in the livers of animals. These eGFP-positive cells co-expressed human albumin, and reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (PCR) analysis demonstrated the presence of human albumin and α-anti-trypsin mRNA. However, two antibodies against human mitochondria and human nuclei failed to mark eGFP-positive hepatocyte-like cells but did give clear staining of donor-derived hematopoietic cells. Subsequent fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH) analysis revealed the presence of mouse Y chromosome in eGFP-positive hepatocyte-like cells. To resolve this discrepancy, we performed single-cell PCR analysis of microdissected eGFP-positive hepatocyte-like cells and found that they contained mostly mouse and little human genomic material. FISH analysis highlighting the centromeres of all human chromosomes revealed only few human chromosomes in these cells. From these results, we conclude that similar to their murine counterparts, human hematopoietic cells have the potential to fuse with resident host hepatocytes. Because no selective pressure is applied to retain the human genomic material, it is gradually lost over time, leading to a variable phenotype of the chimeric cells and making their detection difficult.
Deficiencies of the normal moment yield criterion for RC slabs
Authors: May I. M. , Lodi S. H.
Published: November 2005

Design methods for the ultimate load design of slabs, for example yield line analysis, Hillerborg's strip method and the Wood–Armer equations, require a yield criterion. The criterion usually used is the ‘stepped’ or normal moment criterion. The sections must also be ductile. A substantial number of experimental tests and theoretical studies have been carried out to verify the criterion for relatively low percentages of reinforcement. However, more recently, experimental studies have shown that the criterion may be unconservative for cases of pure twisting, even with relatively low areas of reinforcement. This paper examines the reasons for the unconservatism. Numerically determined yield criteria are given for a number of isotropically reinforced sections and the loading conditions for which the criterion is unconservative are identified. The implications for current methods of slab design and assessment are discussed. In order to provide safe solutions the sandwich approach method proposed by Morley, combined with the Clark–Nielsen equations, is considered to be a suitable solution.
Relations Between Quantum Maps and Quantum States
Authors: Asorey M. , Kossakowski A. , Marmo G. , Sudarshan E. C. G.
Published: November 2005

The relation between completely positive maps and compound states is investigated in terms of the notion of quantum conditional probability.
Characterization of Combinatorially Independent Permutation Separability Criteria
Authors: Wocjan Paweł , Horodecki Michał
Published: November 2005

The so-called permutation separability criteria are simple operational conditions that are necessary for separability of mixed states of multipartite systems: (1) permute the indices of the density matrix and (2) check if the trace norm of at least one of the resulting operators is greater than one. If it is greater than one then the state is necessarily entangled. A shortcoming of the permutation separability criteria is that many permutations give rise to equivalent separability criteria. Therefore, we introduce a necessary condition for two permutations to yield independent criteria called combinatorial independence. This condition basically means that the map corresponding to one permutation cannot be obtained by concatenating the map corresponding to the second permutation with a norm-preserving map. We characterize completely combinatorially independent criteria, and determine simple permutations that represent all independent criteria. The representatives can be visualized by means of a simple graphical notation. They are composed of three basic operations: partial transpose, and two types of so-called reshufflings. In particular, for a four-partite system all criteria except one are composed of partial transpose and only one type of reshuffling; the exceptional one requires the second type of reshuffling. Furthermore, we show how to obtain efficiently a simple representative for every permutation. This method allows to check easily if two permutations are combinatorially equivalent or not.
Kolmogorov Probability Spaces Describing Accardi Models of Quantum Correlations
Authors: Khrennikov Andrei , Smolyanov O. G. , Truman A.
Published: November 2005

In this paper we consider several Kolmogorov type models describing some quantum correlations. The main ideas beyond most of these models comes back to pioneering works of Accardi (see [1, 10, 15] and references therein); because of that we call some of them the Accardi models. Namely we discuss, in our frame, the Kolmogorov type Accardi model of the Aspect version [2] of the Einstein-Podolsky-Rosen (EPR) experiment [3].
Description of Unexplained Chest Pain and Its Influence on Daily Life In Men and Women
Authors: Janson Fagring Annika , Gaston-Johansson Fannie , Danielson Ella
Published: November 2005

Background: Patients with unexplained chest pain have seldom organic pathology. Although both physical and psychological factors have been studied and suggested as causes of chest pain.

Aim: The aim was to describe the experience of unexplained chest pain and its influence on daily life situation in men and women.

Methods: Nine women and eleven men with unexplained chest pain, aged 31–62 years were interviewed. A qualitative descriptive design was used. The interviews were analyzed by content analysis focusing on experience by gender.

Results: The results embraced two domains descriptions and consequences of chest pain and daily life situation. Words like pressure, cramp, strong, or burning were used in the descriptions of the chest pain experienced with more similarities than variations between men and women. Physical, psychological and social consequences due to chest pain influenced daily life. The men specifically reported having a ‘fast tempo’ in their lives, with stress at work being seen as a feature experienced by both men and women.

Conclusions: This study shows that men and women had more similarities than variations in descriptions of chest pain. Their unexplained chest pain influenced their functions in daily life that led to, especially for the men, few contacts outside the family and therefore a weak social network.
The response of Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua) to future climate change
Authors: Drinkwater Kenneth F.
Published: November 2005

Future CO2-induced climate change scenarios from Global Circulation Models (GCMs) indicate increasing air temperatures, with the greatest warming in the Arctic and Subarctic. Changes to the wind fields and precipitation patterns are also suggested. These will lead to changes in the hydrographic properties of the ocean, as well as the vertical stratification and circulation patterns. Of particular note is the expected increase in ocean temperature. Based upon the observed responses of cod to temperature variability, the expected responses of cod stocks throughout the North Atlantic to the future temperature scenarios are reviewed and discussed here. Stocks in the Celtic and Irish Seas are expected to disappear under predicted temperature changes by the year 2100, while those in the southern North Sea and Georges Bank will decline. Cod will likely spread northwards along the coasts of Greenland and Labrador, occupy larger areas of the Barents Sea, and may even extend onto some of the continental shelves of the Arctic Ocean. In addition, spawning sites will be established further north than currently. It is likely that spring migrations will occur earlier, and fall returns will be later. There is the distinct possibility that, where seasonal sea ice disappears altogether, cod will cease their migration. Individual growth rates for many of the cod stocks will increase, leading to an overall increase in the total production of Atlantic cod in the North Atlantic. These responses of cod to future climate changes are highly uncertain, however, as they will also depend on the changes to climate and oceanographic variables besides temperature, such as plankton production, the prey and predator fields, and industrial fishing.
The effect of abiotic and biotic factors on the importance of macroplankton in the diet of Northeast Arctic cod in recent years
Authors: Orlova E.L. , Dolgov A.V. , Rudneva G.B. , Nesterova V.N.
Published: November 2005

Using cod feeding data, this paper considers the distribution and abundance of macroplankton from different ecological groups (euphausiids and hyperiids) and the variability in their consumption by cod over a period of years during which different water mass temperatures were observed. These years were also characterized by variable abundance of capelin, cod's main food source. Differences in intensity and duration of cod consumption of euphausiids and hyperiids species are shown, depending on their abundance, temperature conditions, cod distribution, and the supply of capelin for cod. This paper discusses the energetics of consuming different types of prey and the role euphausiids play in the energy balance of cod. The low fat content of cod is sometimes associated with feeding on postspawning euphausiids in summer and autumn.
EPIDEMIOLOGICAL REFLECTIONS OF THE CONTRIBUTION OF ANTHROPOLOGY TO PUBLIC HEALTH POLICY AND PRACTICE
Authors: PORTER JOHN D. H.
Published: November 2005

Academic disciplines like anthropology and epidemiology provide a niche for researchers to speak the same language, and to interrogate the assumptions that they use to investigate problems. How anthropological and epidemiological methods communicate and relate to each other affects the way public health policy is created but the philosophical underpinnings of each discipline makes this difficult. Anthropology is reflective, subjective and investigates complexity and the individual; epidemiology, in contrast, is objective and studies populations. Within epidemiological methods there is the utilitarian concept of potentially sacrificing the interests of the individual for the benefits of maximizing population welfare, whereas in anthropology the individual is always included. Other strengths of anthropology in the creation of public health policy include: its attention to complexity, questioning the familiar; helping with language and translation; reconfiguring boundaries to create novel frameworks; and being reflective. Public health requires research that is multi-, inter- and trans-disciplinary. To do this, there is a need for each discipline to respect the ‘dignity of difference’ between disciplines in order to help create appropriate and effective public health policy.
Introduction to immune cell signalling
Authors: GOODRIDGE H. S. , HARNETT M. M.
Published: November 2005

The dynamic interaction of cells of the immune system with other cells, antigens and secreted factors determines the nature of an immune response. The response of individual cells is governed by the sequence of intracellular signalling events triggered following the association of cell surface molecules during cell-cell contact or the detection of soluble molecules of host or pathogen origin. In this review we will first outline the general principles of intracellular signal transduction. We will then describe the signalling pathways triggered following the recognition of antigen, as well as the detection of cytokines, and discuss how the signalling pathways activated regulate the effector response.
Constitutively activated CK2 potentially plays a pivotal role in Theileria-induced lymphocyte transformation
Authors: DESSAUGE F. , LIZUNDIA R. , LANGSLEY G.
Published: November 2005

Activation of casein kinase II (CK2) was one of the first observations made on how Theileria parasites manipulate host cell signal transduction pathways and we argue that CK2 induction may in fact contribute to many of the different activation events that have been described since 1993 for Theileria-infected lymphocytes such as sustained activation of transcription factors c-Myc and NF-κB. CK2 also contributes to infected lymphocyte survival by inhibiting caspase activation and is probably behind constitutive PI3-K activation by phosphorylating PTEN. Finally, we also discuss how CK2A may act not only as a kinase, but also as a stimulatory subunit for the protein phosphatase PP2A, so dampening down the MEK/ERK and Akt/PKB pathways and for all these reasons we propose CK2 as a central player in Theileria-induced lymphocyte transformation.
Concordance of Helicobacter pylori infection among children in extended-family homes
Authors: GARG P. K. , PERRY S. , SANCHEZ L. , PARSONNET J.
Published: November 2005

Helicobacter pylori is transmitted within households and high concordance is observed among siblings. To better understand the contributions of close interpersonal contact and family relatedness to transmission, we compared concordance of H. pylori infection among 241 sibling and non-sibling children aged 2–18 years in 68, predominantly low-income, Hispanic households with at least two nuclear families. Prevalence of H. pylori infection was 24%. Compared to children with no infected siblings or non-siblings and adjusting for age, odds of H. pylori infection were 1·2 (95% CI 0·52–2·9), 3·2 (95% CI 1·14–9·1), and 9·4 (95% CI 3·1–28·5) for children residing with at least one infected non-sibling, one infected sibling, and with at least one infected sibling and non-sibling, respectively. The study further implicates intersibling transmission as a pathway for H. pylori infection in childhood. In addition, living with a non-sibling in extended-family homes may contribute to infection risk but only in households with prevalent H. pylori infection within all family groups.
Ambivalence and ambiguity in laterals and nasals
Authors: Mielke Jeff
Published: November 2005

Ambivalent segments are speech sounds whose cross-linguistic patterning is especially variable, creating contradictions for theories of universal distinctive features. This paper examines lateral liquids, whose [continuant] specification has been the subject of controversy because of their ability to pattern both with continuants and with non-continuants, and because phonetically they are situated in the contested ground between two different articulatory definitions for the feature [continuant]. Evidence from a survey of sound patterns in 561 languages shows that lateral liquids, like nasals, pattern with continuants about as often as with non-continuants. Ambivalent phonological behaviour is argued to be natural and expected for phonetically ambiguous segments in a theory of emergent distinctive features where features are the result of sound patterns, rather than the other way around.
Immunopathogenesis of Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia
Authors: Gigliotti Francis , Wright Terry W.
Published: November 2005

Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia (PCP) is a life-threatening infection that occurs in immunocompromised individuals, particularly those with advanced human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection. Interestingly, morbidity and mortality is related to the underlying cause of immunosuppression, with AIDS patients faring better than oncology patients for example. In addition, the prognosis of PCP has been correlated with markers of inflammation rather than with organism numbers. There is now increasing evidence that lung damage occurring during PCP is a result of the type and extent of the host inflammatory response to P. carinii rather than a result of direct damage by the organism. This review will discuss the experimental and clinical data demonstrating how the host-mediated inflammatory response to infection with P. carinii determines the ultimate outcome of PCP. A better understanding of the pathophysiology of PCP should lead to the development of improved therapies for the treatment of PCP.
Importance of vertical velocity variations in the cloud droplet nucleation process of marine stratus clouds
Authors: Peng Yiran , Lohmann Ulrike , Leaitch Richard
Published: November 2005

Eleven cloud cases through marine stratus, obtained during two field experiments in the North Atlantic Ocean, are used to study the sensitivity of cloud droplet nucleation to the vertical gust velocity. Selected cloud microphysical data, size‐distributed aerosol properties and particle chemistry are applied in an adiabatic parcel model. The nucleated cloud droplet number concentrations (N) predicted using the probability density function (PDF) of the measured in‐cloud vertical velocities are compared to predictions using a characteristic velocity value. In this study, the model‐predicted N from the PDF of the measured in‐cloud vertical velocities agrees with the observed maximum N (Nmax) to within 8.6%. The average N (Navg) can be related to Nmax using a power law (Leaitch et al., 1996). If a relationship between Nmax and Navg based on the measurements is applied to obtain the average N from the model‐predicted N, then the model‐predicted average N agrees with the observed average N to within 13.3%. When a characteristic vertical velocity (0.8 times the standard deviation of the vertical velocity distribution in this study) is used in the parcel model to simulate N, the model‐predicted N agrees with the observed maximum N to within 5.7% and the model‐predicted average N agrees with the observed average N within 8.8%. This indicates that using a characteristic value of the vertical velocity distribution instead of its PDF is a good approximation for simulating the nucleated cloud droplet number of marine stratus on a cloud scale.
Sensitivities of gas‐phase dimethylsulfide oxidation products to the assumed mechanisms in a chemical transport model
Authors: Lucas Donald D. , Prinn Ronald G.
Published: November 2005

The gas‐phase products of dimethylsulfide (DMS) oxidation are simulated in the global 3D Model of Atmospheric Transport and Chemistry (MATCH). The focus is on the sensitivities to the assumed mechanisms of DMS oxidation chemistry in large‐scale models, and hence volcanic and anthropogenic sources of SO2 are ignored. Four representations of DMS chemistry are considered, including two comprehensive mechanisms (about 50 reactions) and two parameterized schemes (four and five reactions). The gas‐phase yields of DMS, SO2, methanesulfonic acid (MSA) and H2SO4 are compared between these four cases as a measure of the sensitivity to uncertain DMS chemistry. Among the four cases, DMS is largely invariant, while SO2 using parameterized chemistry is three times higher than its levels using comprehensive chemistry in the tropical upper troposphere. For MSA and H2SO4, there are order‐of‐magnitude inter‐mechanistic differences at high and low altitudes in the extratropics, respectively. The differences are attributed to fixed branching yields and the absence of important intermediate species and pathways in the parameterized mechanisms. Regional budgets are also analyzed within the remote Southern Ocean and central tropical Pacific. While the DMS budget varies primarily between the regions, the SO2, MSA and H2SO4 budgets vary strongly between the regions and mechanisms. The DMS oxidation products, therefore, are as sensitive to the assumed mechanisms as to the external conditions between the tropics and extratropics. To distinguish between the mechanism cases, the MATCH simulations are also compared to campaign measurements. The simulated values of DMS and SO2 are found to approximate the observations, but do not provide mechanism differentiation. The gas‐phase H2SO4 and MSA simulations differ more extensively from the observations, yet the comprehensive chemistry cases give a better fit to the MSA measurements. Better fits to the MSA observations are also achieved for the two mechanisms that consider dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO) as an MSA precursor.
Measured and modeled equilibrium sizes of NaCl and (NH4)2SO4 particles at relative humidities up to 99.1%
Authors: Wex H. , Kiselev A. , Stratmann F. , Zoboki J. , Brechtel F.
Published: November 2005

The Leipzig Aerosol Cloud Interaction Simulator (LACIS) was used to measure equilibrium sizes of particles at relative humidities (RHs) up to 99.1%. Particles of substances with well‐known hygroscopic behavior (NaCl and (NH4)2SO4) were used for the measurements. The intention was to check the proper functionality of LACIS for this measurement mode. Equilibrium sizes were also simulated on the basis of Köhler theory, by (1) assuming ideal solutions and (2) accounting for the nonideality of the droplets by using osmotic coefficients from the open literature. Measured and simulated equilibrium diameters were compared to measured values published in the open literature. For sodium chloride, model approaches 1 and 2 and all measured values were in good agreement. For ammonium sulfate, the results of model approach 2 (nonideal solution) were in good agreement with the measured diameters, whereas assuming an ideal solution yields equilibrium diameters that are too large by up to 20%. Measured hygroscopic growth factors were used to derive scattering coefficients and visibilities for two exemplary atmospheric dry number size distributions at different RHs. For both salts, at 90% RH the scattering coefficient increased by about a factor of 5 compared to that of the dry aerosol; at 99% RH the increase was about 21‐fold. If instead the hygroscopic growth was assumed to follow the growth factors that were simulated for an ideal ammonium sulfate solution, the increase of the scattering coefficient is overestimated by ∼40%. This highlights the need to account for the nonideal solution behavior of droplets when calculating equilibrium diameters, even at high RHs.