bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Pulmonary complications in chronic lymphocytic leukemia
Authors: Ahmed Shahid , Siddiqui Anita K. , Rossoff Leonard , Sison Cristina P. , Rai Kanti R.
Published: October 2003

BACKGROUND

Although pulmonary complications account for significant morbidity and mortality in patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), to the authors' knowledge there are sparse data available in published literature. The authors evaluated pulmonary complications in patients with CLL and identified prognostic variables that predict hospital mortality in these patients.

METHODS

Clinical data were analyzed retrospectively from patients with CLL who required hospitalization for a respiratory illness at a tertiary care institution from January 1993 to December 2001. A logistic regression analysis with a backward elimination procedure was carried out to determine prognostic variables that predict hospital mortality.

RESULTS

There were 110 patients who were admitted on 142 occasions with a pulmonary complication. The median age was 75 years (range, 43–97 years), and the male:female ratio was 1.7:1.0. Among 142 admissions, 68% were high risk according to the Rai criteria, 68% of patients admitted had received prior therapy for CLL, and 35% had received treatment within 3 months of admission. The most common pulmonary complications were pneumonias (75%), malignant pleural effusion/and or lung infiltrate due to CLL (9%), pulmonary leukostasis (4%), Richter transformation or nonsmall cell lung carcinoma (3%), and upper airway obstruction (2%). Forty‐four of 110 patients (40%) died. In multivariate analysis, admission absolute neutrophil counts ≤ 0.5 × 109/L (odds ratio, 4.6; 95% confidence interval [95% CI], 1.3–16.6) and blood urea nitrogen (BUN) levels ≥ 20 mg/dL (odds ratio, 3.0; 95% CI, 1.1–8.3) were correlated significantly with mortality.

CONCLUSIONS

Pneumonia was the major pulmonary complication in hospitalized patients with CLL. Severe neutropenia and high BUN levels were correlated significantly with increased mortality. Cancer 2003. © 2003 American Cancer Society.
Anastrozole alone or in combination with tamoxifen versus tamoxifen alone for adjuvant treatment of postmenopausal women with early‐stage breast cancer
Authors:   The ATAC (Arimidex, Tamoxifen Alone or in Combination) Trialists' Group
Published: October 2003

BACKGROUND

The first analysis of the ATAC (Arimidex, Tamoxifen Alone or in Combination) trial (median follow‐up, 33 months) demonstrated that in adjuvant endocrine therapy for postmenopausal patients with early‐stage breast cancer, anastrozole was superior to tamoxifen in terms of disease‐free survival (DFS), time to recurrence (TTR), and incidence of contralateral breast cancer (CLBC). In the current article, the results of the first efficacy update, based on a median follow‐up period of 47 months, are reported along with the results of an updated safety analysis, performed 7 months after the first analysis (median duration of treatment, 36.9 months).

METHODS

DFS, TTR, CLBC incidence, and safety were assessed in the same patient group as in the first analysis of the ATAC trial.

RESULTS

DFS estimates at 4 years remained significantly more favorable (86.9% vs. 84.5%, respectively) for patients receiving anastrozole compared with those receiving tamoxifen (hazard ratio [HR], 0.86; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.76–0.99; P = 0.03). The benefit generated by anastrozole in terms of DFS was even greater in patients with hormone receptor–positive tumors (HR, 0.82; 95% CI, 0.70–0.96; P = 0.014). The HR for TTR also indicated a significant benefit for patients receiving anastrozole compared with those receiving tamoxifen (HR, 0.83; 95% CI, 0.71–0.96; P = 0.015), with additional benefit for patients with hormone receptor–positive tumors (HR, 0.78; 95% CI, 0.65–0.93; P = 0.007). CLBC incidence data also continued to favor anastrozole (odds ratio [OR], 0.62; 95% CI, 0.38–1.02; P = 0.062), and statistical significance was achieved in the hormone receptor–positive subgroup (OR, 0.56; 95% CI, 0.32–0.98; P = 0.042). The updated safety analysis also confirmed the findings of the first analysis, in that endometrial cancer (P = 0.007), vaginal bleeding and discharge (P < 0.001 for both), cerebrovascular events (P < 0.001), venous thromboembolic events (P < 0.001), and hot flashes (P < 0.001) all occurred less frequently in the anastrozole group, whereas musculoskeletal disorders and fractures (P < 0.001 for both) continued to occur less frequently in the tamoxifen group. These results indicated that the safety profile of anastrozole remained consistent.

CONCLUSIONS

After an additional follow‐up period, anastrozole continues to show superior efficacy, which is most apparent in the clinically relevant hormone receptor–positive population. Furthermore, anastrozole has numerous noteworthy advantages in terms of tolerability compared with tamoxifen. These findings suggest that the benefits of anastrozole are likely to be maintained in the long term and provide further support for the status of anastrozole as a valid treatment option for postmenopausal women with hormone‐sensitive early‐stage breast cancer. Cancer 2003. © 2003 American Cancer Society.
The novel serine protease tumor‐associated differentially expressed gene–15 (matriptase/MT‐SP1) is highly overexpressed in cervical carcinoma
Authors: Santin Alessandro D. , Cane' Stefania , Bellone Stefania , Bignotti Eliana , Palmieri Michela , De Las Casas Luis E. , Anfossi Simone , Roman Juan J. , O'Brien Timothy , Pecorelli Sergio
Published: October 2003

BACKGROUND

Tumor‐associated differentially expressed gene–15 (TADG‐15/matriptase/MT‐SP1) is a novel transmembrane serine protease involved in numerous biologic processes, including activation of growth and angiogenic factors and degradation of extracellular matrix components. To assess the value of TADG‐15 as a possible marker for tumor detection and/or as a target for therapeutic intervention, the authors investigated the frequency of expression of TADG‐15 in human cervical tumors.

METHODS

TADG‐15 expression was evaluated in 19 cervical carcinoma cell lines (i.e., 11 primary tumor cell lines and 8 established cell lines) and in 8 normal cervical keratinocyte control cultures using reverse transcriptase‐polymerase chain reaction (RT‐PCR). In addition, to validate gene expression data at the protein level, TADG‐15 expression was evaluated by immunohistochemistry on paraffin embedded tissue from which all 11 primary tumor cell lines were established.

RESULTS

TADG‐15 was expressed at high levels in 8 of 11 (73%) primary cervical carcinoma cell lines and in 6 of 8 (75%) established cervical carcinoma cell lines by RT‐PCR. Expression of TADG‐15 was found in 6 of 6 (100%) primary squamous cell cervical carcinomas, whereas 2 of 5 (40%) primary adenocarcinomas expressed TADG‐15. In contrast, none of the normal cervical keratinocyte control cultures (n = 4) or flash‐frozen normal cervical biopsy specimens (n = 4) expressed TADG‐15. Immunohistochemistry staining of paraffin embedded cervical carcinoma specimens confirmed TADG‐15 expression in tumor cells and its absence on normal cervical epithelial cells.

CONCLUSIONS

Cervical carcinoma cells expressed high levels of TADG‐15, suggesting that this protease may play an important role in invasion and metastasis. Because TADG‐15 appears only in abundance in squamous tumor tissue and contains a proteolytic cleavage site, suggesting that the TADG‐15 protease domain is released, it may prove to be a useful diagnostic tool for the early detection of recurrent/persistent cervical carcinoma after standard treatment or as a novel molecular target for therapy in patients with cervical carcinoma. Cancer 2003. © 2003 American Cancer Society.
Effects of peripheral benzodiazepine receptor ligands on proliferation and differentiation of human mesenchymal stem cells
Authors: Lee D.H. , Kang S.K. , Lee R.H. , Ryu J.M. , Park H.Y. , Choi H.S. , Bae Y.C. , Suh K.T. , Kim Y.K. , Jung Jin Sup
Published: October 2003

The peripheral benzodiazepine receptor (PBR) has been known to have many functions such as a role in cell proliferation, cell differentiation, steroidogenesis, calcium flow, cellular respiration, cellular immunity, malignancy, and apoptosis. However, the presence of PBR has not been examined in mesenchymal stem cells. In this study, we demonstrated the expression of PBR in human bone marrow stromal cells (hBMSCs) and human adipose stromal cells (hATSCs) by RT‐PCR and immunocytochemistry. To determine the roles of PBR in cellular functions of human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs), effects of diazepam, PK11195, and Ro5‐4864 were examined. Adipose differentiation of hMSCs was decreased by high concentration of PBR ligands (50 μM), whereas it was increased by low concentrations of PBR ligands (<10 μM). PBR ligands showed a biphasic effect on glycerol‐3‐phosphate dehydrogenase (GPDH) activity. High concentration of PBR ligands (from 25 to 75 μM) inhibited proliferation of hMSCs. However, clonazepam, which does not have an affinity to PBR, did not affect adipose differentiation and proliferation of hMSCs. The PBR ligands did not induce cell death in hMSCs. PK11195 (50 μM) and Ro5‐5864 (50 μM) induced cell cycle arrest in the G2/M phase. These results indicate that PBR ligands play roles in adipose differentiation and proliferation of hMSCs. J. Cell. Physiol. 198: 91–99, 2004. © 2003 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Resistance to UV‐induced apoptosis in human keratinocytes during accelerated senescence is associated with functional inactivation of p53
Authors: Chaturvedi V. , Qin J.‐Z. , Stennett L. , Choubey D. , Nickoloff B.J.
Published: October 2003

Compared to proliferating keratinocytes (KCs), growth‐arrested KCs are relatively resistant to UV‐light induced apoptosis. When KCs undergo confluency, or following exposure to anti‐proliferative agents such as IFN‐γ plus a phorbol ester–12‐O‐tetradecanoylyphorbol‐13‐acetate (TPA), they convert from a proliferative to a nonproliferative state resembling senescence. Since p53 regulates UV‐induced apoptosis of KCs, this report further characterizes p53 half‐life, post‐translational modifications, and transcriptional activity using cultured human KCs and living epidermal equivalents. The half‐life of p53 in KCs was longer than fibroblasts (greater than approximately 3 h vs. 30 min). Exposure of proliferating KCs to UV‐light induces post‐translational modifications of p53 including acetylation of lysine‐382 residues. By contrast, KCs undergoing irreversible growth arrest following confluency, or exposure to IFN‐γ plus TPA, were resistant to UV‐induced apoptosis, and failed to undergo the acetylation modification of p53. Exposure of KCs to IFN‐γ plus TPA reduced total cellular p53 levels and reduced the transcriptional activity of p53. Addition of Trichostatin A (TSA), an inhibitor of de‐acetylation, increased acetylation of lysine‐382 in confluent KCs, thereby enhancing susceptibility of confluent cultures to UV‐induced apoptosis. Pre‐treatment of epidermal equivalents with IFN‐γ plus TPA also blocked UV‐light induced increase in p53 levels, and reduced apoptosis. In conclusion, these studies demonstrate that growth arrested KCs may resist UV‐light induced apoptosis by inactivating the pro‐apoptotic function of p53. J. Cell. Physiol. 198: 100–109, 2004. © 2003 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Differentiation‐dependent activation of the extracellular fatty acid binding protein (Ex‐FABP) gene during chondrogenesis
Authors: Giannoni Paolo , Zambotti Adriana , Pagano Aldo , Cancedda Ranieri , Dozin Beatrice
Published: October 2003

Chicken hypertrophic chondrocytes secrete the extracellular fatty acid binding protein (Ex‐FABP), a lipocalin not expressed by their undifferentiated precursors. Genomic clones coding for the full protein are here structurally and functionally analyzed. We first determined that the promoter sequence markedly differs from that reported for the homologous p20K, and we confirmed by genomic DNA Southern analysis the exactness of our sequence. This is of relevance since we have identified another lipocalin gene within the region of discrepancy, indicating thereby the existence of a lipocalin cluster within the same chromosomal locus. By transient transfections with 5′‐deletions and the chloramphenicol acetyl transferase (CAT) reporter gene, the region between nt −926 and nt −629 was shown to be strongly active, specifically in hypertrophic chondrocytes and not in dedifferentiated cells. Responsive elements for several potential transcription factors lay within this sequence. Among those, activating protein‐1 (AP‐1) was shown to be involved in the regulation of the Ex‐FABP gene during chondrocyte differentiation, as indicated by electrophoretic mobility shift assay, AP‐1 site mutagenesis and functional interference assays.
J. Cell. Physiol. 198: 144–154, 2004. © 2003 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Cytological evaluation of spermatogenesis within the germinal epithelium of the male European wall lizard, Podarcis muralis
Authors: Gribbins Kevin M. , Gist Daniel H.
Published: October 2003

The annual cytological changes to the male germinal epithelium were investigated in an introduced population of European wall lizards (Podarcis muralis). Testicular tissues were collected, embedded, sectioned by an ultramicrotome, and stained with the PAS procedure followed by a toluidine counterstain. Spermatogenesis in the lizard is divided into the proliferative, meiotic, and maturational phases. Wall lizards have a prenuptial pattern of spermatogenesis, where sperm development begins immediately prior to and continues through the months of breeding (April‐June). The testis then involutes, undergoes a short period of quiescence, and recrudescence commences in mid‐July. Germ cells undergo proliferation, meiosis, and the early stages of spermiogenesis (maturation) from late July through December. However, the late stages of spermiogenesis are retarded from December through February. Spermiogenesis continues at an accelerated pace from March through May, leading to a single massive spermiation event through the month of June. Although spatial relationships are seen between germ cells within the seminiferous epithelium, accumulation of spermatids during winter and acceleration of elongation in spring prevents determination of consistent cellular associations between early and late developing germ cells within the wall lizard testis. This temporal germ cell development is different from the consistent spatial development seen within seasonally breeding birds and mammals and may represent an evolutionary intermediate in terms of amniotic germ cell development. J. Morphol. 258:296–306, 2003. © 2003 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Viviparous lizard, Eulamprus tympanum, shows changes in the uterine surface epithelium during early pregnancy that are similar to the plasma membrane transformation of mammals
Authors: Hosie Margot J. , Adams Susan M. , Thompson Michael B. , Murphy Christopher R.
Published: October 2003

The “plasma membrane transformation” describes a series of ultrastructural, biochemical, and morphological changes that occur in the uterus of many mammals at the time of blastocyst attachment. These changes, regardless of placental type or length of gestation, include alterations to microvillar length and density and the presence or absence of pinopods or uterodomes. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was used to 1) document the topographical ultrastructure of the uterus of Eulamprus tympanum, an eastern Australian viviparous skink with a simple chorioallantoic placenta, for the first time; and 2) determine whether changes identified as “plasma membrane transformation” in mammals occur in E. tympanum. Tissues collected over three seasons from nonreproductive subadult females, preovulatory, postovulatory, and early to mid‐gestational females were examined. At low magnification the uterine epithelium of subadults displays a distinctive pattern of tissue folding that includes rectangular areas of tissue delineated by deep lateral and transverse folds. At higher magnification, the uterine epithelium surface is composed of two dominant cell types, i.e., those covered by microvilli and ciliated cells. The folding pattern observed in subadults is less evident in vitellogenic females and the cell surfaces appear highly secretory, with bulging cell apices. Tissue from postovulatory lizards has no distinctive folding pattern and cell surfaces are frequently smooth and lack microvilli. Uterine egg chambers lack ciliated cells at the embryonic pole, but display abundant secretory droplets. Thus, the uterus of E. tympanum undergoes a plasma membrane transformation. The scope of this transformation is not fully understood but may be related to the complexity of placental structure and the development of the embryo/fetus at parturition. J. Morphol. 258:346–357, 2003. © 2003 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Designing and evaluating short teaching interventions about the epistemology of science in high school classrooms
Authors: Leach John , Hind Andy , Ryder Jim
Published: October 2003

This paper reports the design and evaluation of small‐scale teaching interventions addressing the epistemology of science as part of the regular high school science courses followed by English students. Although there is a growing consensus that the curriculum should include aspects of the nature of science, there is a limited body of knowledge about how this might be achieved in an already crowded curriculum. Single lessons were designed in order to raise epistemological questions in subject matter contexts likely to be encountered by students as part of regular teaching. This paper presents findings from an evaluation of the teaching, addressing both the impact of the resources and associated teaching strategies on student learning, and teachers' reactions to the interventions. The teaching interventions were successful in their aim of “opening up” epistemological issues with a majority of students. A significant minority of students did not make any progress in terms of their responses to diagnostic questions, even though they appeared able to participate in the lesson's activities. The paper concludes with a discussion of issues surrounding the design and implementation of teaching with an epistemological focus in the context of crowded science curricula. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Sci Ed 87:831–848, 2003; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/sce.10072
Volumetric and spectroscopic characterizations of glucose–hexokinase association
Authors: Filfil Rana , Chalikian Tigran V.
Published: October 2003

The binding of D‐glucose to hexokinase PII at 25°C and pH 8.7 has been investigated by a combination of ultrasonic velocimetry, high precision densimetry, and fluorescence spectroscopy. The binding of glucose to the enzyme results in significant dehydration of the two interacting molecules, while the intrinsic coefficient of adiabatic compressibility of hexokinase slightly decreases. Glucose–hexokinase association is an entropy‐driven process. The favorable change in entropy results from compensation between two large contributions. The binding‐induced increase in hydrational entropy slightly prevails over the decrease in the configurational entropy of the enzyme. Taken together, our results emphasize the crucial role of water in modulating the energetics of protein recognition.
Antagonistic dark/light‐induced SigB/SigD, group 2 sigma factors, expression through redox potential and their roles in cyanobacteria
Authors: Imamura Sousuke , Asayama Munehiko , Takahashi Hiroyuki , Tanaka Kan , Takahashi Hideo , Shirai Makoto
Published: October 2003

The expression of group 2 sigma factors is characterized in a cyanobacterium Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803 grown in culture, changing light conditions (white, red and blue light, and darkness), or the presence of drugs (rifampicin, chloramphenicol, DCMU, and DBMIB), and the roles of these sigma factors are elucidated. The expression of dark/light‐induced SigB/SigD was accelerated under opposite redox (oxidation/reduction) states in an electron transport chain of photosynthesis. Expression of the dark‐induced lrtA and light‐induced psbA2/3 transcript was significantly reduced in the sigB and sigD knockout strains, respectively. Abundant amounts of sigB transcript and protein were observed in the sigC knockout strain, implying that SigC represses SigB expression under light. These findings clearly showed that SigB/SigD with another group 2 sigma, SigC, contribute to transcription for a subset of dark/light‐responsive genes in the cyanobacterium. A possible model for SigB/SigD is presented and the potential ability for promoter recognition is also discussed.
Polarity factor ‘Frizzled’ in the demospongeSuberites domuncula: identification, expression and localization of the receptor in the epithelium/pinacoderm1
Authors: Adell Teresa , Nefkens Isabelle , Müller Werner E.G.
Published: October 2003

Until recently, it was assumed that polarity and axis formation have evolved only in metazoan phyla higher than Cnidaria. One key molecule involved in the signal transduction causing tissue polarity is Frizzled, a seven‐transmembrane receptor that is activated by the Wnt family of secreted proteins. We report the isolation and characterization of aFrizzledgene from the demospongeSuberites domuncula(Sd‐Fz). The deduced polypeptide comprises all characteristic domains known from Frizzled receptors of higher metazoans. In situ hybridization studies show thatSd‐Fzis expressed in cells close to the surface of the sponges and in the pinacocytes of some canals. Northern blot analysis demonstrates its upregulation during the formation of three‐dimensional sponge cell aggregates in culture. These data provide for the first time experimental evidence that already in the lowest metazoan phylum (Porifera) genes are present which are very likely involved in tissue polarity.
Breaking the Buffalo: The Transformation of Stevedoring Work in Durban Between 1970 and 1990
Authors: Dubbeld Bernard
Published: October 2003

In Durban, South Africa, stevedoring workers were the most physically powerful workers of all, and were known as onyathi in Zulu, or buffalo, which aptly described the physical and collective nature of their work. Throughout the century, the stevedoring industry was especially labour-intensive, necessitating teams of workers. As in most industries in South Africa, African workers built and maintained the docks. These buffalo developed the linkage that made Durban a thriving city and sustained the apartheid economy. Yet today the buffalo are all but gone, replaced by onboard warehouses known as containers. Machines have replaced the men once so integral to the survival of the city.
Letting the “Computer Boys” Take Over: Technology and the Politics of Organizational Transformation
Authors: Ensmenger Nathan L.
Published: October 2003

In the decades following the development of the first electronic digital computers, the computer industry in the United States grew from nothing into an important and expansive sector of the American economy. Whereas in the early 1950s electronic computers were generally regarded as interesting but extravagant scientific curiosities, by 1963 these devices and their associated peripherals formed the basis of a billion-dollar industry. By the beginning of the 1970s, more than 165,000 computers had been installed in the United States alone, and the computer and software industries employed several hundred thousand individuals worldwide.
Fragment-size determination and size-matching in the grass-cutting ant Atta vollenweideri depend on the distance from
the nest
Authors: Röschard Jacqueline , Roces Flavio
Published: October 2003

Fragment-size determination by workers of the grass-cutting ant Atta vollenweideri and the extent of size-matching between ant size and fragment size were investigated as a function of the distance from the nest. Foragers and their loads were sampled in four different sectors along a 30-m foraging trail in the field: directly on the harvested source, in the patch, on the trail and close to the nest. Ants sampled on the source immediately after cutting were significantly larger than carrying ants on any trail sector, whereas body mass did not differ among other samples. Thus, foraging was partitioned into at least two stages, with large ants cutting the source and smaller ants carrying the fragments to the nest. Fragments collected directly after cutting were significantly larger than those carried on the trail, indicating that the fragments were cut once again on their way to the nest. Size-matching depended on the trail sector considered. It was stronger in ants sampled closer to the nest, suggesting that carriers either collect dropped fragments according to their body mass, or cut fragments out of the dropped fragments in sizes corresponding to their body mass prior to transport.
Towards multi-agent electronic marketplaces: what is there and what is missing?
Authors: KURBEL KARL , LOUTCHKO IOURI
Published: October 2003

This paper gives an overview of electronic marketplaces which employ agent technology or similar techniques. Special attention is given to negotiation issues. A classification scheme for competitive negotiation depending on the type of the marketplace (business-to-business, business-to-consumer and consumer-to-consumer) and on the range of players (1:1, 1:n and n:m) is introduced. Furthermore, we distinguish between one-issue and multi-issue negotiation, and we consider crisp and fuzzy constraints on either negotiating side. Several existing electronic marketplaces and prototypes of marketplaces are discussed with respect to the classification schema. Our analysis shows that agent-based e-marketplaces are a promising area of e-commerce but they are still far away from real marketplaces. In conclusion we formulate some challenges for further research in the field of multi-agent electronic marketplaces with negotiation between agents.
“Downsizing” the Chinese State: Government Retrenchment in the 1990s
Authors: Burns John P.
Published: October 2003

The Chinese Communist Party has maintained tight control over the institutions and processes for creating and deleting official posts. The Party's goal of maintaining as many official positions as possible to preserve political patronage and social stability conflicts with the need to curb administrative expenses and cut government deficits. Aggregate data indicate that the downsizing campaigns of the 1990s have not been particularly successful and that staffing levels in local government are probably to a large extent politically determined. A case study reveals that some local governments may have officially downsized while expanding the total size of public employment.
The Crab and Frog Motion Paradigm Shift: Decoding and Deciphering Taipei and Beijing's Dialectical Politics. By Peter Kien-hong Yu. [Lanham, MD: University Press of America, 2002. 358 pp. $54.00. ISBN 0-7618-2150-3.]
Authors: Brake Benjamin T.
Published: October 2003

The cultural foundations of Chinese policy-making are a troublesome set of contradictions that many Sinologists regularly refer to but rarely grasp. This shaky bedrock often gives rise to analyses weakened by discrepancies that include passing references to the influence of both “harmonious” Confucianism and violent, realist Legalism. Peter Kien-hong Yu presents an analytical framework which attempts to address this challenge and, in turn, accurately and reliably “decode” and “decipher” Chinese political behaviour and all its contradictions. Yu's approach presupposes that dialectical, or dualistic, thinking, which he describes as a tense struggle between opposing ideas and the subsequent creation of an operational concept that falls between the two extremes – the zhongdao (middle road) – is prevalent among contemporary Chinese and can be effectively modelled. Yu defends this presumption by spinning a lengthy, meandering yarn of anecdotes, and is confident enough of his scholarship to make the bumptious declaration that “Sinology and Bicoastal Chinese Studies are dead; long live the Dialectical Study of (Communist) China!”
Influence of meiotic inhibition by butyrolactone-I during germinal vesicle stage on the ability of porcine oocytes to be activated by electric stimulation after nuclear maturation
Authors: Hirao Yuji , Nishimoto Namiko , Kure-bayashi Satoshi , Takenouchi Naoki , Yamauchi Nobuhiko , Masuda Hiroshi , Nagai Takashi
Published: October 2003

Butyrolactone-I (BL-I) is a specific inhibitor of cyclin-dependent kinases and prevents germinal vesicle breakdown (GVBD) in porcine oocytes. This study first focused on the effect of BL-I on the time course of GVBD and progression to metaphase II (MII) in oocytes after the removal of BL-I. When porcine oocytes were treated with 20 μM BL-I for 28 h, the intervals taken to undergo GVBD and progress to MII were 4-8 h and 16-20 h after washing out BL-I, respectively. These intervals were both approximately 8 h behind those of the control oocytes. When the BL-I treatment was performed for 20 h, instead of 28 h, there were no differences in the timing or frequency of progression to MII between the BL-I treatment and control groups. To determine whether the cytoplasmic maturation was the same, the ability of oocytes to form a female pronucleus in response to an electric stimulus was examined. When oocytes were stimulated at 28 h after the removal of BL-I, the rate of pronucleus formation was significantly lower in oocytes treated with BL-I than in untreated oocytes, despite the fact that both groups reached MII at a similar time. When the electric stimulus was given at 36 h after the removal of BL-I, oocytes had a pronucleus formation rate comparable to that of control oocytes. Therefore, the findings suggest that BL-I treatment of porcine oocytes at the germinal vesicle stage affects not only the progression of meiosis, but also the events involved in cytoplasmic maturation.
Meiotic arrest maintained by cAMP during the initiation of maturation enhances meiotic potential and developmental competence and reduces polyspermy of IVM/IVF porcine oocytes
Authors: Somfai Tamás , Kikuchi Kazuhiro , Onishi Akira , Iwamoto Masaki , Fuchimoto Dai-ichiro , Bali Papp Ágnes , Sato Eimei , Nagai Takashi
Published: October 2003

We investigated effects of invasive adenylate cyclase (iAC), 3-isobutyl-1-methylxanthine (IBMX) and dibutyryl cyclic AMP (dbcAMP) on porcine oocyte in vitro maturation (IVM), in vitro fertilisation (IVF) and subsequent embryonic development. Porcine oocytes were collected in Hepes-buffered NCSU-37 supplemented with or without 0.1 μg/ml iAC and 0.5 mM IBMX. IVM was performed in a modified NCSU-37 supplemented with or without 1 mM dbcAMP for 22 h and then without dbcAMP for an additional 24 h. After IVF, oocytes were cultured in vitro for 6 days. After 12 h of IVM, no difference in nuclear status was observed irrespective of supplementation with these chemicals during collection and IVM. At 22 h, most (95%) of the oocytes cultured with dbcAMP remained at the germinal vesicle (GV) stage, whereas 44.3% of the oocytes cultured without dbcAMP underwent GV breakdown. At 36 h, oocytes cultured with dbcAMP had progressed to prometaphase I or metaphase I (MI) (32.6% and 49.3%, respectively), whereas non-treated oocytes had progressed further to anaphase I, telophase I or metaphase II (MII) (13.6%, 14.3% and 38.0%, respectively). At 46 h, the rate of matured oocytes at MII was higher in oocytes cultured with dbcAMP (81%) than without dbcAMP (57%), while the proportion of oocytes arrested at MI was lower when cultured with dbcAMP (15%) than without dbcAMP (31%). The rate of monospermic fertilisation was higher when oocytes were cultured with dbcAMP (21%) than without dbcAMP (9%), with no difference in total penetration rates (58% and 52%, respectively). The blastocyst rate was higher in oocytes cultured with dbcAMP (32%) than without dbcAMP (19%). These results suggest that a change in intracellular level of cAMP during oocyte collection does not affect maturational and developmental competence of porcine oocytes and that synchronisation of meiotic maturation using dbcAMP enhances the meiotic potential of oocytes by promoting the MI to MII transition and results in high developmental competence by monospermic fertilisation.
Ultrastructural localisation of calcium deposits in pig oocytes maturing in vitro: effects of verapamil
Authors: Rozinek J. , Vaňourková Z. , Sedmíkova M. , Lánská V. , Petr J. , Rajmon R. , Jílek F.
Published: October 2003

The culture of pig oocytes in the presence of the calcium channel blocker verapamil (0.02 mM) resulted in the blocking of meiosis at the metaphase I stage, and only a small fraction (about 28%) of the oocytes were able to continue their maturation to the stage of metaphase II. Hence, meiotic maturation in pig oocytes is a calcium-dependent process. After isolation of the pig oocytes from their follicles, the intracellular calcium deposits in the oocyte and granulosa cells, detectable using the combined oxalate-pyroantimonate method, are depleted. The amount of calcium deposits in the oocyte and granulosa cells increased during oocyte meiotic maturation in vitro, especially in the nucleus, mitochondria, vacuoles and cytoplasm. The replenishment of calcium deposits is significantly changed under the effect of verapamil. The increase in calcium deposits in the oocyte nucleus was delayed, a much larger amount of deposits was formed in the mitochondria, and the amount of deposits in the vacuoles was demonstrably smaller. A significant peak in the accumulation of calcium deposits was observed in the cytoplasm of verapamil-treated oocytes after 16 h of in vitro culture. We propose that an altered pattern in the replenishment of calcium deposits can disturb intracellular signalling and prevent the exit of oocytes from the metaphase I stage.
Psychometric properties of the PTSD checklist—civilian version
Authors: Ruggiero Kenneth J. , Ben Kevin Del , Scotti Joseph R. , Rabalais Aline E.
Published: October 2003

We examined the psychometric properties of the PTSD Checklist (PCL), a self‐report instrument designed to assess symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder. Three hundred ninety‐two participants recruited in a university setting completed the PCL in addition to several well‐established self‐report instruments designed to assess various forms of psychopathology (e.g., depression, general anxiety, PTSD). Ninety participants returned for readministration of selected measures. Findings provided support for psychometric properties of the PCL, including internal consistency, test‐retest reliability, convergent validity, and discriminant validity. Additional strengths of the PCL are discussed.
The role of the iminosugar N‐butyldeoxynojirimycin (miglustat) in the management of type I (non‐neuronopathic) Gaucher disease: A position statement
Authors: Cox T. M. , Aerts J. M. F. G. , Andria G. , Beck M. , Belmatoug N. , Bembi B. , Chertkoff R. , Vom Dahl S. , Elstein D. , Erikson A. , Giralt M. , Heitner R. , Hollak C. , Hrebicek M. , Lewis S. , Mehta A. , Pastores G. M. , Rolfs A. , Sa Miranda M. C. , Zimran A.
Published: October 2003

N‐Butyldeoxynojirimycin (NB‐DNJ, miglustat ‘Zavesca’) is an orallyactive iminosugar which inhibits the biosynthesis of macromolecular substrates that accumulate pathologically in glycosphingolipidoses. Clinical trials of NB‐DNJ in patients with Gaucher's disease demonstrate the therapeutic potential of such substrate inhibitors in the glycolipid storage disorders. However, macrophage‐targetted enzyme replacement using intravenous mannose‐terminated human glucocerebrosidase (imiglucerase, Cerezyme) is highly effective in ameliorating many of the manifestations of Gaucher's disease and is a treatment in widespread use. Given that imiglucerase and miglustat are now both licensed for the treatment of Gaucher's disease, there is a need to review their therapeutic status. Here the treatment of type 1 (non‐neuronopathic) Gaucher disease is evaluated with particular reference to the emerging role of oral N‐butyldeoxynojirimycin (miglustat) as a substrate‐reducing agent. This position statement represents the consensus viewpoint of an independent international advisory council to the European Working Group on Gaucher Disease.
Diagnosis of N‐acetylglutamate synthase deficiency by use of cultured fibroblasts and avoidance of nonsense‐mediated mRNA decay
Authors: Häberle J. , Denecke J. , Schmidt E. , Koch H. G.
Published: October 2003

Molecular diagnosis of N‐acetylglutamate synthase deficiency (NAGSD) has become possible now that the corresponding gene has been identified. We describe the genetic analysis of a patient with NAGSD using low‐level transcripts derived from cultured fibroblasts. One defective allele (c.1306–1307insT) was detected by PCR amplification. However, the transcript from a second mutation (IVS3‐2A>T), causing aberrant splicing with the generation of a premature termination codon, was not detected until interference of nonsense‐mediated mRNA decay was abrogated by the translation inhibitor cycloheximide. We demonstrate that low‐level transcripts in cells that do not express significant enzyme activity are a valuable tool for molecular studies of genetic alterations, and suggest routine abrogation of nonsense‐mediated mRNA decay using cycloheximide when transcript analysis is performed.
Sea surface temperature anomalies near South Georgia: Relationships with the Pacific El Niño regions
Authors: Trathan P. N. , Murphy E. J.
Published: October 2003

The data set ofReynolds and Smith[1994]is used to describe temporal variability in sea surface temperature (SST) at South Georgia. Time series analysis indicates that high levels of autocorrelation are present, with periodicity evident in temperature anomalies at lag periods of approximately 4 years. Cross‐correlation analyses with data describing the El Niño regions of the Pacific indicate that variability at South Georgia reflects temperature fluctuations in the Pacific. This relationship is temporally separated, with the Pacific leading South Georgia by approximately 3 years and with the west Pacific showing the strongest cross correlation. Historic data describing the west Pacific show that patterns of variability have evolved through time and that the strong 4 year periodicity evident in recent years was not present in earlier records. The correlation between the west Pacific and South Georgia has also varied through time and the relationship is currently weaker than it has been over the past 19 years. The results are discussed in the context of a circumpolar precession of anomalies, transferring variability from the Pacific into the Atlantic.
Detection of ultralow‐frequency cavity modes using spacecraft data
Authors: Waters C. L. , Takahashi K. , Lee D.‐H. , Anderson B. J.
Published: October 2003

The cold, magnetized plasma in the Earth's magnetosphere supports two ultralow‐ frequency plasma wave modes. Both these modes may exhibit resonant oscillations in the magnetosphere cavity. Theoretical and numerical studies have predicted the existence of cavity/waveguide resonance modes, yet experimental evidence is sparse. In this paper we detail the expected structure of these modes using both one dimensional (1‐D) and three‐dimensional (3‐D) magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) numerical models. The cavity/waveguide mode structures are examined in order to develop experimental detection methods suitable for spacecraft electric and magnetic field perturbation data. Cavity mode resonances in the 1‐D model suggest a detection method based on wave polarization using the radial (bx) and field‐aligned (bz) magnetic perturbations. However, when implemented, this method failed to identify cavity/waveguide modes in the magnetic field data recorded by Active Magnetospheric Particle Tracer Explorers/CCE for events that showed pronounced field line resonances in the azimuthal (by) channel. An examination of data from a 3‐D MHD numerical simulation showed that the cavity/waveguide resonant signature was identified best in bz component data. Consequently, a wave mode detection method using the bz data from two spatially separated satellites is discussed. Magnetometer data examples from the ISEE 1 and 2 spacecraft show that field line resonances appear in the by data even when the coherence length of the bz data is less than 0.4 RE.
Energetic neutral atom images of a narrow flow channel from the plasma sheet: Astrid‐1 observations
Authors: C:son Brandt P. , Ebihara Y. , Barabash S. , Roelof E. C.
Published: October 2003

We present two energetic neutral atom (ENA) images in the energy range 26–37 keV from the ENA imager on board the Swedish microsatellite Astrid‐1. The images are taken 24 hours apart from below the ring current at 0300 magnetic local time (MLT) around the equator at 1000 km altitude and show a narrow region of ENA emissions extending along the field lines in the postmidnight region. A parameterized model of the ring current is used to extract the ion distribution. The extracted ion distribution is 25° wide in longitude within L = 4 − 6 with an almost isotropic pitch angle distribution (PAD). One ENA image from a polar vantage point shows that the loss cones of the PAD are partially filled. The z component of the interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) was +2 and −3 nT at the times of the two observations. For IMF Bz = −3 nT the ENA flux is stronger than that for the observation when IMF Bz = +2 nT. We use a kinetic ring current model to show that the morphology of the extracted ion distribution can be explained by a narrow flow channel from the plasma sheet at L = 10 and 0200–0300 MLT to L = 5 and 0100–0200 MLT for 26 keV protons. In order to match the absolute flux of the extracted ion distribution with the results from the kinetic model, the plasma sheet density at L = 10 had to be set to 10 cm−3. This value is unreasonably high, and we discuss some scenarios that may justify a more reasonable value. During the previous 5 days the Dst had been between −50 and −15 nT, and the interplanetary magnetic field Bz had been fluctuating between −10 and +10 nT.
Energetic neutral atoms at Mars 3. Flux and energy distributions of planetary energetic H atoms
Authors: Lichtenegger H. , Lammer H. , Stumptner W.
Published: October 2003

The energetic neutral atom (ENA) distribution around Mars is characterized by ENAs which have their origin in the solar wind (HSWENA) and by a second particle population which comes from the planetary atmosphere (HplENA). Since planetary energetic neutral hydrogen atoms contain information about the Martian water inventory, we calculated their flux and energy distribution. We used a test particle model which involves the motion in the external electric and magnetic field. It is shown that after a planetary neutral hydrogen atom is transformed into an ion via charge exchange with solar wind particles, solar UV, or electron impact, it is accelerated to higher energies by the convective electric field and gradually guided by the solar wind plasma flow around the planetary obstacle. Some of the newly born planetary ions take part in a charge exchange reaction with particles of the upper Martian atmosphere and will thus be transformed into planetary ENAs. The integral flux of planetary hydrogen ENAs is found to be highest in the magnetosheath with a distinct asymmetry between the direction of the solar wind magnetic and the solar wind electric field. For typical solar wind parameters the maximum planetary ENA flux can reach almost 10% of the unperturbed solar wind flux at solar minimum in some beams generated at middle latitudes in the dayside magnetosphere. The energy of planetary ENAs upstream of the bow shock can exceed the solar wind energy, while the downtail magnetosheath region is populated by ENAs with energies below that of ENAs originating from the solar wind. Our results suggest that the ENA detector on board of the Mars Express spacecraft can separate the hydrogen ENA populations from the solar wind ENAs by a careful analysis of the particle energies.
Ulysses Cosmic Ray and Solar Particle Investigation/Kiel Electron Telescope observations: Charge sign dependence and spatial gradients during the 1990–2000 A > 0 solar magnetic cycle
Authors: Heber B. , Wibberenz G. , Potgieter M. S. , Burger R. A. , Ferreira S. E. S. , Müller‐Mellon R. , Kunow H. , Ferrando P. , Raviart A. , Paizis C. , Lopate C. , McDonald F. B. , Cane H. V.
Published: October 2003

Ulysses, launched in October 1990, began its second out‐of‐ecliptic orbit in September 1997. From 1991 to mid‐2000, solar polar magnetic field observations indicate a magnetic field pointing outward over the northern polar region (A > 0 epoch). While the first fast latitude scan in 1994/1995 was performed around solar minimum, the second Ulysses orbit covering high latitudes is being performed around solar maximum. We present data of ∼2.5 GV electrons and protons from the Kiel Electron Telescope up to southern heliographic latitudes of 80°, reached by Ulysses in November 2000. Spatial gradients are determined by comparison with a near‐Earth baseline. The radial gradient for an integral proton channel is found to be 2.2 ± 0.6%/AU before early 1998 and 3.5%/AU thereafter. Until mid‐1999 the latitudinal variation is consistent with a zero gradient at low latitudes and an average gradient of about 0.25%/degree for latitudes above about ±25°. In contrast, the latitudinal gradient decreases markedly after mid‐1999, leading to a spherically symmetric intensity distribution with the approach to solar maximum conditions. The electron to proton (e/p) ratio is used to study charge sign dependent modulation. According to drift‐dominated modulation models, galactic cosmic ray protons and electrons respond differently to the global heliospheric magnetic field. Comparison of the e/p ratio over the period 1991 to 2000 with model predictions indicates that drift effects are important over a large part of an 11‐year period with A > 0. With the approach to solar maximum the e/p ratio increases, indicative for the fading out of drift effects and the transition to a diffusion‐dominated modulation.
Spectral properties of the ionospheric Alfvén resonator observed at a low‐latitude station (L = 1.3)
Authors: Bösinger T. , Haldoupis C. , Belyaev P. P. , Yakunin M. N. , Semenova N. V. , Demekhov A. G. , Angelopoulos V.
Published: October 2003

Data of the first half year of operation of a sensitive search coil magnetometer at a remote site in the island of Crete, Greece (35.15°N, 25.20°E), was used to investigate properties of the spectral resonance structure (SRS) of the ionospheric Alfvén resonator (IAR) at L = 1.3. Most of the properties known from earlier reports and a recent paper (A. G. Yahnin et al., Morphology of the spectral resonance structure of the electromagnetic background noise in the range of 0.1–4 Hz at L = 5.2, submitted to Annales Geophysicae, 2002) (hereinafter referred to as paper CP) at mid and high latitude (L = 2.65 and L = 5.2) could be verified as being valid also at L = 1.3, but several new features were also found. In contrast to mid and high latitudes, SRS signatures were detected every night but not at all during daytime. The average frequency difference Δf between two adjacent harmonics is very small (0.2 Hz) and does not exhibit a local time dependence from evening to night hours. The seasonal dependence is very weak though distinct. A large variability of Δf from night to night was found which increases when proceeding from summer to winter. This variability could not be accounted for by standard IAR models employing an International Reference Ionosphere (IRI). Moreover, the modeled Δf values typically exhibited a systematic offset to higher values as compared to observed ones. It is expected that calibration of the IRI model by local foF2 ionosonde measurements will improve the agreement between model and observation, but it cannot explain fully the variability of Δf and the systematic offset. Most likely the standard IAR model itself requires revision to be fully applicable in the low‐latitude ionosphere.