bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Violent rape and bite marks: the use of forensic odontology and ultraviolet lighting
Authors: Gray‐Ray Phyllis , Hensley Christopher , Brennan Edward
Published: July 2006

Rape is one of the most heinous and underreported crimes against women. However, if women knew about recent technological advances in the war on rape, maybe they would report the crime more often. For example, biting incidents in connection with violent rapes are not rare. Consequently, bite mark evidence should be carefully searched for and uncovered early on in the beginning stages of all violent rape/murder investigations. The present case study analysis of nine serial rapists and murderers reveals and captures these criminals through the modern use of odontology. Modern technology in the form of alternate lighting, the skills of the criminal investigator, odontologist, and pathologist are combined in a team effort to bring these offenders to justice. Thus it is necessary to train law enforcement officers and to educate women to make them more aware of such crucial evidence, since many of these rapists are often repeat offenders.
Problem‐oriented policing in public housing: identifying the distribution of problem places
Authors: Green Mazerolle Lorraine , Terrill William
Published: July 2006

Describes a problem‐oriented policing program in Jersey City that seeks to identify, analyze, and target drug, disorder, and violent crime problems in public housing. Describes the problem scanning and identification processes that were used to detect hot spot locations within six public housing sites in the study. Begins the research with a premise that public housing sites differ from one site to the next and that, even within some public housing sites, some common area places will have problems, while others will not. Research findings support this premise. Concludes that there is a distribution of crime problems both across and within public housing sites challenging the hot spot label universalistically applied to public housing sites. The problem identification process has implications for the way problem‐solving teams approach policing public housing sites.
Nightsticks to knighthood
Authors: DeLeon Granados William
Published: July 2006

Community policing provides an opportunity to embrace a form of justice very different, and potentially more effective in controlling deviance, than our traditional concepts relating to crime control. Limiting community policing’s full potential is a lack of academic and practitioner articulation of the two divergent themes embedded in the concept, defined here as the compliance model and the internalization models of justice. Examples from the tenures of Anthony Bouza, August Vollmer and Lee P. Brown, and a case study of Oakland, California illustrate the lack of articulation. Appropriate responses capable of making internalization synonymous with community policing policy and practice receive discussion.
ESTIMATION PROBLEMS IN MODELS WITH SPATIAL WEIGHTING MATRICES WHICH HAVE BLOCKS OF EQUAL ELEMENTS*
Authors: Kelejian Harry H. , Prucha Ingmar R. , Yuzefovich Yevgeny
Published: July 2006

ABSTRACT Spatial models whose weighting matrices have blocks of equal elements might be considered if units are viewed as equally distant within certain neighborhoods, but unrelated between neighborhoods. We give exact small sample results for such models that contain a spatially lagged‐dependent variable. We consider cases in which the data relate to one or more panels, for example, villages, schools, etc. Our results are consistent with large sample results given in Kelejian and Prucha (2002) but indicate a variety of issues they did not consider.
Sampling Within Households in Household Surveys
Authors: Clark Robert G. , Steel David G.
Published: July 2006

The number of people to select within selected households has significant consequences for the conduct and output of household surveys. The operational and data quality implications of this choice are carefully considered in many surveys, but the effect on statistical efficiency is not well understood. The usual approach is to select all people in each selected household, where operational and data quality concerns make this feasible. If not, one person is usually selected from each selected household. We find that this strategy is not always justified, and we develop intermediate designs between these two extremes. Current practices were developed when household survey field procedures needed to be simple and robust; however, more complex designs are now feasible owing to the increasing use of computer-assisted interviewing. We develop more flexible designs by optimizing survey cost, based on a simple cost model, subject to a required variance for an estimator of population total. The innovation lies in the fact that household sample sizes are small integers, which creates challenges in both design and estimation. The new methods are evaluated empirically by using census and health survey data, showing considerable improvement over existing methods in some cases.
A Multivariate Regression Model for Continuous Genetic Traits
Authors: Yuan Ao , Bonney George E.
Published: July 2006

In many commonly used models for multivariate traits, the likelihood is specified as a mixture of nested sums of products over the unobserved genotypes of all the family members, in which the familial covariance matrices vary in size and structure for different families, and their sizes can be immense for large family units. These issues pose computational difficulties in many applications. Bonney’s compound regressive model for univariate traits simplifies the familial covariance structure and reduces the mixture of nested sums only to the parent–offspring level, thus enhancing computation significantly. This model has been extended to the multivariate case in the absence of unobserved genotypes. Here, we further extend this model to incorporate major genes, covariates and multiple loci. As is typical in practice, this causes new computational difficulties. We study the computational issues and explore the behaviour of this extended model.
Willingness to consume and produce transgenic bananas in Costa Rica
Authors: Aguilar Francisco X. , Kohlmann Bert
Published: July 2006

An exploratory study of the willingness to produce and consume transgenic bananas was carried out in Costa Rica. Transgenic crops are plants with novel genes incorporated into their genome through the use of genetic engineering techniques. Farm managers’ opinions were gathered using faxed questionnaires while final consumers’ opinions were obtained through personal intercept interviews. Consumers expressed a lack of knowledge about transgenic crops and had received non‐favour but also non‐negative information through the media about their adoption. The results of a probit regression model show that, other things being equal, younger, wealthier consumers, with higher levels of education, with smaller households are more likely to consume transgenic bananas. All producers included in the study consider they would adopt a new transgenic variety. Producers’ willingness to pay for such a variety would depend on its capacity to reduce pest management costs and is estimated to range between $500 and $999 per hectare. This study stresses the potential for development and adoption of a new transgenic variety that would alleviate the current issues faced by banana farmers. On the other hand, final consumers should be better informed on the nature of such products, their benefits and risks.
Explaining consumers’ willingness to be environmentally friendly
Authors: Abdul‐Muhmin Alhassan G.
Published: July 2006

Theoretical and empirical evidence from the environmental psychology and related literatures are used to develop a model for explaining consumers’ willingness to perform environmentally friendly behaviour. Environmental concern and perceived psychological consequences of environmentally friendly behaviour are posited as key determinants of willingness. Hypothesized antecedents of these are also included in the model, which is tested using structural equation modelling on data from a sample of 232 consumers collected in the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia. The results indicate that the key determinant of willingness is perceived psychological consequences, which in turn is significantly determined by past behaviour. A hypothesized effect of environmental concern on willingness is not significant, although concern is itself significantly determined by perceived psychological consequences. Other positive determinants of concern are environmental knowledge and perceived seriousness of threats to the global environment. Substantive and methodological implications of the findings are outlined and discussed.
Vital pulp therapy of mandibular incisors: a case report with 11‐year follow up
Authors: Parirokh Masoud , Kakoei Shahla
Published: July 2006

This report describes a case of a young patient in whom all the mandibular incisor teeth suffered complicated crown fractures because of a car accident. For all mandibular incisors, pulpotomy with calcium hydroxide were performed in order to achieve apexogenesis and the teeth were restored with a double‐seal of glass ionomer cement and composite resin. The patient was reviewed over 11 years. All the mandibular incisor teeth showed continued root development and complete apex formation. Pulp canal obliteration was observed in only the mandibular right central incisor.
Molecular diagnosis of lyssaviruses and sequence comparison of Australian bat lyssavirus samples
Authors: FOORD AJ , HEINE HG , PRITCHARD LI , LUNT RA , NEWBERRY KM , ROOTES CL , BOYLE DB
Published: July 2006

Objective  To evaluate and implement molecular diagnostic tests for the detection of lyssaviruses in Australia.

Design  A published hemi‐nested reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT‐PCR) for the detection of all lyssavirus genotypes was modified to a fully nested RT‐PCR format and compared with the original assay. TaqMan assays for the detection of Australian bat lyssavirus (ABLV) were compared with both the nested and hemi‐nested RT‐PCR assays. The sequences of RT‐PCR products were determined to assess sequence variations of the target region (nucleocapsid gene) in samples of ABLV originating from different regions.

Results  The nested RT‐PCR assay was highly analytically specific, and at least as analytically sensitive as the hemi‐nested assay. The TaqMan assays were highly analytically specific and more analytically sensitive than either RT‐PCR assay, with a detection level of approximately 10 genome equivalents per µl. Sequence of the first 544 nucleotides of the nucleocapsid protein coding sequence was obtained from all samples of ABLV received at Australian Animal Health Laboratory during the study period.

Conclusion  The nested RT‐PCR provided a means for molecular diagnosis of all tested genotypes of lyssavirus including classical rabies virus and Australian bat lyssavirus. The published TaqMan assay proved to be superior to the RT‐PCR assays for the detection of ABLV in terms of analytical sensitivity. The TaqMan assay would also be faster and cross contamination is less likely. Nucleotide sequence analyses of samples of ABLV from a wide geographical range in Australia demonstrated the conserved nature of this region of the genome and therefore the suitability of this region for molecular diagnosis.
Kv7/KCNQ/M‐channels in rat glutamatergic hippocampal axons and their role in regulation of excitability and transmitter release
Authors: Vervaeke K. , Gu N. , Agdestein C. , Hu H. , Storm J. F.
Published: July 2006

M‐current (IM) plays a key role in regulating neuronal excitability. Mutations in Kv7/KCNQ subunits, the molecular correlates ofIM, are associated with a familial human epilepsy syndrome. Kv7/KCNQ subunits are widely expressed, andIMhas been recorded in somata of several types of neurons, but the subcellular distribution of M‐channels remains elusive. By combining field‐potential, whole‐cell and intracellular recordings from area CA1 in rat hippocampal slices, and computational modelling, we provide evidence for functional M‐channels in unmyelinated axons in the brain. Our data indicate that presynaptic M‐channels can regulate axonal excitability and synaptic transmission, provided the axons are depolarized into theIMactivation range (beyond ∼−65 mV). Here, such depolarization was achieved by increasing the extracellular K+concentration ([K+]o). Extracellular recordings in the presence of moderately elevated [K+]o(7–11 mm), showed that the specific M‐channel blocker XE991 reduced the amplitude of the presynaptic fibre volley and the field EPSP in a [K+]o‐dependent manner, both in stratum radiatum and in stratum lacknosum moleculare. The M‐channel opener, retigabine, had opposite effects. The higher the [K+]o, the greater the effects of XE991 and retigabine. Similar pharmacological modulation of EPSPs recorded intracellularly from CA1 pyramidal neurons, while blocking postsynaptic K+channels with intracellular Cs+, confirmed that active M‐channels are located presynaptically. Computational analysis with an axon model showed that presynapticIMcan control Na+channel inactivation and thereby affect the presynaptic action potential amplitude and Ca2+influx, provided the axonal membrane potential is sufficiently depolarized. Finally, we compared the effects of blockingIMon the spike after‐depolarization and bursting in CA3 pyramidal neuron somataversustheir axons. In standard [K+]o(2.5 mm), XE991 increased the ADP and promoted burst firing at the soma, but not in the axons. However,IMcontributed to the refractory period in the axons when spikes were broadened by a low dose 4‐aminopyridine (200 μm). Our results indicate that functional Kv7/KCNQ/M‐channels are present in unmyelinated axons in the brain, and that these channels may have contrasting effects on excitability depending on their subcellular localization.
Distinct ASIC currents are expressed in rat putative nociceptors and are modulated by nerve injury
Authors: Poirot Olivier , Berta Temugin , Decosterd Isabelle , Kellenberger Stephan
Published: July 2006

The H+‐gated acid‐sensing ion channels (ASICs) are expressed in dorsal root ganglion (DRG) neurones. Studies with ASIC knockout mice indicated either a pro‐nociceptive or a modulatory role of ASICs in pain sensation. We have investigated in freshly isolated rat DRG neurones whether neurones with different ASIC current properties exist, which may explain distinct cellular roles, and we have investigated ASIC regulation in an experimental model of neuropathic pain. Small‐diameter DRG neurones expressed three different ASIC current types which were all preferentially expressed in putative nociceptors. Type 1 currents were mediated by ASIC1a homomultimers and characterized by steep pH dependence of current activation in the pH range 6.8–6.0. Type 3 currents were activated in a similar pH range as type 1, while type 2 currents were activated at pH < 6. When activated by acidification to pH 6.8 or 6.5, the probability of inducing action potentials correlated with the ASIC current density. Nerve injury induced differential regulation of ASIC subunit expression and selective changes in ASIC function in DRG neurones, suggesting a complex reorganization of ASICs during the development of neuropathic pain. In summary, we describe a basis for distinct cellular functions of different ASIC types in small‐diameter DRG neurones.
Electrophysiological and gene expression profiling of neuronal cell types in mammalian neocortex
Authors: Yano Kojiro , Subkhankulova Tatiana , Livesey Frederick J. , Robinson Hugh P. C.
Published: July 2006

It is a challenging question to understand how different neuronal types are organized into a complex architecture in the cortex, an architecture which is also adapted in different regions to subserve very different functions. Recent developments in genetic and molecular techniques have opened up the possibility of using gene expression profiling for neuronal cell typing, with the aim of uncovering novel cell types and the underlying mechanisms which generate and maintain neuronal heterogeneity in the cortex. This review introduces some current ideas about neuronal cell types in the cortex and describes recent approaches to expression profiling for defining cortical neuronal cell types.
Daughter Cell Separation by Penicillin-Binding Proteins and Peptidoglycan Amidases in
Escherichia coli
Authors: Priyadarshini Richa , Popham David L. , Young Kevin D.
Published: July 2006

As one of the final steps in the bacterial growth cycle, daughter cells must be released from one another by cutting the shared peptidoglycan wall that separates them. In
Escherichia coli
, this delicate operation is performed by several peptidoglycan hydrolases, consisting of multiple amidases, lytic transglycosylases, and endopeptidases. The interactions among these enzymes and the molecular mechanics of how separation occurs without lysis are unknown. We show here that deleting the endopeptidase PBP 4 from strains lacking AmiC produces long chains of unseparated cells, indicating that PBP 4 collaborates with the major peptidoglycan amidases during cell separation. Another endopeptidase, PBP 7, fulfills a secondary role. These functions may be responsible for the contributions of PBPs 4 and 7 to the generation of regular cell shape and the production of normal biofilms. In addition, we find that the
E. coli
peptidoglycan amidases may have different substrate preferences. When the
dd
-carboxypeptidase PBP 5 was deleted, thereby producing cells with higher levels of pentapeptides, mutants carrying only AmiC produced a higher percentage of cells in chains, while mutants with active AmiA or AmiB were unaffected. The results suggest that AmiC prefers to remove tetrapeptides from peptidoglycan and that AmiA and AmiB either have no preference or prefer pentapeptides. Muropeptide compositions of the mutants corroborated this latter conclusion. Unexpectedly, amidase mutants lacking PBP 5 grew in long twisted chains instead of straight filaments, indicating that overall septal morphology was also defective in these strains.
INTRINSIC SPIN HALL EFFECT IN MESOSCOPIC SYSTEMS
Authors: SHENG L. , TING C. S.
Published: July 2006

The intrinsic spin Hall effect has been attracting increasing theoretical and experimental interest since its discovery about two years ago. In this article, we review the main achievements in the theoretical aspect of both dissipative and nondissipative spin Hall effects in mesoscopic systems. The Landauer–Büttiker formula and Green's function approach based numerical method for the spin Hall effect is also introduced.
SIMULATION OF PULSER RECEIVER SYSTEM FOR ULTRASONIC MEASUREMENTS
Authors: GANDOLE Y. B. , YAWALE S. P. , YAWALE S. S.
Published: July 2006

The success of modern electronics is built on the possibility to accurately predict system behavior by using simulation tools. This paradigm can be extended to components such as piezoelectric transducers attached to the electronics. The ability to simulate both piezoelectric transducer and electronics together renders possible effective optimizations at system level, i.e. minimizing size, cost and power consumption. In this paper a computer simulation of a combined electronics and piezoelectric transducer system is explored. The analogy between acoustic wave propagation and wave propagation in an electric transmission line is given. The simulation approach is applied to a pulser-receiver setup for the determination of speed of sound and attenuation in liquids. Experiments and simulations are made for fixed temperature and in the frequency range 1–10 MHz using ethanol, methanol, carbon tetrachloride, acetone, benzene and distilled water as test samples. Comparison shows a good agreement between simulation and experiments. Furthermore, the use of an ultrasonic simulation package allows for the development of the associated electronics to amplify and process the received ultrasonic signals.
LOCAL DENSITY DISTRIBUTION OF NONUNIFORM POLYMER MELTS AT SOLID-FLUID INTERFACES
Authors: KIM SOON-CHUL
Published: July 2006

We have developed the density functional theory (DFT) and density functional perturbation theory (DFPT) which are based both on the hybrid weighted-density approximation and on the higher-order weighted-density approximation, respectively, to study the structural and thermodynamic properties of polymer melts at interfaces. They were applied to predict the local density distributions, adsorption isotherms, surface excesses, and solvation forces of a freely jointed tangent hard-sphere chain in hard slit pores. The Wertheim's first-order perturbation theory extended by Yu and Wu [J. Chem. Phys.117, 2368 (2002)] was used to calculate the excess free energy and second-order direct correlation function due to the chain connectivity. The weight functions were calculated from the second-order direct correlation functions. The calculated results show that the DFT is in excellent agreement with the computer simulations and slightly better than the DFPT.
Phenology of Forest Caterpillars and Their Host Trees: The Importance of Synchrony
Authors: van Asch Margriet , Visser Marcel E.
Published: July 2006

For many leaf-feeding herbivores, synchrony in phenology with their host plant is crucial as development outside a narrow phenological time window has severe fitness consequences. In this review, we link mechanisms, adaptation, and population dynamics within a single conceptual framework, needed for a full understanding of the causes and consequences of this synchrony. The physiological mechanisms underlying herbivore and plant phenology are affected by environmental cues, such as photoperiod and temperature, although not necessarily in the same way. That these different mechanisms lead to synchrony, even if there is spatial and temporal variation in plant phenology, is a result of the strong natural selection acting on the mechanism underlying herbivore phenology. Synchrony has a major impact on the population densities of leaf-feeding Lepidoptera, and years with a high synchrony may lead to outbreaks. Global climate change leads to a disruption of the synchrony between herbivores and their host plants, which may have major impacts for population viability if natural selection is insufficient to restore synchrony.
Assessment of right ventricular diastolic suction in dogs with the use of wave intensity analysis
Authors: Sun Yichun , Belenkie Israel , Wang Jiun-Jr , Tyberg John V.
Published: July 2006

Diastolic suction (DS) can be defined as that property of the ventricle by means of which it tends to refill itself during early diastole, independent of any force from the atrium. Although thought to be significant in the left ventricle (LV), DS in the right ventricle (RV) has received little attention, probably because of RV geometry. Our recent LV studies have shown that DS is related to both decreased elastance (i.e., τ, the relaxation time constant) and end-systolic volume (VLVES), thus reconciling the two mechanisms that have been used to explain the concept of DS. We hypothesized that RV DS would similarly depend on τ and VRVES. In six anesthetized open-chest dogs, aortic, RV, right atrial (RA), pulmonary arterial (PA), and RV pericardial pressure, tricuspid velocity, and PA flow were measured. VRVES was calculated by measuring distances between eight ultrasonic crystals. An empirical index of relaxation, τ′, and VRVES were manipulated by volume loading/caval constriction and isoproterenol/esmolol. We calculated the total energy (IW−) of the backward expansion wave generated during RV relaxation and that component causing DS [IW−(DS)]; i.e., the energy remaining after tricuspid valve opening. IW− [IW−(DS) also] was found to be inversely related to τ′ and to VRVES {i.e., IW− = −8.85· e(−0.0423τ′)· e[−0.0665(%VRVES)]}. Thus, as for the LV, the energy of the backward-going wave generated by the RV during relaxation depends on both the rate at which elastance decreases and the completeness of ejection. Despite the thin wall and nonspherical shape of the RV, DS appears to be an important mechanism.
Antioxidant vitamin therapy alters sepsis-related apoptotic myocardial activity and inflammatory responses
Authors: Carlson Deborah , Maass David L. , White D. Jean , Tan Jing , Horton Jureta W.
Published: July 2006

This study examined the effects of antioxidant vitamins on several aspects of sepsis-related myocardial signaling cascades. Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into four groups: group 1, vehicle-treated shams; group 2, sham-operated rats given antioxidant vitamins (vitamin C, 24 mg/kg; vitamin E, 20 U/kg; vitamin A, 417 U/kg; and zinc, 3.7 ng/kg) by oral gavage in 0.5 ml water twice daily for 3 days and no septic challenge (vitamin-treated, sham-operated rats); group 3, intratracheal delivery of Streptococcus pneumoniae, 4 × 106 colony forming units in a volume of 0.3 ml phosphate buffer solution; group 4, S. pneumonia challenge as described for group 3 plus antioxidant vitamins (as described for group 2). Hearts collected 24 h after septic challenge were used to examine several aspects of cell signaling and ventricular function. As a result, when compared with sham-operated rats, sepsis in the absence of antioxidant therapy promoted NF-κB activation, increased mitochondrial cytochrome c release, increased myocyte cytokine secretion, increased caspase activation, and impaired left ventricular function. Antioxidant vitamin therapy plus septic challenge prevented NF-κB activation, reduced mitochondrial cytochrome c release, decreased caspase activity, abrogated cardiomyocyte secretion of inflammatory cytokines, and improved myocardial contractile function. In conclusion, antioxidant vitamin therapy abrogated myocardial inflammatory cytokine signaling and attenuated sepsis-related contractile dysfunction, suggesting that antioxidant vitamin therapy may be a potential approach to treat injury and disease states characterized by myocardial dysfunction.
Effect of rhIL-6 infusion on GH→IGF-I axis mediators in humans
Authors: Nemet Dan , Eliakim Alon , Zaldivar Frank , Cooper Dan M.
Published: July 2006

Exercise leads to simultaneous increases in mediators signaling apparently antagonistic functional responses such as growth factors and inflammatory mediators. The aim of the present study was to demonstrate the physiological effect of IL-6 on circulating components of the growth hormone (GH)-insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) axis. Twelve men (ages 26 ± 2 yr) were divided into two groups ( n = 6 in each group), receiving either albumin or recombinant human (rh) IL-6 infusion. IL-6 was infused via an antecubital vein, and a contralateral antecubital vein was used for blood sampling. The IL-6 dose was chosen to reach plasma levels of IL-6 characteristic of intense exercise (5 μg/h, for 3 h, resulting in plasma levels of 100 pg/ml). Blood samples for GH, GH binding protein, IGF-I, and IGF binding protein (IGFBP)-1 and -3 were collected at baseline, 30 min, and 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 8 h after the beginning of the rhIL-6 infusion. IL-6 levels increased only in the rhIL-6-infused group ( P < 0.0005) and returned to baseline after the infusion was stopped. IL-6 infusion led to a significant increase in GH, peaking 1 h after the beginning of infusion ( P < 0.001). A decrease in total IGF-I levels was noted only in the rhIL-6-infused group ( P < 0.027). An initial decrease in IGFBP-1 levels was noted in both groups during infusion ( P < 0.03). Following the initial decrease, there was a significant increase in IGFBP-1 levels only in the IL-6-infused participants, peaking at 2 after the infusion cessation ( P < 0.001). IL-6 infusion had no effect on GH binding protein, IGFBP-3, and acid-labile subunit levels. rhIL-6 levels similar to the levels found after strenuous exercise induced a typical exercise-associated GH→IGF-I axis response (increase GH, decreased IGF-I, and elevated IGFBP-1). The results suggest that IL-6 plays a role in the GH→IGF-I response to intense exercise.
Exercise-induced bronchoconstriction alters airway nitric oxide exchange in a pattern distinct from spirometry
Authors: Shin Hye-Won , Schwindt Christina D. , Aledia Anna S. , Rose-Gottron Christine M. , Larson Jennifer K. , Newcomb Robert L. , Cooper Dan M. , George Steven C.
Published: July 2006

Exhaled nitric oxide (NO) is altered in asthmatic subjects with exercise-induced bronchoconstriction (EIB). However, the physiological interpretation of exhaled NO is limited because of its dependence on exhalation flow and the inability to distinguish completely proximal (large airway) from peripheral (small airway and alveolar) contributions. We estimated flow-independent NO exchange parameters that partition exhaled NO into proximal and peripheral contributions at baseline, postexercise challenge, and postbronchodilator administration in steroid-naive mild-intermittent asthmatic subjects with EIB (24–43 yr old, n = 9) and healthy controls (20–31 yr old, n = 9). The mean ± SD maximum airway wall flux and airway diffusing capacity were elevated and forced expiratory flow, midexpiratory phase (FEF25–75), forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1), and FEV1/forced vital capacity (FVC) were reduced at baseline in subjects with EIB compared with healthy controls, whereas the steady-state alveolar concentration of NO and FVC were not different. Compared with the response of healthy controls, exercise challenge significantly reduced FEV1(−23 ± 15%), FEF25–75(−37 ± 18%), FVC (−12 ± 12%), FEV1/FVC (−13 ± 8%), and maximum airway wall flux (−35 ± 11%) relative to baseline in subjects with EIB, whereas bronchodilator administration only increased FEV1(+20 ± 21%), FEF25–75(+56 ± 41%), and FEV1/FVC (+13 ± 9%). We conclude that mild-intermittent steroid-naive asthmatic subjects with EIB have altered airway NO exchange dynamics at baseline and after exercise challenge but that these changes occur by distinct mechanisms and are not correlated with alterations in spirometry.
Obesity and thermogenesis related to the consumption of caffeine, ephedrine, capsaicin, and green tea
Authors: Diepvens Kristel , Westerterp Klaas R. , Westerterp-Plantenga Margriet S.
Published: July 2006

The global prevalence of obesity has increased considerably in the last decade. Tools for obesity management, including caffeine, ephedrine, capsaicin, and green tea have been proposed as strategies for weight loss and weight maintenance, since they may increase energy expenditure and have been proposed to counteract the decrease in metabolic rate that is present during weight loss. A combination of caffeine and ephedrine has shown to be effective in long-term weight management, likely due to different mechanisms that may operate synergistically, e.g., respectively inhibiting the phosphodiesterase-induced degradation of cAMP and enhancing the sympathetic release of catecholamines. However, adverse effects of ephedrine prevent the feasibility of this approach. Capsaicin has been shown to be effective, yet when it is used clinically it requires a strong compliance to a certain dosage, that has not been shown to be feasible yet. Also positive effects on body-weight management have been shown using green tea mixtures. Green tea, by containing both tea catechins and caffeine, may act through inhibition of catechol O-methyl-transferase, and inhibition of phosphodiesterase. Here, the mechanisms may also operate synergistically. In addition, tea catechins have antiangiogenic properties that may prevent development of overweight and obesity. Furthermore, the sympathetic nervous system is involved in the regulation of lipolysis, and the sympathetic innervation of white adipose tissue may play an important role in the regulation of total body fat in general.
Similitude of transperitoneal permeability in different rodent species
Authors: Flessner Michael F. , Credit Kimberly , Li Xiarong , Tanksley Jarred
Published: July 2006

Transgenic mice facilitate mechanistic studies of altered peritoneal transport, but the majority of transport studies have been carried out in rats. We hypothesized that mouse transport parameters, normalized to the peritoneal contact area, would be similar to those of the rat. To address this, we affixed small (∼10-mm diameter) plastic chambers to the serosa of the abdominal wall of anesthetized CD1 and C57BL mice. The chamber constrained transfer across the area of the chamber base and facilitated mixing, volumetric, and concentration measurements vs. time for mannitol, serum albumin, and osmotic and hydrostatic pressure-driven convection. The mass transfer coefficient of mannitol (MTCM) and of serum albumin (MTCBSA), hydrostatic pressure-driven flux ( JP), and osmotic filtration ( Josm) were calculated from the time-dependent volume and concentration data. The units of all parameters (μl·min−1·cm−2) were compared with previously derived parameters from SD rats with a one-way ANOVA. Results indicated small but significant differences in MTCBSA(x102): CD1, 9.72 ± 1.97, n = 6; C57BL, 7.13 ± 1.52, n = 10; rat, 12.5 ± 1.6, n = 17 ( P = 0.03). ANOVAs of all other parameters were not significant and confirmed our hypothesis: MTCM(CD1, 3.20 ± 0.38, n = 7; C57BL, 2.34 ± 0.41, n = 6; rat, 2.72 ± 0.23 n = 19), JP(CD1, 0.77 ± 0.15, n = 10; C57BL, 0.33 ± 0.13, n = 15; rat, 0.51 ± 0.16, n = 9), or Josm(CD1, 0.92 ± 0.35, n = 6; C57BL, 0.49 ± 0.35, n = 6; rat 1.72 ± 0.35, n = 6). We conclude that elimination of the variable peritoneal transfer area normalizes calculated transport characteristics and facilitates comparison between species.
Resistance training increases basal limb blood flow and vascular conductance in aging humans
Authors: Anton Maria M. , Cortez-Cooper Miriam Y. , DeVan Allison E. , Neidre Daria B. , Cook Jill N. , Tanaka Hirofumi
Published: July 2006

Age-related reductions in basal limb blood flow and vascular conductance are associated with the metabolic syndrome, functional impairments, and osteoporosis. We tested the hypothesis that a strength training program would increase basal femoral blood flow in aging adults. Twenty-six sedentary but healthy middle-aged and older subjects were randomly assigned to either a whole body strength training intervention group (52 ± 2 yr, 3 men, 10 women) who underwent three supervised resistance training sessions per week for 13 wk or a control group (53 ± 2 yr, 4 men, 9 women) who participated in a supervised stretching program. At baseline, there were no significant differences in blood pressure, cardiac output, basal femoral blood flow (via Doppler ultrasound), vascular conductance, and vascular resistance between the two groups. The strength training group increased maximal strength in all the major muscle groups tested ( P < 0.05). Whole body lean body mass increased ( P < 0.05) with strength training, but leg fat-free mass did not. Basal femoral blood flow and vascular conductance increased by 55–60% after strength training (both P < 0.05). No such changes were observed in the control group. In both groups, there were no significant changes in brachial blood pressure, plasma endothelin-1 and angiotensin II concentrations, femoral artery wall thickness, cardiac output, and systemic vascular resistance. Our results indicate that short-term strength training increases basal femoral blood flow and vascular conductance in healthy middle-aged and older adults.
Incidence and predictors of subacute thrombosis in patients undergoing primary angioplasty for an acute myocardial infarction
Authors: Smit Jaap Jan , de Boer Menko , Hoorntje Jan , Dambrink Jan Henk , Gosselink A. T. , Ottervanger Jan , Kolkman J. J. , Suryapranata Harry , van ’t Hof Arnoud
Published: July 2006

Subacute thrombosis (SAT) is a major concern in patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). So far, only little data has been available on characteristics and outcome of patients with SAT after primary PCI for ST elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). From 1997–2001, 1,548 unselected consecutive patients underwent primary PCI for STEMI as part ofa randomized controlled trial stenting vs. balloon angioplasty. All patients received acetylsalicylic acid (500 mg i. v.) and heparin (5,000 IU) before the procedure. After stenting, all patients received ticlopidine 250 mg daily (before July 1999) or clopidogrel 75 mg daily (after July 1999) for one month. Five percent of patients received glycoprotein IIb/IIIa blockers. We prospectively recorded incidence and characteristics of patients with SAT during one year follow-up. SAT occurred in 4. 1% (63/1548) and reinfarction in 6. 0% of patients. The incidence of SAT did not change over time (1997: 8/175[4. 6%],1998: 8/325 [2.5%],1999: 13/358 [3.6%], 2000: 22/426 [5.2%], 2001: 12/264 [4.5%]). SAT occurred in 39/63(62%) patients during hospital stay. The incidence did not differ between patients after ticlopidine 23/681 (3.4%) or clopidogrel 40/867 (4. 6%, p=0. 222). Univariate predictors of SAT were: patients with an LAD stenosis (5.4% vs. 2.9%, p=0. 016), with Killip class>1 at presentation (8.6% vs. 3.7%, p=0.007) and in patients who received a stent (5.1% vs. 2.7%, p=0. 022). After multivariate analysis, Killip class>1 on admission was the only independent predictor of SAT(OR 2.26, 95% CI 1.14–4.47, p=0.019). SAT was associated with a higher mortality at long-term follow-up (15% vs. 7%, p=0. 026). In a prospectively recorded, unselected consecutive series of patients undergoing PCI for STEMI, SAT occurred in 4. 1% of patients at oneyear follow-up. Signs of heart failure on admission, anterior myocardial infarction and stenting were predictors of SAT.
Exchange transfusion activates coagulation and alters the coagulation profile in newborn infants
Authors: Wartiovaara-Kautto Ulla , Andersson Sture , Heikinheimo Markku , Petäjä Jari , Långström Satu
Published: July 2006

Exchange transfusion (ET) with adult blood is a standard procedure for neonates with severe hyperbilirubinemia. How ET affects newborn coagulation system remains, however, largely unknown. Thus, we prospectively evaluated the effect of ET on thrombin formation and coagulation profile in 18 newborns (22 ETs). Prothrombin fragment F1+2 and thrombin-antithrombin complexes increased considerably during ET while platelets were significantly reduced. Protein C increased less (p<0.001) and factorVIIIc more (p<0.001) than expected based on their levels in the infused blood. Further, in vitro thrombin generation initiated by5 pM tissue factor was analysed. Before the first ET, newborn endogenous thrombin potential (ETP) and thrombin peak remained at ≈60% of adult control plasma levels, but the lag time to thrombin burst in newborn plasma was ≈45% shorter than the lag time in adult plasma. At the end of the first ET, the thrombin burst still started ≈35% earlier in newborn than adult plasma, whereas ETP and thrombin peak were increased to >90% of adult levels. ETP and peak remained elevated at adult levels until the beginning of the second ET. APC-induced reductions in newborn ETP remained unaltered throughout the first ET. The reductions of ETP by APC were less pronounced in newborn than adult plasma (p<0.0001).We conclude that ET is associated with multiple procoagulant changes and increased in vivo thrombin formation. This ET-induced procoagulant challenge may be of clinical significance in sick newborns already prone to bleeding and thrombotic complications.
Ca
2+
/Calmodulin-Dependent Protein Kinase II Phosphorylation of Ryanodine Receptor Does Affect Calcium Sparks in Mouse Ventricular Myocytes
Authors: Guo Tao , Zhang Tong , Mestril Ruben , Bers Donald M.
Published: July 2006

Previous studies in transgenic mice and with isolated ryanodine receptors (RyR) have indicated that Ca
2+
-calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (CaMKII) can phosphorylate RyR and activate local diastolic sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) Ca
2+
release events (Ca
2+
sparks) and RyR channel opening. Here we use relatively controlled physiological conditions in saponin-permeabilized wild type (WT) and phospholamban knockout (PLB-KO) mouse ventricular myocytes to test whether exogenous preactivated CaMKII or endogenous CaMKII can enhance resting Ca
2+
sparks. PLB-KO mice were used to preclude ancillary effects of CaMKII mediated by phospholamban phosphorylation. In both WT and PLB-KO myocytes, Ca
2+
spark frequency was increased by both preactivated exogenous CaMKII and endogenous CaMKII. This effect was abolished by CaMKII inhibitor peptides. In contrast, protein kinase A catalytic subunit also enhanced Ca
2+
spark frequency in WT, but had no effect in PLB-KO. Both endogenous and exogenous CaMKII increased SR Ca
2+
content in WT (presumably via PLB phosphorylation), but not in PLB-KO. Exogenous calmodulin decreased Ca
2+
spark frequency in both WT and PLB-KO (K
0.5
≈100 nmol/L). Endogenous CaMKII (at 500 nmol/L [Ca
2+
]) phosphorylated RyR as completely in <4 minutes as the maximum achieved by preactivated exogenous CaMKII. After CaMKII activation Ca
2+
sparks were longer in duration, and more frequent propagating SR Ca
2+
release events were observed. We conclude that CaMKII-dependent phosphorylation of RyR by endogenous associated CaMKII (but not PKA-dependent phosphorylation) increases resting SR Ca
2+
release or leak. Moreover, this may explain the enhanced SR diastolic Ca
2+
leak and certain triggered arrhythmias seen in heart failure.
Hurricane Juan (2003). Part II: Forecasting and Numerical Simulation
Authors: McTaggart-Cowan Ron , Bosart Lance F. , Gyakum John R. , Atallah Eyad H.
Published: July 2006

The landfall of Hurricane Juan (September 2003) in the Canadian Maritimes represents an ideal case in which to study the performance of operational forecasting of an intense, predominantly tropical feature entering the midlatitudes. A hybrid cyclone during its genesis phase, Juan underwent a tropical transition as it drifted slowly northward 1500 km from the east coast of the United States. Shortly after reaching its peak intensity as a category-2 hurricane, the storm accelerated rapidly northward and made landfall near Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, with maximum sustained winds of 44 m s−1. Although the forecasts and warnings produced by the U.S. National Hurricane Center and the Canadian Hurricane Centre were of high quality throughout Hurricane Juan’s life cycle, guidance from numerical weather prediction models became unreliable as the storm accelerated toward the coast. The short-range, near-surface forecasts from eight operational models during the crucial prelandfall portion of Juan’s track are investigated in this study. Despite continued improvements to operational numerical forecasting systems, it is shown that those systems not employing advanced tropical vortex initialization techniques were unable to provide forecasters with credible near-surface guidance in this case. A pair of regional forecasts, one successful and one from the failed model set, are compared in detail. Spurious asymmetries in the initial vortex of the deficient model are shown to hamper structural predictions and to cause nonnegligible track perturbations from the trajectory implied by the well-described deep-layer mean flow. The Canadian Mesoscale Compressible Community model is rerun with an improved representation of the hurricane’s vortex in the initial state. The hindcast produced following the tropical cyclone initialization contains reduced track, structure, and intensity errors compared with those generated by the model in real time. The enhanced initial intensity produces a direct improvement in the forecast storm strength throughout the period, and the symmetrization of the vortex eliminates the interactions that plague the operational system. The southeastward relocation of the implanted vortex to Juan’s observed location eliminates a significant northwestward track bias under the influence of a broad area of southerly steering flow. The study concludes that the initialization of Hurricane Juan’s structure and position adds value to numerical guidance even as the storm accelerates poleward at a latitude where the implantation of a quasi-symmetric vortex may not be generally valid.
The Impact of Satellite-Derived Atmospheric Motion Vectors on Mesoscale Forecasts over Hawaii*
Authors: Cherubini T. , Businger S. , Velden C. , Ogasawara R.
Published: July 2006

Tropospheric motions can be inferred from geostationary satellites by tracking clouds and water vapor in sequential imagery. These atmospheric motion vectors (AMV) have been operationally assimilated into global models for the past three decades, with positive forecast impacts. This paper presents results from a study to assess the impact of AMV derived from Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES) imagery on mesoscale forecasts over the conventional data-poor central North Pacific region. These AMV are derived using the latest automated processing methodologies by the University of Wisconsin—Cooperative Institute for Meteorological Satellite Studies (CIMSS). For a test case, a poorly forecast subtropical cyclone (kona low) that occurred over Hawaii on 23–27 February 1997 was chosen. The Local Analysis and Prediction System (LAPS) was used to assimilate GOES-9 AMV data and to produce fifth-generation Pennsylvania State University–NCAR Mesoscale Model (MM5) initial conditions. The satellite wind assimilation is carried out on the 27-km-resolution domain covering the central Pacific area. The MM5 was run with three two-way nested domains (27, 9, and 3 km), with the innermost domain moving with the kona low. The AMV data are found to influence the cyclone’s development, improving the prediction of the cyclone’s central pressure and the track of the low’s center. Since September 2003, GOES-10 AMV data have been routinely accessed from CIMSS in real time and assimilated into the University of Hawaii (UH) LAPS, providing high-resolution initial conditions for twice-daily runs of MM5 at the Mauna Kea Weather Center collocated at the UH. It is found that the direct assimilation of AMV data into LAPS has a positive impact on the forecast accuracy of the UH LAPS/MM5 operational forecasting system when validated with observations in Hawaii. The implications of the results are discussed.
The Sensitivity of Idealized Hurricane Structure and Development to the Distribution of Vertical Levels in MM5
Authors: Kimball Sytske K. , Dougherty F. Carroll
Published: July 2006

In the course of studying the development of hurricanes using the fifth-generation Pennsylvania State University–National Center for Atmospheric Research Mesoscale Model (MM5), a relationship between storm intensity and the distribution of vertical levels became apparent, even when the same total number of sigma levels was used. A specific case of an idealized hurricane, on an f plane, in a quiescent environment, with constant and uniform SST of 28°C, was used to study the sensitivity of hurricane structure and evolution to the distribution of sigma levels. The distribution of vertical levels in the inflow, outflow, and middle layers of the atmosphere clearly affects the intensity, size, and structure of the storms, causing certain physical processes to be under- or overresolved. A well-resolved outflow layer is found to be necessary for proper storm intensification, while a well-resolved inflow layer does not necessarily correspond to an intense storm. In fact, when a well-resolved inflow layer is coupled with a poorly resolved outflow layer, a particularly weak storm evolves. When too few levels are assigned to the upper layer, the storm’s outflow is restricted, causing the eyewall column to become statically stable until surface fluxes can replenish low-level equivalent potential temperature content. Convection in the eyewall and compensating subsidence in the eye occur at a moderate rate and weak storms evolve. However, too few levels in the planetary boundary layer (PBL) can cause a storm to overintensify because of overestimated surface fluxes. When such a PBL is coupled with a poorly resolved outflow, the excessive surface fluxes can compensate for the stifled secondary circulation. Hence, this storm may develop to an expected intensity, but for the wrong reasons. Better guidelines for vertical-level distribution in numerical models, perhaps developed from observations of real-case hurricanes, are required.