bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Fuel and ignition control methodologies for engines with articulated connecting rods
Authors: Evans K , Olsen D , Willson B
Published: October 2005

In this work fuel and ignition control techniques are developed for articulated rod, largebore, two-stroke, natural-gas-fuelled engines. A Cooper-Bessemer GMV-4TF engine is utilized for the experimental investigation. Due to the articulation of the connecting rods, the even bank cylinders have different piston position and port opening profiles and different compression ratios than the odd bank cylinders. Additionally, due to the mechanical design of the engine, ignition and top dead centre (TDC) for the cylinders are not evenly spaced. The non-symmetric timing and articulated geometry result in different gas flow characteristics for each cylinder bank. These differences result in increased NOX emissions of the even cylinder bank compared with those of the odd bank. Results of engine testing have demonstrated that this difference can be compensated for through bank specific fuel and ignition control. Two separate control techniques were utilized for compensation. The first resulted in decreased fuel consumption at a constant NOX level, and the second produced reductions in NOX emissions at a constant fuel consumption.
A one-dimensional numerical model for diesel particulate trap performance study during loading and regeneration
Authors: Guo Zhenhua , Zhang Zhaoyan
Published: October 2005

A one-dimensional model was developed for honeycomb diesel particulate traps. Quasisteady state conservation equations of mass and momentum were solved by combining the shooting method and Runge-Kutta method to find the flow velocity and particulate thickness. A filtration model based on the ‘unit collector’ filtration theory was used to determine the transient filtration parameters of the porous wall. Transient conservation equations of energy were solved using a fully implicit finite difference method to find the temperature field. Analytical method and experimental data from literature were used to calibrate and validate the model, and good agreement has been achieved. A U-shaped particulate layer thickness distribution was found for a clean trap loading. In the loading process of a catalysed trap, the pressure drop increases with time at the beginning, then decreases and eventually reaches a steady state. This type of trap behaviour has been observed in experiments but cannot be predicted by numerical models assuming uniform particulate layer distribution. The trap regeneration performances were studied using this model. It was found that initially retained particulate matter can be oxidized completely during controlled regeneration, while a small amount of particulate still remains at the entrance of inlet channel after uncontrolled regeneration. Parametric studies have been carried out and these show that the trap geometry does not significantly affect trap regeneration behaviour.
Particle characterization from two-stroke powered two-wheelers
Authors: Ntziachristos L , Pistikopoulos P , Samaras Z
Published: October 2005

This paper presents the physical characterization of particle emissions from small two-stroke gasoline two-wheelers. Particle samples were drawn with a dedicated partial dilution system. They were analysed with various aerosol measurement instruments, including a scanning mobility particle sizer (SMPS), an electrical low-pressure impactor (ELPI), and a diffusion charger. Solid particles were discriminated by using a thermodenuder. Results suggest that small two-wheeled vehicles are significant emitters of both solid and volatile particles with the volatile fraction being the dominant one. The particle size distribution appears bimodal at high load and log-normal at lower load. The high concentration of condensable species in the exhaust also leads to the formation of volatile particles in the accumulation mode, which is typically not observed in diesel exhaust. Further comparison with a typical diesel passenger car revealed that some older technology two-wheelers emit even higher mass and solid particle counts than the car. However, the paper concludes that technology improvements such as oxidation catalysts and direct injection systems are expected significantly to reduce particulate matter emission rates.
Esterification of Long Chain Aliphatic Acids with Long Chain Alcohols Catalyzed by Multi-valent Metal Salts
Authors: Mantri Kshudiram , Nakamura Ryo , Komura Kenichi , Sugi Yoshihiro
Published: October 2005

Some typical multi-valent metal salts, such as chloride, nitrate, sulfate, and acetate of Fe(III), Al(III), Ga(III), In(III), Zr(IV), Hf(IV), Zn(II), Co(II), Ni(II), Mn(III), Cr(III), and Cu(II) have catalytic acitivties for the esterification of saturated and unsaturated long chain aliphatic acids with long chain aliphatic alcohols. These catalysts were sponteneously separated from the reaction mixtures, and could be subjected to the recycle use for the further reactions.
Lewis Base-catalyzed Cyanomethylation of Carbonyl Compounds with (Trimethylsilyl)acetonitrile
Authors: Kawano Yoshikazu , Kaneko Nobuya , Mukaiyama Teruaki
Published: October 2005

Catalytic cyanomethylation of various carbonyl compounds with (trimethylsilyl)acetonitrile (TMSCH2CN) in the presence of Lewis bases such as cesium or lithium acetate proceeded smoothly to afford the corresponding cyanomethylated adducts in good yields.
Preparation and Electrochemical Characterization of Ferrocenyl-coated Polystyrene Monodispersed Latex Particle
Authors: Han Limin , Chen Jingyuan , Ikeda Isao
Published: October 2005

The mono dispersed redox-active latex particle with 0.90 μm in diameter was prepared by immobilizing ferrocenylmethanol acrylate on a surface of a polystyrene latex core through the emulsion copolymerization reaction. The aqueous suspensions exhibited stable voltammetric waves at 0.271/0.207 V vs Ag|AgCl. The anodic and the cathodic peak currents were diffusion-controlled, as if it were huge redox molecules with 3.8 × 107 electrons.
The Sonochemiluminescence of Lucigenin in N,N-Dimethylformamide Solution under the Influence of Natural Flavonoids
Authors: Wang Jian , Huang Liyan , Chen Guonan , Huang Jinling
Published: October 2005

The sonochemiluminescence (SCL) of lucigenin in N,N-dimethylformamide was investigated. It is found that flavonoids can effectively inhibit this type of SCL and the inhibition of flavonoids parallel very well to their radical-scavenging capacity. These results provide useful data for establishing methods to assess the radical.
Dispersion Behavior and Spectroscopic Properties of Single-walled Carbon Nanotubes in Chitosan Acidic Aqueous Solutions
Authors: Takahashi Teruo , Luculescu Catalin Romeo , Uchida Katsumi , Ishii Tadahiro , Yajima Hirofumi
Published: October 2005

We found that the cationic polysaccharide chitosan is an efficient dispersion agent for single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs). The spectroscopic properties of chitosan–SWNTs dispersion are different from sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS)–SWNTs dispersion in acidic conditions. It has been revealed that chitosan is efficiently protective against the protonation of SWNTs. The dispersion behavior of SWNTs in chitosan solutions will be discussed.
Structure and Magnetic Properties of a Low-spin Manganese(III) Phthalocyanine Dicyanide Complex
Authors: Matsuda Masaki , Yamaura Jun-Ichi , Tajima Hiroyuki , Inabe Tamotsu
Published: October 2005

A manganese(III) complex salt, TPP[MnIII(Pc)(CN)2]·DCM was crystallized in dichloromethane solution (Pc = phthalocyaninato, TPP+ = tetraphenylphosphonium, and DCM = dichloromethane). In the crystal, Pc molecules form a pair of one-dimensional regular chains along the c axis. The magnetic susceptibility measurement revealed Mn ions in the low-spin state (S = 1) and a spin–orbit coupling effect due to the incomplete quenching of the angular orbital moment under the symmetrical ligand field.
Allocation under Dictatorship: Research in Stalin's Archives
Authors: Gregory Paul , Harrison Mark
Published: October 2005

We survey recent research on the Soviet economy in the state, party, and military archives of the Stalin era. The archives have provided rich new evidence on the economic arrangements of a command system under a powerful dictator including Stalin's role in the making of the economic system and economic policy, Stalin's accumulation objectives and the constraints that limited his power to achieve them, the limits to administrative allocation, the information flows and incentives that governed the behavior of economic managers, the scope and significance of corruption and market-oriented behavior, and the prospects for economic reform.
Ethnic Diversity and Economic Performance
Authors: Alesina Alberto , La Ferrara Eliana
Published: October 2005

We survey and assess the literature on the positive and negative effects of ethnic diversity on economic policies and outcomes. Our focus is on communities of different size and organizational structure, such as countries, cities in developed countries, and villages and groups in developing countries. We also consider the endogenous formation of political jurisdictions and highlight several open issues in need of further research, in particular the endogenous formation of ethnic identity and the measurement of ethnic diversity.
Corporate Governance, Economic Entrenchment, and Growth
Authors: Morck Randall , Wolfenzon Daniel , Yeung Bernard
Published: October 2005

Outside the United States and the United Kingdom, large corporations usually have controlling owners, who are usually very wealthy families. Pyramidal control structures, cross shareholding, and super-voting rights let such families control corporations without making a commensurate capital investment. In many countries, a few such families end up controlling considerable proportions of their countries' economies. Three points emerge. First, at the firm level, these ownership structures, because they vest dominant control rights with families who often have little real capital invested, permit a range of agency problems and hence resource misallocation. If a few families control large swaths of an economy, such corporate governance problems can attain macroeconomic importance—affecting rates of innovation, economywide resource allocation, and economic growth. If political influence depends on what one controls, rather than what one owns, the controlling owners of pyramids have greatly amplified political influence relative to their actual wealth. This influence can distort public policy regarding property rights protection, capital markets, and other institutions. We denote this phenomenon economic entrenchment, and posit a relationship between the distribution of corporate control and institutional development that generates and preserves economic entrenchment as one possible equilibrium. The literature suggests key determinants of economic entrenchment, but has many gaps where further work exploring the political economy importance of the distribution of corporate control is needed.
Reviews of the 2005 Economic Report of the President
Authors: Farrell Joseph , Gruber Jonathan , Hall Robert E , Hanson Gordon H , Slemrod Joel
Published: October 2005

The Journal of Economic Literature (JEL) regularly reviews books of interest to the economics profession. The Economic Report of the President (ERP) falls under that purview and beginning this year, the JEL will be reviewing the ERP. Toward that end, I have asked a handful of very prominent economists to review the 2005 ERP. Reviewers were chosen to reflect expertise on what I guessed would be key issues. Reviewers were given the following instructions:

The ERP in principle should provide an accurate assessment of the consensus professional views of economists on any given issue, based on the research to date. Does the discussion in the ERP in fact accurately summarize what we as economists know?

Reviewers were given free rein over what material they would review in the ERP but were urged to focus on their areas of particular expertise.

In the reviews that follow, Joel Slemrod reviews the discussion of tax reform. Joe Farrell reviews the ERP's chapter titled “Innovation and the Information Economy.” Gordon Hanson reviews the chapters on international trade and on immigration. Robert Hall reviews the discussion of the adverse macroeconomic impact of rising oil prices while Jonathan Gruber reviews the ERP chapter titled “Expanding Individual Choice and Control.”

Many thanks to the reviewers for the quick turnaround.
Comparison of the Relationships between Serum Apolipoprotein B and Serum Lipid Distributions
Authors: Kim Byung Jin , Hwang Sang Tai , Sung Ki Chul , Kim Bum Soo , Kang Jin Ho , Lee Man Ho , Park Jung Ro
Published: October 2005

Background: Apolipoprotein B (apo B) has been reported to be a better predictor of coronary artery disease than cholesterol indices. The objectives of this study were to evaluate concordances/discordances between cholesterol indices and apo B and to assess the factors that influence them.

Methods: For this study, 11 816 individuals (6965 males, 4851 females), none of whom had a past history of coronary artery disease, were selected from among visitors to the health promotion center at Kangbuk Samsung Hospital between January and December 2002. We assessed concordances between the biochemical indices of atherogenicity and evaluated factors associated with discordances.

Results: Apo B and various cholesterol indices were correlated, although concordance fell within the range 47%–56%. Multinomial logistic regression analysis showed an increasing risk of a disproportionately higher apo B than LDL-cholesterol in males, the elderly, smokers, individuals with metabolic syndrome, in those with high HDL-cholesterol or triglyceride (TG) concentrations or larger waist circumferences, and in those with low total cholesterol (TC).

Conclusions: The introduction of apo B to standard lipid profile testing could improve the evaluation of risk factors of coronary artery disease and aid more accurate assessment of the effects of cholesterol-lowering therapy, particularly in males, the elderly, smokers, or in individuals with metabolic syndrome, high HDL-cholesterol, high TGs, larger waist circumferences, or low TC.
The Efficacy of Hormone Assays in the Differential Diagnosis of Amenorrhea and Menopause
Authors: Chiecchio Andrea , Malvano Renzo , Vignati Giulio
Published: October 2005

The differential diagnosis of menopause and amenorrhea
is currently based on the assay of circulating follicle
stimulating hormone, luteinising hormone, and
estradiol. The diagnostic performance of the three hormone
assays, both as single and combined tests, was
evaluated considering as reference data the results
from 300 subjects for either condition, and assuming
menopause – amenorrhea prevalence ratios corresponding
to 1 and 10. In the calculation an “allocation”
scheme was adopted, and the uncertainty associated
with the diagnostic performance parameters was accounted
for. The results obtained clearly demonstrate
that the addition of a test for luteinising hormone or
estradiol (or both) to the testing for follicle stimulating
hormone is not justified in terms of improvement of
the diagnostic information.
Zn2+Inhibits Mitochondrial Movement in Neurons by Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinase Activation
Authors: Malaiyandi Latha M. , Honick Anthony S. , Rintoul Gordon L. , Wang Qiming J. , Reynolds Ian J.
Published: October 2005

Mitochondria have been identified as targets of the neurotoxic actions of zinc, possibly through decreased mitochondrial energy production and increased reactive oxygen species accumulation. It has been hypothesized that impairment of mitochondrial trafficking may be a mechanism of neuronal injury. Here, we report that elevated intraneuronal zinc impairs mitochondrial trafficking. At concentrations just sufficient to cause injury, zinc rapidly inhibited mitochondrial movement without altering morphology. Zinc chelation initially restored movement, but the actions of zinc became insensitive to chelator in <10 min. A search for downstream signaling events revealed that inhibitors of phosphatidylinositol (PI) 3-kinase prevented this zinc effect on movement. Moreover, transient inhibition of PI 3-kinase afforded neuroprotection against zinc-mediated toxicity. These data illustrate a novel mechanism that regulates mitochondrial trafficking in neurons and also suggest that mitochondrial trafficking may be closely coupled to neuronal viability.
The Contribution of Spike Threshold to Acoustic Feature Selectivity, Spike Information Content, and Information Throughput
Authors: Escabí Monty A. , Nassiri Reza , Miller Lee M. , Schreiner Christoph E. , Read Heather L.
Published: October 2005

Hypotheses of sensory coding range from the notion of nonlinear “feature detectors” to linear rate coding strategies. Here, we report that auditory neurons exhibit a novel trade-off in the relationship between sound selectivity and the information that can be communicated to a postsynaptic cell. Recordings from the cat inferior colliculus show that neurons with the lowest spike rates reliably signal the occurrence of stereotyped stimulus features, whereas those with high response rates exhibit lower selectivity. The highest information conveyed by individual action potentials comes from neurons with low spike rate and high selectivity. Surprisingly, spike information is inversely related to spike rates, following a trend similar to that of feature selectivity. Information per time interval, however, was proportional to measured spike rates. A neuronal model based on the spike threshold of the synaptic drive accurately accounts for this trade-off: higher thresholds enhance the spiking fidelity at the expense of limiting the total communicated information. Such a constraint on the specificity and throughput creates a continuum in the neural code with two extreme forms of information transfer that likely serve complementary roles in the representation of the auditory environment.
Anorexigenic Hormones Leptin, Insulin, and α-Melanocyte-Stimulating Hormone Directly Induce Neurotensin (NT) Gene Expression in Novel NT-Expressing Cell Models
Authors: Cui Hong , Cai Fang , Belsham Denise D.
Published: October 2005

Neurotensin (NT) is implicated in the regulation of energy homeostasis, in addition to its many described physiological functions. NT is postulated to mediate, in part, the effects of leptin in the hypothalamus. We generated clonal, immortalized hypothalamic cell lines, N-39 and N-36/1, which are the first representative NT-expressing cell models available for the investigation of NT gene regulation and control mechanisms. The cell lines express the Ob-Rbleptin receptor neuropeptide Y (NPY)-Y1, Y2, Y4, Y5 receptors, melanocortin 4 receptor, insulin receptor, and the NT receptor. NT mRNA levels are induced by ∼1.5-fold to twofold with leptin, insulin, and α-melanocyte stimulating hormone treatments but not by NPY. Leptin-mediated induction of NT gene expression was biphasic at 10-11and 10-7M. The leptin responsive region was localized to within -381 to -250 bp of the 5′ regulatory region of the NT gene. Furthermore, we demonstrated direct leptin-mediated signal transducers and activators of transcription (STAT) binding to this region at 10-11m, but not 10-7mleptin, in chromatin precipitation assays. Leptin-induced NT regulation was attenuated by dominant-negative STAT3 protein expression. These data support the hypothesis that NT may have a direct role in the neuroendocrine control of feeding and energy homeostasis.
Axonal Degeneration Induced by Targeted Expression of Mutant Human Tau in Oligodendrocytes of Transgenic Mice That Model Glial Tauopathies
Authors: Higuchi Makoto , Zhang Bin , Forman Mark S. , Yoshiyama Yasumasa , Trojanowski John Q. , Lee Virginia M.-Y.
Published: October 2005

Abundant filamentous tau inclusions in oligodendrocytes (OLGs) are hallmarks of neurodegenerative tauopathies, including sporadic corticobasal degeneration and hereditary frontotemporal dementia with parkinsonism linked to chromosome 17 (FTDP-17). However, mechanisms of neurodegeneration in these tauopathies are unclear in part because of the lack of animal models for experimental analysis. We address this by generating transgenic (Tg) mice expressing human tau exclusively in OLGs using the 2′,3′-cyclic nucleotide 3′-phosphodiesterase promoter. Filamentous OLG tau inclusions developed in these Tg mice as a result of human tau expression in OLGs, especially those expressing the FTDP-17 human P301L mutant tau. Notably, structural disruption of myelin and axons preceded the emergence of thioflavin-S positive tau inclusions in OLGs, but impairments in axonal transport occurred even earlier, whereas motor deficits developed subsequently, especially in Tg mice with the highest tau expression levels. These data suggest that the accumulation of tau in OLG cause neurodegeneration, and we infer they do so by disrupting axonal transport. We suggest that similar defects may also occur in sporadic and hereditary human tauopathies with OLG tau pathologies.
Peripheral Pathways Regulate Motoneuron Collateral Dynamics
Authors: Redett Richard , Jari Rajesh , Crawford Thomas , Chen You-Gang , Rohde Charles , Brushart Thomas M.
Published: October 2005

Motor axons regenerating after repair of mixed nerve reinnervate pathways leading to muscle more often than those leading to skin [preferential motor reinnervation (PMR)]. Motoneurons that initially project collaterals to both muscle and skin prune incorrect projections to generate specificity. The number of motor axon collaterals maintained entirely within cutaneous or muscle pathways, however, is unknown. To overcome this shortcoming, dorsal root ganglion excision has been used to allow only motor axons to regenerate after a peripheral lesion. Motor axon number in reinnervated cutaneous and muscle pathways can then be correlated with the number of parent motoneurons determined by retrograde labeling. The number of collaterals per neuron can be calculated for each environment and the relative roles of pathway and end organ assessed by blocking the distal pathways to prevent target reinnervation.

Without sensory competition, PMR develops in two stages: a limited response to muscle nerve and then a robust response to muscle that may involve retrograde signaling to the proximal pathway. Motoneurons maintain more collaterals in cutaneous nerve than in muscle nerve, even without muscle contact. This difference could result either from increased collateral formation in cutaneous nerve or from increased collateral pruning in muscle nerve. In either instance, these findings confirm that muscle and cutaneous pathways have functionally significant identities that can be recognized by motor axons and can regulate their arborization. Decreased arborization in muscle pathways could promote regeneration by focusing neuronal resources on high-yield projections; increased arborization in cutaneous pathways, conversely, would enhance pathfinding abilities.
Extreme Population-Dependent Linkage Disequilibrium Detected in an Inbreeding Plant Species, Hordeum vulgare
Authors: Caldwell Katherine S , Russell Joanne , Langridge Peter , Powell Wayne
Published: October 2005

In human genetics a detailed knowledge of linkage disequilibrium (LD) is considered a prerequisite for effective population-based, high-resolution gene mapping and cloning. Similar opportunities exist for plants; however, differences in breeding system and population history need to be considered. Here we report a detailed study of localized LD in different populations of an inbreeding crop species. We measured LD between and within four gene loci within the region surrounding the hardness locus in three different gene pools of barley (Hordeum vulgare). We demonstrate that LD extends to at least 212 kb in elite barley cultivars but is rapidly eroded in related inbreeding ancestral populations. Our results indicate that haplotype-based sequence analysis in multiple populations will provide new opportunities to adjust the resolution of association studies in inbreeding crop species.
Effect of Mutation of the Tetratricopeptide Repeat and Asparatate-Proline 2 Domains of Sti1 on Hsp90 Signaling and Interaction in Saccharomyces cerevisiae
Authors: Flom Gary , Weekes Janae , Williams Julia J , Johnson Jill L
Published: October 2005

Through simultaneous interactions with Hsp70 and Hsp90 via separate tetratricopeptide repeat (TPR) domains, the cochaperone protein Hop/Sti1 has been proposed to play a critical role in the transfer of client proteins from Hsp70 to Hsp90. However, no prior mutational analysis demonstrating a critical in vivo role for the TPR domains of Sti1 has been reported. We used site-directed mutagenesis of the TPR domains combined with a genetic screen to isolate mutations that disrupt Sti1 function. A single amino acid alteration in TPR2A disrupted Hsp90 interaction in vivo but did not significantly affect function. However, deletion of a conserved residue in TPR2A or mutations in the carboxy-terminal DP2 domain completely disrupted Sti1 function. Surprisingly, mutations in TPR1, previously shown to interact with Hsp70, were not sufficient to disrupt in vivo functions unless combined with mutations in TPR2B, suggesting that TPR1 and TPR2B have redundant or overlapping in vivo functions. We further examined the genetic and physical interaction of Sti1 with a mutant form of Hsp90, providing insight into the importance of the TPR2A domain of Sti1 in regulating Hsp90 function.
The twisted Gene Encodes Drosophila Protein O-Mannosyltransferase 2 and Genetically Interacts With the rotated abdomen Gene Encoding Drosophila Protein O-Mannosyltransferase 1
Authors: Lyalin Dmitry , Koles Kate , Roosendaal Sigrid D , Repnikova Elena , Van Wechel Laura , Panin Vladislav M
Published: October 2005

The family of mammalian O-mannosyltransferases includes two enzymes, POMT1 and POMT2, which are thought to be essential for muscle and neural development. Similar to mammalian organisms, Drosophila has two O-mannosyltransferase genes, rotated abdomen (rt) and DmPOMT2, encoding proteins with high homology to their mammalian counterparts. The previously reported mutant phenotype of the rt gene includes a clockwise rotation of the abdomen and defects in embryonic muscle development. No mutants have been described so far for the DmPOMT2 locus. In this study, we determined that the mutation in the twisted (tw) locus, tw1, corresponds to a DmPOMT2 mutant. The twisted alleles represent a complementation group of recessive mutations that, similar to the rt mutants, exhibit a clockwise abdomen rotation phenotype. Several tw alleles were isolated in the past; however, none of them was molecularly characterized. We used an expression rescue approach to confirm that tw locus represents DmPOMT2 gene. We found that the tw1 allele represents an amino acid substitution within the conserved PMT domain of DmPOMT2 (TW) protein. Immunostaining experiments revealed that the protein products of both rt and tw genes colocalize within Drosophila cells where they reside in the ER subcellular compartment. In situ hybridization analysis showed that both genes have essentially overlapping patterns of expression throughout most of embryogenesis (stages 8–17), while only the rt transcript is present at early embryonic stages (5 and 6), suggesting its maternal origin. Finally, we analyzed the genetic interactions between rt and tw using several mutant alleles, RNAi, and ectopic expression approaches. Our data suggest that the two Drosophila O-mannosyltransferase genes, rt and tw, have nonredundant functions within the same developmental cascade and that their activities are required simultaneously for possibly the same biochemical process. Our results establish the possibility of using Drosophila as a model system for studying molecular and genetic mechanisms of protein O-mannosylation during development.
The mop1 (mediator of paramutation1) Mutant Progressively Reactivates One of the Two Genes Encoded by the MuDR Transposon in Maize
Authors: Woodhouse Margaret Roth , Freeling Michael , Lisch Damon
Published: October 2005

Transposons make up a sizable portion of most genomes, and most organisms have evolved mechanisms to silence them. In maize, silencing of the Mutator family of transposons is associated with methylation of the terminal inverted repeats (TIRs) surrounding the autonomous element and loss of mudrA expression (the transposase) as well as mudrB (a gene involved in insertional activity). We have previously reported that a mutation that suppresses paramutation in maize, mop1, also hypomethylates Mu1 elements and restores somatic activity to silenced MuDR elements. Here, we describe the progressive reactivation of silenced mudrA after several generations in a mop1 background. In mop1 mutants, the TIRA becomes hypomethylated immediately, but mudrA expression and significant somatic reactivation is not observed until silenced MuDR has been exposed to mop1 for several generations. In subsequent generations, individuals that are heterozygous or wild type for the Mop1 allele continue to exhibit hypomethylation at Mu1 and mudrA TIRs as well as somatic activity and high levels of mudrA expression. Thus, mudrA silencing can be progressively and heritably reversed. Conversely, mudrB expression is never restored, its TIR remains methylated, and new insertions of Mu elements are not observed. These data suggest that mudrA and mudrB silencing may be maintained via distinct mechanisms.
Teilhard de Chardin’s Engagement with the Relationship between Science and Theology in Light of Discussions about Environmental Ethics
Authors: Galleni Ludovico , Scalfari Francesco
Published: October 2005

Pierre Teilhard de Chardin was among the most outstanding palaeontologists of the twentieth century. He was also a Jesuit whose task was to bring to the Church the novelty of the modern world. This novelty was evolution, the irreversible change in time characterized by a movement toward complexity and consciousness. Teilhard de Chardin proposed a research programme that would provide evidence for this increasing complexity in the animal evolution of canalizations and parallelisms. The most important of these was the move toward cerebralisation observed in various phyla. In order to investigate the mechanisms, he proposed biology as the science of the complexity of life, and geobiology as the science of the evolving biosphere. Teilhard de Chardin developed a synthesis with theology where humankind carried forward evolution with convergence towards the Omega point, the moment of the parousia of Christ. This eschatological perspective was strictly related to the survival of Earth, which itself allowed the emergence of humanity. At this point the preservation of the biosphere acquires all of its ethical value as it is the means to reach the eschatological task of the parousia of Christ. Finally, the relationship between the biosphere and the noosphere is suggested by the concept of symbiosis. In this way, the model of Teilhard de Chardin is a model of continuing exchange between science and theology with a reciprocal enrichment providing, among the many aspects, a new vision of the relationships between humankind and the biosphere.
Pain Evaluation in Patients Receiving Intravenous Patient‐Controlled Analgesia After Surgery
Authors: Larijani Ghassem E. , Sharaf Imran , Warshal David P. , Marr Alex , Gratz Irwin , Goldberg Michael E.
Published: October 2005

Study Objective. To evaluate the effectiveness of intravenous patient‐controlled analgesia (PCA) in patients after surgery.

Design. Prospective, observational study.

Setting. University teaching hospital.

Patients. Sixty patients with American Society of Anesthesiologists physical status I–III receiving intravenous PCA for postoperative pain. The PCA was programmed to deliver morphine 1 mg or hydromorphone 0.1–0.2 mg, with a lockout interval of 10 and 6 minutes for 80% and 20% of the patients, respectively.

Measurements and Main Results. Patients were asked, up to 4 times during PCA use and once within 4 hours after PCA use, to describe and rate their intensity of pain at rest and after activity. During the first 12 hours of intravenous PCA use, 75% of the patients reported moderate‐to‐severe pain (≥ 5 on a verbal numeric rating scale) at rest, 80% after activity. Corresponding values, respectively, were 33% and 72% for the 12–24‐hour period, 43% and 76% for the 24–36‐hour period, and 36% and 64% for the 36–48‐hour period of intravenous PCA use. Within 4 hours of stopping PCA, 30% and 58% of the patients had moderate‐to‐severe pain at rest and after activity, respectively. In approximately 50% of patients, presence of pain was described with words signifying sensory and affective dimensions of pain. Pain control was rated as good or very good by 54% of patients during the first 12 hours of intravenous PCA. Ratings of pain control tended to improve with time.

Conclusion. Successful postoperative pain management using PCA is difficult to achieve on a consistent basis unless treatment is individualized. Our data support the hypothesis that small fixed doses fail to achieve adequate relief in many patients.
Aspergillus Susceptibility Testing in Patients with Cancer and Invasive Aspergillosis: Difficulties in Establishing Correlation Between In Vitro Susceptibility Data and the Outcome of Initial Amphotericin B Therapy
Authors: Lionakis Michail S. , Lewis Russell E. , Chamilos Georgios , Kontoyiannis Dimitrios P.
Published: October 2005

Study Objectives. As the failure of amphotericin B therapy in patients with invasive aspergillosis often exceeds 50%, we sought to determine the relationship between in vitro amphotericin B resistance and clinical failure of amphotericin B against invasive aspergillosis.

Design. Retrospective study.

Setting. University cancer center.

Patients. One hundred sixteen patients with cancer and invasive aspergillosis.

Measurements and Main Results. The correlation between in vitro amphotericin B susceptibility, defined by both the National Committee for Clinical Laboratory Standards and Etest methods, and other prognostic factors with failure of initial amphotericin B therapy was retrospectively evaluated. Data for correlation could be clearly assessed in only 18 (16%) of the 116 patients. Admission to the intensive care unit was the only prognostic factor associated with failure of initial amphotericin B treatment in these 18 patients (p=0.01).

Conclusions. Several important obstacles underlie the correlation of in vitro susceptibility testing with in vivo efficacy of individual antifungal agents in the treatment of invasive aspergillosis. Such correlations could be determined in only a small subset of patients.
Infections Associated with Tumor Necrosis Factor‐α Antagonists
Authors: Rychly David J. , DiPiro Joseph T.
Published: October 2005

Tumor necrosis factor‐α (TNF‐α) is a proinflammatory cytokine involved in a wide range of important physiologic processes. This cytokine has a pathologic role in some diseases, and TNF‐α antagonists are effective in treating inflammatory conditions. Given the putative role of TNF‐α in host defense against tuberculosis and other infections, the risk of infection with TNF‐α antagonists is a concern. Therefore, we searched the literature for reports of tuberculosis and other infections associated with TNF‐α–antagonist therapy. Although tuberculosis was rarely reported in randomized clinical comparisons of these antagonists, case reports and submissions to the MedWatch program of the United States Food and Drug Administration have been numerous. Most instances were associated with infliximab, but etanercept and adalimumab may also be associated with an increased risk of tuberculosis. Histoplasmosis, listeriosis, aspergillosis, coccidioidomycosis, and candidiasis have been associated with TNF‐α antagonists, but the causative relationship is not clear. Potential recipients of these drugs should be rigorously screened with skin testing, detailed questioning about recent travel and potential tuberculosis exposure, assessment for symptoms such as cough and weight loss, and chest radiography to minimize their risk of acquiring or reactivating tuberculosis. As with other immunosuppressant drugs, TNF‐α antagonists should not be given to patients with active infection.
Impact of a Criteria‐Based Reimbursement Policy on the Use of Respiratory Drugs Delivered by Nebulizer and Health Care Services Utilization in Nova Scotia, Canada
Authors: Kephart George , Sketris Ingrid S. , Bowles Susan K. , Richard Marc E. , Cooke Charmaine A.
Published: October 2005

Background. In February 2000, the Nova Scotia Seniors' Pharmacare Program announced a change in the reimbursement of respiratory drugs that added specific reimbursement criteria for wet nebulization therapy. Policy implementation coincided with multifaceted interventions to assist patients and providers with the change.

Objective. To assess the impact of the new policy and associated interventions on the use of wet nebulization and portable inhaler delivery systems of respiratory drugs and on the utilization of health services.

Methods. The administrative claims database identified all beneficiaries (age ≥ 65 yrs) who received at least one respiratory drug prescription in the 12 months before the study. These patients were then grouped into the wet nebulization cohort or the control cohort receiving a metered‐dose or a dry‐powder inhaler. The study period was from April 1998–February 2002. Use of respiratory drugs, physician visits, and hospitalizations were compared between study cohorts using an interrupted time‐series design.

Results. A sharp decrease was noted in use of wet nebulization after the policy announcement, along with an increase in use of short‐acting β2‐agonists and anticholinergic agents delivered by metered‐dose or dry‐powder inhaler. From December 1999 to December 2001, in the heavy wet nebulization cohort (a subset of the wet nebulization cohort), wet nebulization use dropped from 100% to 35%; in the wet nebulization cohort, wet nebulization use decreased from 67% to 20%. Rates of spacer device use were 42%, 31%, and 17% in the heavy wet nebulization, wet nebulization, and control cohorts, respectively, in December 2001. Rates of general practitioner visits and hospitalizations for respiratory conditions did not increase in the intervention cohorts after the policy announcement. In fact, relative to the control cohort, health services use in response to the policy and interventions in the wet nebulization cohort decreased.

Conclusion. The reimbursement policy resulted in decreased use of respiratory drugs delivered by wet nebulization without a negative impact on general practitioner visits and hospitalizations for respiratory conditions.
Epinephrine Overdose–Associated Hypokalemia and Rhabdomyolysis in a Newborn
Authors: Fang Wen , Chen Ju‐Yi , Fang Yun , Huang Jing‐Long
Published: October 2005

Epinephrine overdose induces many negative complications in adults because of its α‐ and β‐adrenoreceptor activity. However, complications in newborns or children are rarely described. A 4‐day‐old, 2004‐g female newborn was inadvertently given epinephrine at 100 times the usual dose; she developed hypokalemia and rhabdomyolysis. A nurse erroneously administered 2 mg of epinephrine 1:1000 (1 mg/ml) into a peripheral intravenous line in the patient's right leg. Her potassium level decreased to 2.2 mEq/L. An infusion of potassium chloride 2 mEq/kg/day over 80 hours was required to correct the hypokalemia. Rhabdomyolysis was diagnosed and confirmed from laboratory results of an elevated creatine kinase level (peak 4124 U/L), with 100% creatine kinase–MM isoenzymes. No obvious long‐term sequelae were observed. Effective ventilation, proper hydration, electrolyte maintenance, and early detection were assumed responsible for the positive outcome. Medication errors are common with pediatric inpatients, and efforts to reduce them are needed.
Pediatric Pharmacotherapeutic Education: Current Status and Recommendations to Fill the Growing Need
Authors: Aucoin Robert G. , Buck Marcia L. , Dupuis L. Lee , Dominguez Karen D. , Smith Katherine P.
Published: October 2005

The Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education and the Canadian Council for Accreditation of Pharmacy Programs state that their respective programs should provide a curriculum appropriate to produce general practitioners of pharmacy. Millions of prescriptions are written for infants and children each year, and relatively few pharmacists practice in environments devoid of pediatric patients. To fulfill the stated mandate, professional pharmacy curricula must include adequate content dedicated to pharmaceutical care of the pediatric patient. Current pediatric curricula are inadequate and must be improved. Pediatric topics should be introduced early in the curriculum to increase students' awareness of the special needs of this vulnerable population. Other recommendations include the provision at least 25 hours of didactic instruction in core pediatric areas and at least one pediatric clinical rotation to all students. Pharmaceutical care of pediatric patients can also be improved by offering pediatric rotations to all pharmacy practice residents and encouraging their participation. However, a change in attitude may be most important. The contention that pediatric pharmacy practice is an isolated subspecialty can no longer be supported.
Repression of the prolactin promoter: a functional consequence of the heterodimerization between Pit-1 and Pit-1 β
Authors: Sporici R A , Hodskins J S , Locasto D M , Meszaros L B , Ferry A L , Weidner A M , Rinehart C A , Bailey J C , Mains I M , Diamond S E
Published: October 2005

The POU-homeodomain transcription factor Pit-1 is required for the differentiation of the anterior pituitary cells and the expression of their hormone products. Pit-1β, an alternate splicing isoform, has diametrically different outcomes when it is expressed in different cell types. Pit-1β acts as a transcriptional repressor of prolactin (PRL) and growth hormone genes in pituitary cells, and as a transcriptional activator in non-pituitary cells. In order to explore these differences, we: (1) identified the transcriptional cofactors necessary for reconstitution of repression in non-pituitary cells; (2) tested the effect of the β-domain on heterodimerization with Pit-1 and physical interaction with the co-activator CREB binding protein (CBP); and (3) determined the β-domain sidechain chemistry requirements for repression. Co-expression of both Pit-1 isoforms reconstituted the repression of the PRL promoter in non-pituitary cells. The β-domain allowed heterodimerization with Pit-1 but blocked physical interaction with CBP, and specific chemical properties of the β-domain beyond hydrophobicity were dispensable. These data strongly suggest that Pit-1β represses hormone gene expression by heterodimerizing with Pit-1 and interfering with the assembly of the Pit-1–CBP complex required for PRL promoter activity in pituitary cells.
ADAMTS-1 is involved in normal follicular development, ovulatory process and organization of the medullary vascular network in the ovary
Authors: Shozu M , Minami N , Yokoyama H , Inoue M , Kurihara H , Matsushima K , Kuno K
Published: October 2005

To clarify the role of disintegrin-like and metalloproteinase with thrombospondin type I motifs-1 (ADAMTS-1) in ovarian function, we examined abnormalities in ovulatory processes, folliculogenesis and the vascular system of ADAMTS-1 null ovaries. First, when immature female mice were treated with pregnant mare serum gonadotropin (PMSG)/human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG), the number of ovulated oocytes was markedly decreased in ADAMTS-1 null mice in comparision to ADAMTS-1 (+/−) controls. The proportion of anovulated follicles to total mature follicles was significantly higher in ADAMTS-1 null females when compared with controls. The numbers of growing follicles at each stage were counted. The number of follicles at type 5b (late preantral) and later stages was markedly reduced in ADAMTS-1 null mice, irrespective of gonadotropin treatment (no gonadotropins, PMSG alone or PMSG/hCG). These data demonstrate that impairment of ovarian function to ovulate oocytes in ADAMTS-1 null mice occurs at two different levels: in the development of growing follicles and ovulatory processes. Furthermore, ADAMTS-1 null ovaries included a number of unusual atretic follicles that showed no sign of oocyte degeneration but lost the surrounding granulosa cell layers and were considered to be derived from type 4 or 5a follicles. These results suggest that ADAMTS-1 is important for follicular development beyond the type 4 and/or 5a and for maintaining normal granulosa cell layers in follicles. Finally, the number of large blood vessels in the medullar zone was significantly decreased in ADAMTS-1 null mice ovaries, suggesting that ADAMTS-1 is also involved in the organization of the medullary vascular network.
Independent origin of the growth hormone gene family in New World monkeys and Old World monkeys/hominoids
Authors: Li Ying , Ye Chun , Shi Peng , Zou Xiao-Ju , Xiao Rui , Gong Yuan-Ying , Zhang Ya-Ping
Published: October 2005

The growth hormone (GH) gene family represents an erratic and complex evolutionary pattern, involving many evolutionary events, such as multiple gene duplications, positive selection, the birth-and-death process and gene conversions. In the present study, we cloned and sequenced GH-like genes from three species of New World monkeys (NWM). Phylogenetic analysis strongly suggest monophyly for NWM GH-like genes with respect to those of Old World monkeys (OWM) and hominoids, indicating that independent gene duplications have occurred in NWM GH-like genes. There are three main clusters of genes in putatively functional NWM GH-like genes, according to our gene tree. Comparison of the ratios of nonsynonymous and synonymous substitutions revealed that these three clusters of genes evolved under different kinds of selective pressures. Detailed analysis of the evolution of pseudogenes showed that the evolutionary pattern of this gene family in platyrrhines is in agreement with the so-called birth-and-death process.
Differential expression of endothelin-2 along the mouse intestinal tract
Authors: Takizawa Satoshi , Uchide Tsuyoshi , Adur Javier , Kozakai Takaharu , Kotake-Nara Eiichi , Quan Jiexia , Saida Kaname
Published: October 2005

Endothelin (ET)-2, an ET family peptide, is highly expressed in intestine. However, the specific distribution and function of ET-2 remain unknown. We elucidated the expression profile and localization of ET-2 in mouse gastrointestinal tract. Real-time PCR analysis revealed that ET-2 gene expression in the gastrointestinal tract of healthy animals was relatively high in the colon. Immunohistochemical analysis revealed ET-2-like immunoreactivity mainly in epithelial cells of the mucosa throughout the intestinal tract of healthy animals. Intracellularly, ET-2 was concentrated close to the basement membrane of intestinal epithelial cells. A weak ET-2-like immunoreactivity was also localized to some neurofibers and the myenteric plexus of the muscle layer, coexpressing with vasoactive intestinal peptide. ET-2-like immunoreactivity was also detected at Brunner’s glands of the duodenum and follicle-associated epithelium of Peyer’s patch. In contrast, ET-1-like immunoreactivity was uniformly distributed in epithelial cells. In dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced colitis, colonic ET-2 was upregulated during the late stage of DSS treatment. These results suggest that in intestinal epithelial cells ET-2 could be secreted into the lamina propria and the dome region in Peyer’s patch, and that it might modulate immune cells in these sites for mucosal defense.