bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Sinonasal Distribution of Topically Applied Particles: Computerized Tomographic Detection and the Effects of Topical Decongestion
Authors: Senocak Dogan , Senocak Mustafa , Bozan Serkan
Published: December 2005

OBJECTIVE

Determine the efficacy of computerized tomography (CT) in detecting the intranasal distribution of sprayed radio‐enhanced particles and the effects of topical decongestion on particle distribution.

STUDY DESIGN

Sinonasal distribution of a radio‐enhanced spray solution was studied using CT imaging in 14 adults with no sinonasal symptoms. One nostril was sprayed with oximetazoline 5 minutes prior to particle application. Serial CT imaging of the sinonasal cavity in approximately 11 minutes was carried out to detect particle distribution into the nasal vestibule, turbinate surfaces, middle meatus and osteomeatal complex area, and the nasopharynx.

RESULTS

Particle detection within the nasal vestibule was possible in all cases while distribution into the anterior nasal chamber was visible in 22 cases. Particles could be detected on the inferior turbinate in 7 nasal cavities (25%) and in only 2 cases on the middle turbinate (7.5%). Particles were detected in the middle meatus in 1 case and in no instances in the osteomeatal complex area. Oximetazoline application reduced the amount of particle deposition on the inferior turbinate but did not enhance distribution on the middle turbinate or into the middle meatus.

CONCLUSION

Detection of radio‐enhanced sprayed particles within the sinonasal cavity using CT imaging can be a reliable method to study the principles of intranasal particle distribution. Our study failed to show particle distribution into OMC, or any positive effects of nasal decongestion on particle distribution.

EBM RATING

C
Botulinum Toxin A and B: A Comparative Dosing Study for Spasmodic Dysphonia
Authors: Blitzer Andrew
Published: December 2005

OBJECTIVE

The purpose of this study was to find the conversion factor, safety, and efficacy of type A to type B toxin for laryngeal muscles.

METHODS

Thirty‐two patients with adductor spasmodic dysphonia with stable doses of A toxin to manage their symptom were given type B toxin starting at a conversion of 1 Uof BTX‐A to 50 U of BTX‐B. The patients were followed for 1 year, and doses adjusted according to response.

RESULTS

The conversion factor was found to be 52.3 U:1 U. The onset of action of type B was more rapid (2.09 days vs 3.2 days [P = 0.028]), with a shorter duration of benefit (10.8 weeks vs 17 weeks [P = 0.002). The safety profile for A and B toxin appeared the same, with 3 patients receiving Myobloc reporting dry mouth.

CONCLUSION

This study shows that a conversion factor of 52.3:1 Myobloc (BTX‐B) to Botox (BTX‐A) and that Myobloc is an effective alternative to Botox (BTX‐A) for patients with spasmodic dysphonia.

EBM RATING: B‐2
LIBERALISM AND PATERNALISM
Authors: Shafer-Landau Russ
Published: December 2005

Joel Feinberg's brief against legal paternalism, which is the central focus of his Harm to Self, is undoubtedly the most scrupulous, nuanced, and thorough critique of the view yet provided by a liberal philosopher. I was once convinced of Feinberg's case and am now less sure. This makes me uneasy, both because I have strong liberal instincts that I would prefer to be able to justify, and also because I suppose I have not thought about the matter with the kind or degree of care that Feinberg himself did. In assessing his antipaternalist arguments, I include here a number of excerpts from Feinberg's own writings to remind us of his subtlety and precision, his broad range of references, his elegant and informed style, his sound good sense, his ability to provide the revealing, compelling example, and his supple cast of mind. That my commentary is bound to pale by comparison is inevitable, but I take some comfort in thinking that one cannot be held liable for what cannot be helped.
FEINBERG'S ANTI-PATERNALISM AND THE BALANCING STRATEGY
Authors: Malm Heidi
Published: December 2005

Among Joel Feinberg's almost innumerable achievements are his development and defense of the sovereign-right conception of autonomy and its corresponding rejection of hard legal paternalism. According to Feinberg, a competent individual's voluntary, self-regarding conduct falls within the protected realm of sovereign self-rule and is therefore immune from coercive, paternalistic interference by the state. It does not matter whether the self-harm the state wants to prevent is big or the coercion needed to prevent it is small. The coercive interference would be illegitimate because “sovereignty is an all or nothing concept; one is entitled to absolute control of whatever is within one's domain however trivial it may be.”
TWO INTERPRETATIONS OF FEINBERG'S THEORY OF RIGHTS
Authors: Rainbolt George W.
Published: December 2005

Christopher Wellman argues that Joel Feinberg fails to grasp the distinction between will theories and interest theories. According to Wellman, this failure leads Feinberg to defend a will theory in “The Nature and Value of Rights” and an interest theory in “The Rights of Animals and Unborn Generations” and therefore to hold an inconsistent theory of rights. Wellman's interpretation of Feinberg is plausible. I will argue that there is another plausible interpretation and that the texts do not allow us to determine which of the two plausible interpretations is correct. I will also argue that this alternative interpretation allows Feinberg to avoid Wellman's charge of inconsistency but has problems of its own. Along the way, I will make some points about how to defend a theory of rights and about the strengths and weaknesses of the will and interest theories of rights. (Wellman holds that choice theories are a subset of will theories. I have argued elsewhere that it is better to see will theories as a subset of choice theories. However, how one cuts up the field is irrelevant to the issue at hand. For the sake of argument, I will assume that Wellman's topology is correct.)
CONCEPTS OF OMISSION
Authors: Altman Andrew
Published: December 2005

Patricia Smith provides an analysis of the concept of omission that builds upon the work of Joel Feinberg. Her account succeeds in bringing together more systematically than did Feinberg several key elements of his analysis. She also usefully extends the analysis to include unintentional omissions. Nonetheless, I argue that she mistakenly presupposes that there is a unique and logically fundamental concept of omission. Rather, I contend, there are multiple omission concepts, each mapping the conceptual terrain of inaction in a somewhat different way. These different concepts, each useful for a distinct purpose, will emerge from an examination of the flaws that Smith's account shares with Feinberg's analysis.
COMMENTS ON RICHARD ARNESON'S “JOEL FEINBERG AND THE JUSTIFICATION OF HARD PATERNALISM”
Authors: Edmundson William A.
Published: December 2005

Richard Arneson finds that Joel Feinberg's “principled arguments against hard paternalism are defective and merit rejection.” Furthermore, Arneson concludes with a tone of finality, “there is no successful case against hard paternalism to be made.” This diagnosis seems especially dire coming from Arneson, who formerly defended hard antipaternalism against Feinberg's revisionistic “soft” antipaternalism. On Feinberg's behalf I will try to show how Arneson's critique downplays certain costs of hard paternalism. These costs may be worth paying, but (I think Feinberg believed) their magnitude itself constitutes a powerful case against paternalism.
POLITICS IS ABOUT THE GRIEVANCE:
Authors: Postema Gerald J.
Published: December 2005

Poetry is about the grief; politics is about the grievance.

—Robert Frost

The ruling passion in man is … a gregarious instinct to keep together by minding each others' business.

—Robert Frost
WHEN ARE WE RIGHTFULLY AGGRIEVED?
Authors: Alexander Larry
Published: December 2005

Joel Feinberg's four volume work The Moral Limits of the Criminal Law can, I believe, be accurately characterized as a normative treatise on what criminal law theorists call the “special part” of the criminal law. The “general part” deals with the basic elements of all criminal offenses—whatever is prohibited. Thus general part theorists analyze the notions of actus reus and mens rea, the conditions that negate voluntariness in acting, the distinction between acts and omissions, the nature of causation, joint participation in crime such as complicity and conspiracy, and the various defenses labeled justifications and excuses. Feinberg has little to say about these matters. His concern is with what conduct may be forbidden and punished—the specific substance rather than the general form of the criminal law.
Modeling the observed proton aurora and ionospheric convection responses to changes in the IMF clock angle: 1. Persistence of cusp proton aurora
Authors: Throp K. , Lockwood M. , Lanchester B. S. , Morley S. K. , Frey H. U.
Published: December 2005

We employ a numerical model of cusp ion precipitation and proton aurora emission to fit variations of the peak Doppler‐shifted Lyman‐α intensity observed on 26 November 2000 by the SI‐12 channel of the FUV instrument on the IMAGE satellite. The major features of this event appeared in response to two brief swings of the interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) toward a southward orientation. We reproduce the observed spatial distributions of this emission on newly opened field lines by combining the proton emission model with a model of the response of ionospheric convection. The simulations are based on the observed variations of the solar wind proton temperature and concentration and the interplanetary magnetic field clock angle. They also allow for the efficiency, sampling rate, integration time and spatial resolution of the FUV instrument. The good match (correlation coefficient 0.91, significant at the 98% level) between observed and modeled variations confirms the time constant (∼4 min) for the rise and decay of the proton emissions predicted by the model for southward IMF conditions. The implications for the detection of pulsed magnetopause reconnection using proton aurora are discussed for a range of interplanetary conditions.
Modeling the primary and secondary productions of the southern Benguela upwelling system: A comparative study through two biogeochemical models
Authors: Koné V. , Machu E. , Penven P. , Andersen V. , Garçon V. , Fréon P. , Demarcq H.
Published: December 2005

A three‐dimensional primitive equation model, the Regional Ocean Modeling Systems (ROMS), coupled to two biogeochemical configurations (NPZD and N2P2Z2D2) was used to study the dynamics of the first trophic levels of the pelagic food web in the southern Benguela upwelling system. The domain extends from the Agulhas Bank bordered by the Agulhas Current to 27°S on the west coast of South Africa. The circulation is driven by monthly climatologies of atmospheric forcing fields. The NPZD ecosystem model consists of four state variables: nutrient (nitrate), phytoplankton, zooplankton and detritus. In the N2P2Z2D2 model, ammonium has been added and the three other variables have been divided into small and large organisms or detritus. Both models are able to reproduce the spatio‐temporal phytoplankton distribution. Along the west coast, chlorophyll concentrations maxima are associated to surface waters. Westward dominating winds generate the lowest chlorophyll concentrations encountered in winter. The small phytoplankton organisms simulated by the N2P2Z2D2 model are responsible for a weaker chlorophyll inshore/offshore gradient, in closer agreement with observations. Transitions from a regime dominated by new production (high f ratio) to one dominated by regenerated production (low f ratio) happen to be abrupt, underlying the constant competition between small and large organisms with regard to upwelling induced nutrient inputs. On the Agulhas Bank, the summer enrichment is associated with subsurface maxima, while in winter, mixing by storms results in a homogeneous phytoplankton distribution in the water column. Regenerated production plays an important role in maintaining the total phytoplankton growth. Zooplankton biomass reflects the overall patterns of chlorophyll a concentrations with differences between the west coast and the Agulhas Bank, consistent with data, and its distribution exhibits a clear seasonal contrast. The seasonality of small and large zooplankton in the N2P2Z2D2 model is quite distinct, which allows, from the Agulhas Bank to St. Helena Bay, a food continuum for fish larvae. This was not achieved with the simpler NPZD model, emphasizing the importance of representing the appropriate level of complexity to characterize food availability for higher trophic levels.
The fluid dynamics of river dunes: A review and some future research directions
Authors: Best Jim
Published: December 2005

Dunes are present in nearly all fluvial channels and are vital in predicting flow resistance, sediment transport, and deposition within many rivers. Progress in understanding the fluid dynamics associated with alluvial dunes has been significant in the last 15 years and has witnessed huge advances in field, laboratory, and numerical investigations. Progress has been made in detailing the principal features of mean and turbulent flow over asymmetric dunes that possess flow separation in their leesides and how these forms affect both downstream boundary layer structure and stress partitioning over the dune. Additionally, the links between sediment transport over dunes and instantaneous coherent flow structures are being increasingly understood, with the feedback of dune three‐dimensionality upon flow and sediment dynamics over these bed forms beginning to be recognized as vital. Such research now provides an outstanding background for beginning to address areas of greater complexity that will enable a fuller understanding of these important natural features. This review paper summarizes the principal features of mean and turbulent flow over alluvial sand dunes. Five areas are then highlighted and discussed as a possible focus for future research: (1) the influence of dune leeside angle upon flow processes in the dune wake and downstream flow field, (2) the influence of three‐dimensionality in dune shape upon the generation of turbulence and distribution of bed shear stress, (3) flow field modification resulting from bed form superimposition and amalgamation, (4) the scale and topology of dune‐related turbulence and its interactions with sediment transport and the flow surface, and (5) the influence of suspended sediment on the dune flow field and dune morphology.
Study of the local fluctuations of the Earth's crust using data of latitude observations
Authors: Lapaeva V. V. , Meregin V. P. , Nefedjev Y. A.
Published: December 2005

This paper presents investigations of the local fluctuations of the earth's crust using data of latitude observations. It was installed that there is anomalous deflections of the observed latitude before earthquakes. At the average the values of the anomalous variations equal 0.10″. They does not depend on powers of the earthquake and data of the latitude observations is a good indicator in studying local geodynamic phenomena. There is a dependence of anomalous fluctuations upon time.
The trouble with seeing double
Authors: Flores Claudia , Lay Thorne
Published: December 2005

The recently discovered phase transition for (Mg,Fe)SiO3 from perovskite to post‐perovskite structure for pressure‐temperature conditions in the lowermost mantle provides a plausible mechanism to explain a several percent shear velocity increase detected at the top of the D″ region in many regions. The phase transition has a large positive Clapeyron slope, and given the likely presence of a strong temperature increase just above the core‐mantle boundary, D″ conditions may reintersect the phase boundary, resulting in a thin layer of perovskite below a lens of post‐perovskite, separated by a few percent velocity decrease. Detection of such a velocity decrease is shown to be much harder than detection of the shallower velocity increase due to fundamental properties of seismic waves; purported observations in support of a double‐discontinuity are re‐evaluated based on waveform modeling. Waveform stacking procedures are required for reliable detection of the lower half of any double‐crossing of the phase boundary.
The impact of aerosols on simulated ocean temperature and heat content in the 20th century
Authors: Delworth Thomas L. , Ramaswamy V. , Stenchikov Georgiy L.
Published: December 2005

Observational analyses have documented increases in global ocean temperature, heat content, and sea level in the 20th century. Previous studies argued that the observed ocean warming is a response to increasing greenhouse gases. We use a new climate model to decompose simulated ocean temperature changes into components attributable to subsets of anthropogenic and natural influences. The model simulates a positive trend in global ocean volume mean temperature from the mid 1950s to 2000, consistent with observational estimates. We show that for the period 1861–2000 aerosols have delayed the onset of ocean warming by several decades and reduced the magnitude of the transient warming by approximately two‐thirds when compared to the response that arises solely from increasing greenhouse gases. The simulated cooling signature from large volcanic eruptions in the late 19th and early 20th centuries is clearly visible in the subsurface ocean well into the middle part of the 20th century.
Temperature contrasts in the water column inferred from amplitude‐versus‐offset analysis of acoustic reflections
Authors: Páramo Pedro , Holbrook W. Steven
Published: December 2005

We show that seismic amplitude‐versus‐offset (AVO) analysis can be used to remotely quantify the temperature contrasts responsible for acoustic reflections in the ocean. We inferred the sound speed and density contrasts associated with two reflections in the Norwegian Sea by comparing their AVO response to that predicted by the Zoeppritz equations. Estimates of temperature contrasts were calculated from sound speed contrasts using Wilson's equation and compared with in situ temperature measurements from coincident expendable bathythermographs (XBTs). A strong reflection from Line 9 is best explained by a −6 m/s step in sound speed, corresponding to a temperature decrease of ∼1.5°C. A weaker reflection from Line 11 yielded a sound speed contrast of −1.2 m/s, corresponding to a temperature decrease of ∼0.3°C. The inferred temperature contrasts match those found in XBT data remarkably well. L1‐norm misfits between predicted and calculated values indicate that the acoustic impedance contrasts are principally controlled by sound speed contrasts, rather than density contrasts. AVO analysis offers an accurate and robust technique for estimating sound speed (and therefore temperature) contrasts in the water column.
Connecting the tropical Pacific with Indian Ocean through South China Sea
Authors: Qu Tangdong , Du Yan , Meyers Gary , Ishida Akio , Wang Dongxiao
Published: December 2005

Analysis of wind data over the past 40 years and results from a high‐resolution general circulation model has revealed the existence of a previously undescribed circulation that connects the tropical Pacific with Indian Ocean. As a direct response to the Pacific wind, water of the Pacific origin enters the South China Sea through Luzon Strait, and from there part of the water continues southward into the Java Sea and returns to the Pacific through Makassar Strait. This circulation contains a strong signal of El Niño and Southern Oscillation and appears to have a notable impact on the Indonesian Throughflow heat transport.
Storm time dawn‐dusk asymmetry of the large‐scale Birkeland currents
Authors: Anderson B. J. , Ohtani S.‐I. , Korth H. , Ukhorskiy A.
Published: December 2005

Magnetometer data from the Iridium constellation of satellites are used to characterize storm‐time global Birkeland currents. The geomagnetic storm of 1 October 2002 was driven by a slowly rotating interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) and the currents display a 3° latitude equatorward shift at dusk relative to dawn and have higher intensity at dusk. The asymmetry develops during the storm main phase and lasts to the early recovery phase, corresponding to the time of strongest ASY‐H. A survey of 37 large storms, Dst minimum below −100 nT, from February 1999 through December 2004 yielded 62 two‐hour intervals from 22 storms for which the Iridium data indicated sufficiently steady conditions to warrant calculation of the Birkeland currents. Statistical analysis shows that the storm‐time dusk currents are shifted equatorward relative to dawn by 2.4° on average with a range of to −2.9° to 6.9°. The latitude asymmetry depends on two independent factors. First, the latitude asymmetry correlates with the maximum magnetic perturbation at noon, indicating a shift of high‐latitude convection toward dawn (dusk) for positive (negative) IMF By. Second, the dusk currents shift ∼1° further equatorward and intensify ∼0.06 MA/° per 100 nT in ASY‐H more than the currents at dawn. We suggest that the ion pressure associated with the partial ring current leads to stronger duskside currents and an asymmetric inflation of the magnetosphere, shifting the ionospheric projection of currents at dusk to lower latitudes.
Effects of H2O, pH, and oxidation state on the stability of Fe minerals on Mars
Authors: King P. L. , McSween H. Y.
Published: December 2005

On Mars, there is evidence that solutions may have been present on the surface episodically in the past. These solutions were derived by weathering minerals such as olivine and sulfides found in mafic‐ultramafic rocks, and possibly sulfates and meteorite fragments. Upon removal of water and/or supersaturation of solutions, secondary minerals formed. We present a theoretical model for the formation of the solutions and the subsequent precipitation of Fe‐bearing phases. The first Fe‐bearing phases to weather via oxidation are sulfides (troilite or pyrrhotite) which produce secondary Fe (hydr)oxides or FeS2(pyrite or marcasite) and Fe2+sulfates such as melanterite. Melanterite may be replaced by Fe sulfates that have decreasing H2O/(3Fe3++ 2Fe2+), increasing oxidation, and increasing bulk OH/(OH + 2SO4). At Meridiani Planum the presence of jarosite indicates that the solutions were oxidized with pH < 4.5. The solutions were likely Fe‐Mg‐(Ca)‐SO4‐(Cl)‐rich and precipitated Fe (hydr)oxides, Fe phosphates, Fe sulfates with low OH/(OH + SO4), Ca‐Mg sulfates, and possible halides, along with Si‐rich phases. The minerals indicating an acid environment were preserved by either removing components such as salts or water from the system (e.g., in dust storms or episodic aqueous events); isolating the mineral surfaces from fluids; using disequilibrium processes; or a combination. At other localities, jarosite is below detection limits, and schwertmannite may be present. If schwertmannite is present, the solution had near‐neutral pH (∼4 < pH < 10) and Fe (hydr)oxides would have crystallized rapidly, leaving Mg‐Na‐(Ca)‐SO4‐Cl‐rich solutions that likely precipitated Ca phosphates, Ca‐Mg‐Na sulfates, Fe sulfates with moderate‐high OH/(OH + SO4), halides, Si‐rich phases, and possibly Fe‐Mg‐Ca carbonates.
Hier kommt die Maus - Psychiatrische Pflegedokumentation in der EDV
Authors: Bögershausen S , Haagen K , Lehmkuhl O , Lucas R , Kuhl J , Rüpp M , Sauter D , Schiel S , Stahlmann S , Thormann A
Published: December 2005

Der Landschaftsverband Westfalen-Lippe hat den Autorinnen und Autoren ein spannendes Projekt aufgetragen, das in vielen Bereichen der psychiatrischen Pflege übernommen und modifiziert übertragen werden kann, lassen Sie sich von diesem Artikel anregen!
Interaction Forces Between Colloidal Silica in Aqueous Inorganic and Natural Organic Electrolyte Solutions
Authors: Considine Robert F. , Drummond Calum J. , Dixon David R.
Published: December 2005

Atomic force microscopy (AFM) has been used to measure the force of interaction between pairs of silica colloids in aqueous inorganic and natural organic electrolyte solutions. In solutions containing a mixture of mono- and divalent inorganic ions, the force measurements on approach can be understood in terms of an electrical double-layer interaction, with decay lengths being comparable to the predicted Debye length. The force of interaction on separation in these mixed electrolyte solutions has been found to be entirely repulsive. Force measurements in a mixture of monovalent ions and natural organic matter (NOM), which is a common component of natural waters, are also reported. The decay length of the electrical double-layer interaction is observed to decrease upon addition of NOM. Force measurements on separation are characterized by pH-dependent adhesion, which has been interpreted in terms of specific surface adsorption and the intermolecular interaction of NOM. A comparison with particle micro-electrophoresis data for the silica colloids in the mixed electrolyte solutions has also been made.
Influence of Helix Length on Cleavage Efficiency of Hammerhead Ribozymes
Authors: Hendry Philip , McCall Maxine J. , Lockett Trevor J.
Published: December 2005

The cleavage rates of RNA substrates by trans-acting, hammerhead ribozymes are controlled by interactions between helices I and II. The interactions are affected by the relative lengths of these two double helices and by unpaired nucleotides protruding beyond helix I, either in the substrate or the ribozyme strand. Maximum cleavage rates are observed for ribozyme–substrate complexes with three or more base pairs in helix II and six or less base pairs in helix I. However, for these helix combinations, rates fall sharply with unpaired nucleotides at the end of helix I. Cleavage rates by ribozymes with one or two base pairs in helix II increase as helix I is lengthened, and are unaffected by unpaired nucleotides on the end. Since miniribozymes, with one base pair in helix II, efficiently cleave long RNA transcripts under physiological conditions, they represent the optimal design for the simple hammerheads for application in vivo.
Two New Biocatalysts for Improved Biological Oxidation of 1,8-Cineole
Authors: Rasmussen Jo-Anne M. , Henderson Kylie A. , Straffon Melissa J. , Dumsday Geoffrey J. , Coulton Jacqueline , Zachariou Michael
Published: December 2005

This work describes the identification and use of two microbial species with new phenotypes, with an improved ability to oxidize 1,8-cineole, and produce seven different oxygenated derivatives.
Effects of trap position, trap history, microhabitat and season on capture probabilities of small mammals in a wet eucalypt forest
Authors: Cunningham R. B. , Lindenmayer D. B. , MacGregor C. , Barry S. , Welsh A.
Published: December 2005

In this study, we use data drawn from a series of trapping events on four 0.5-ha trapping grids surveyed in the wet eucalypt forests of central Victoria, south-eastern Australia, to identify relationships between capture probabilities and several factors of interest for three species of small mammals that are common throughout the forests of this region: the agile antechinus (Antechinus agilis), the dusky antechinus (Antechinus swainsonii) and the bush rat (Rattus fuscipes). The design of our study – four regular trapping grids – generated spatio-temporal data with binary responses and many covariates. We used powerful and relatively new statistical methodology to deal with the spatio-temporal dependence patterns in the data – analytical problems that are common in trapping data such as these modelled here. Although A. agilis, A. swainsonii and R. fuscipes are among the best studied mammals in Australia, our data analysis produced new perspectives on their probability of being captured. In particular, we quantified how capture probability is affected by trap position within a trapping grid, day of capture in a sequence of trapping days, history of trap occupancy over time by different species and sexes of those species, time of the year or season, and microhabitat attributes. Our insights are discussed in terms of their consequences for trapping protocols that might be applied in the field.
Home range and den use of common brushtail possums (Trichosurus vulpecula) in urban forest remnants
Authors: Harper Michael J.
Published: December 2005

The common brushtail possum (Trichosurus vulpecula) is an arboreal marsupial that has adapted well to urban landscapes. Fifteen adult possums (12 female, 3 male) caught in small patches of indigenous vegetation (remnants) in the south-east of metropolitan Melbourne were radio-tracked over a three-month period to investigate nocturnal behaviour and den use. Minimum convex polygon (100%) home-range estimates of both female (1.02 ± 0.28 ha) and male (1.19 ± 0.33 ha) urban brushtail possums trapped in urban forest remnants appear to be smaller than those previously reported for urban brushtail possums. All the brushtail possums foraged extensively in remnants but made repeated forays into adjacent residential areas. The use of few dens, by both female (2.21 ± 0.35 ha) and male (2.51 ± 1.45 ha) brushtail possums, in close proximity to their nocturnal ranges is similar to the behaviour of non-urban brushtail possums
A comparison of survey methods for arboreal possums in jarrah forest, Western Australia
Authors: Wayne A. F. , Cowling A. , Ward C. G. , Rooney J. F. , Vellios C. V. , Lindenmayer D. B. , Donnelly C. F.
Published: December 2005

Comparative trials of different survey methods were conducted in the southern jarrah (Eucalyptus marginata) forest to determine the most efficient means of detecting koomal (common brushtail possum, Trichosurus vulpecula hypoleucus) and ngwayir (western ringtail possum, Pseudocheirus occidentalis). In particular, we examined different trapping and spotlighting methods and compared these with scat surveys. Six different trapping methods (derived by combining three bait types and two trap positions) were compared at six sites. Significantly fewer koomal were caught on ‘universal’ bait (i.e. peanut butter, rolled oats and sardines) than on flour-based baits using rose oil or Eucalyptus oil as lures. Significantly more individuals of both possum species were caught in arboreal traps than in ground traps (P < 0.001 in both cases). Recapture rates of koomal were high, whereas ngwayir were rarely retrapped. There were no detection differences between six different spotlighting methods (derived by combining three spotlight intensities with two filter colours) for koomal. Significantly more ngwayir were detected using 50-W or 100-W lights than 20-W lights (P = 0.01). There were no significant differences in the detection rates for ngwayir using red or white light. There were, however, significant observer differences in the number of possums of both species detected (koomal, P = 0.025; ngwayir, P = 0.004). Spotlighting detected, on average, only 4.9% of the koomal ‘known to be alive’ by trapping. However, spotlighting with a 50-W or 100-W spotlight detected more ngwayir than did trapping. Koomal abundance measures derived from scat surveys were not related to trapping or spotlight abundance estimates. For ngwayir, however, scat counts were strongly related to spotlight counts and there were no significant observer differences for the former. We conclude that koomal are more effectively surveyed using arboreal trapping with rose or Eucalyptus lures. Ngwayir are best surveyed using scat surveys or 50-W spotlights.
Rabbit warren distribution in relation to pasture communities in Mediterranean habitats: consequences for management of rabbit populations
Authors: Gea-Izquierdo G. , Muñoz-Igualada J. , San Miguel-Ayanz A.
Published: December 2005

Iberian wild rabbit numbers have decreased in the last decades. The management implemented to recover rabbit populations includes several techniques, one of the most common being the construction of artificial rabbit warrens. To optimally distribute the artificial warrens in the field it is essential to understand natural warren microhabitat. Few studies have investigated the relationship between rabbits and grassland communities. In this work we study the spatial distribution and characteristics of rabbit warrens as well as their relation to grasslands in Mediterranean woodlands of central Spain. During the summer of 2001, three 12.5-ha study plots, including the most representative grassland communities of the area, were selected. All rabbit warrens were surveyed and the active and total entrances, shrub cover, grassland community and warren cover type were characterised. A grassland community selection index was calculated and the warren spatial distribution analysed. Ploughed lands and shallow soils were unsuitable for warren establishment. The mean number of burrow entrances per warren was 5.8 (4.4 active), and warren clustering occurred only in ploughed plots. However, pasture communities composed of annual and perennial species growing on unploughed deep sandy soils were preferentially selected. Most warrens (81.4%) were dug under some kind of protection such as shrub roots and rocks. According to our results, when designing rabbit restocking programs that include the provision of artificial warrens, unploughed deep soils with plenty of shrubs and rocks should be preferentially selected to locate the artificial warrens, which should be spaced so there are ~10 warrens per hectare and ~5–6 burrow entrances per warren.
Increasing the efficacy of Judas goats by sterilisation and pregnancy termination
Authors: Campbell Karl J. , Baxter Greg S. , Murray Peter J. , Coblentz Bruce E. , Donlan C. Josh , G. Victor Carrion
Published: December 2005

The use of Judas goats to locate remnant animals is a potentially powerful tool for enhancing goat-eradication efforts, which are especially important to island conservation. However, current Judas goat methodology falls short of its potential efficacy. Female Judas goats are often pregnant at the time of deployment or become impregnated in the field; pregnant females leave associated goats to give birth, causing downtime of Judas goat operations. Further, male Judas goats may inseminate remnant females. Sterilising Judas goats prior to deployment removes these inefficiencies. Here, we describe two methods (epididymectomy for males and tubal occlusion for females) that sterilise Judas goats while still maintaining sexual motivation and other behaviours associated with intact animals. These surgeries are straightforward, time efficient, and may be conducted in the field by staff with minimal training. Given the widespread and deleterious impacts of non-native herbivores to ecosystems and the importance of Judas operations in detecting animals at low densities, sterilisation and termination of pregnancy should be applied routinely in Judas goat (and possibly other species) programs to increase the efficacy of low-density control operations and eradication campaigns.
High-resolution protein folding with a transferable potential
Authors: Hubner Isaac A. , Deeds Eric J. , Shakhnovich Eugene I.
Published: December 2005

A generalized computational method for folding proteins with a fully transferable potential and geometrically realistic all-atom model is presented and tested on seven helix bundle proteins. The protocol, which includes graph-theoretical analysis of the ensemble of resulting folded conformations, was systematically applied and consistently produced structure predictions of ≈3 Å without any knowledge of the native state. To measure and understand the significance of the results, extensive control simulations were conducted. Graph theoretic analysis provides a means for systematically identifying the native fold and provides physical insight, conceptually linking the results to modern theoretical views of protein folding. In addition to presenting a method for prediction of structure and folding mechanism, our model suggests that an accurate all-atom amino acid representation coupled with a physically reasonable atomic interaction potential and hydrogen bonding are essential features for a realistic protein model.
Adoptive transfer of T cells modified with a humanized chimeric receptor gene inhibits growth of Lewis-Y-expressing tumors in mice
Authors: Westwood Jennifer A. , Smyth Mark J. , Teng Michele W. L. , Moeller Maria , Trapani Joseph A. , Scott Andrew M. , Smyth Fiona E. , Cartwright Glenn A. , Power Barbara E. , Hönemann Dirk , Prince H. Miles , Darcy Phillip K. , Kershaw Michael H.
Published: December 2005

In this study, human T cells were provided with a reactivity against the Lewis-Y (Le
Y
) carbohydrate antigen, which is overexpressed on 70% of epithelial-derived tumors, but not normally recognized by T cells. Antitumor reactivity was achieved by transduction of T cells with a gene encoding a cell-surface chimeric receptor composed of single-chain anti-Le
Y
antibody linked to an enhanced cytoplasmic signaling domain made up of CD28 and CD3-ζ. Importantly, the single-chain antibody was humanized to try to reduce potential problems of human anti-mouse antibody responses in patients receiving chimeric receptor-modified T cells in future clinical trials. T cells expressing the chimeric receptor were demonstrated to secrete cytokines and proliferate in response to receptor ligation and lysed Le
Y+
tumors
in vitro
. Another aspect of this study was the finding that no activity was observed against normal tissue, as represented by autologous neutrophils that express low levels of Le
Y
. Significantly, systemic delivery of anti-Le
Y
T cells dramatically inhibited established s.c. human ovarian OVCAR-3 tumors (a recognized difficult model to treat) in mice. Finally, we demonstrated that anti-Le
Y
T cells preferentially expanded or accumulated in the tumor compared with control empty vector T cells, thereby providing mechanistic insight into the specific antitumor response. This study supports the use of humanized gene-modified T cells as a potential therapy for Le
Y+
malignancies.
Adaptation of nutrient supply to fetal demand in the mouse involves interaction between the Igf2 gene and placental transporter systems
Authors: Constância Miguel , Angiolini Emily , Sandovici Ionel , Smith Paul , Smith Rachel , Kelsey Gavin , Dean Wendy , Ferguson-Smith Anne , Sibley Colin P. , Reik Wolf , Fowden Abigail
Published: December 2005

The mammalian fetus is unique in its dependence during gestation on the supply of maternal nutrients through the placenta. Maternal supply and fetal demand for nutrients need to be fine tuned for healthy growth and development of the fetus along its genetic trajectory. An altered balance between supply and demand can lead to deviations from this trajectory with long-term consequences for health. We have previously shown that in a knockout lacking the imprinted placental-specific
Igf2
transcript (P0), growth of the placenta is compromised from early gestation but fetal growth is normal until late gestation, suggesting functional adaptation of the placenta to meet the fetal demands. Here, we show that placental transport of glucose and amino acids are increased in the
Igf2
P0
+/-
null and that this up-regulation of transport occurs, at least in part, through increased expression of the transporter genes
Slc2a3
and
Slc38a4
, the imprinted member of the System A amino acid transporter gene family. Decreasing fetal demand genetically by removal of fetal
Igf2
abolished up-regulation of both transport systems and reduced placental System A amino acid transport activity and expression of
Slc38a2
in late gestation. Our results provide direct evidence that the placenta can respond to fetal demand signals through regulation of expression of specific placental transport systems. Thus, crosstalk between an imprinted growth demand gene (
Igf2
) and placental supply transporter genes (
Slc38a4
,
Slc38a2
, and
Slc2a3
) may be a component of the genetic control of nutrient supply and demand during mammalian development.
Brain estrogen deficiency accelerates Aβ plaque formation in an Alzheimer's disease animal model
Authors: Yue Xu , Lu Melissa , Lancaster Techie , Cao Phillip , Honda Shin-Ichiro , Staufenbiel Matthias , Harada Nobuhiro , Zhong Zhenyu , Shen Yong , Li Rena
Published: December 2005

Much evidence indicates that women have a higher risk of developing Alzheimer's disease (AD) than do men. The reason for this gender difference is unclear. We hypothesize that estrogen deficiency in the brains of women with AD may be a key risk factor. In rapidly acquired postmortem brains from women with AD, we found greatly reduced estrogen levels compared with those from age- and gender-matched normal control subjects; AD and control subjects had comparably low levels of serum estrogen. We examined the onset and severity of AD pathology associated with estrogen depletion by using a gene-based approach, by crossing the estrogen-synthesizing enzyme aromatase gene knockout mice with APP23 transgenic mice, a mouse model of AD, to produce estrogen-deficient APP23 mice. Compared with APP23 transgenic control mice, estrogen-deficient APP23 mice exhibited greatly reduced brain estrogen and early-onset and increased β amyloid peptide (Aβ) deposition. These mice also exhibited increased Aβ production, and microglia cultures prepared from the brains of these mice were impaired in Aβ clearance/degradation. In contrast, ovariectomized APP23 mice exhibited plaque pathology similar to that observed in the APP23 transgenic control mice. Our results indicate that estrogen depletion in the brain may be a significant risk factor for developing AD neuropathology.
Epidermal transit of replication-arrested, undifferentiated keratinocytes in UV-exposed XPC mice: An alternative to
in situ
apoptosis
Authors: Stout Gerdine J. , Westdijk Daniel , Calkhoven Dennis M. , Pijper Olaf , Backendorf Claude M. P. , Willemze Rein , Mullenders Leon H. F. , de Gruijl Frank R.
Published: December 2005

The interplay among nucleotide excision repair, cell-cycle regulation, and apoptosis in the UV-exposed epidermis is extremely important to avoid mutations and malignant transformation. In
Xpc
–/–
mice deficient in global genome nucleotide excision repair (GGR), a cell-cycle arrest of epidermal cells in late S-phase [with near-double normal diploid (4N) DNA content] was observed 48–72 h after UV exposure. This arrest resolved without apoptosis (96–168 h). We surmised that these arrested keratinocytes with persistent DNA damage were removed by epidermal turnover.
In vivo
BrdUrd pulse–chase labeling (>17 h after UV exposure) showed that DNA replication after UV exposure was resumed in
Xpc
–/–
mice, but it did not reveal any evidence of retained BrdUrd-labeled S-phase cells in the basal layer of the epidermis at 72 h. Interestingly, by this time a maximum number of cytokeratin 10-negative and cytokeratin 5-positive cells had appeared in the suprabasal epidermal cell layers of UV-exposed
Xpc
–/–
mice. Accumulation of these “basal cell”-like keratinocytes in the suprabasal layers was clearly aberrant and was not observed in WT and heterozygous mice. Flow cytometric analyses of single-cell suspensions from UV-exposed
Xpc
–/–
epidermis further showed that the “near-4N” arrested cells retained cytokeratin 5 and lacked cytokeratin 10. Hence, we conclude that the arrested near-4N cells became detached from the basal layer without entering a proper differentiation program and were indeed subsequently lost through the epidermal turnover. This expulsion apparently constitutes an alternative route, different from
in situ
apoptosis, to eliminate DNA-damaged arrested cells from the epidermis.
P2Y2receptor activates nerve growth factor/TrkA signaling to enhance neuronal differentiation
Authors: Arthur David B. , Akassoglou Katerina , Insel Paul A.
Published: December 2005

Neurotrophins are essential for neuronal differentiation, but the onset and the intensity of neurotrophin signaling within the neuronal microenvironment are poorly understood. We tested the hypothesis that extracellular nucleotides and their cognate receptors regulate neurotrophin-mediated differentiation. We found that 5′-O-(3-thio)triphosphate (ATPγS) activation of the G protein-coupled receptor P2Y2in the presence of nerve growth factor leads to the colocalization and association of tyrosine receptor kinase A and P2Y2receptors and is required for enhanced neuronal differentiation. Consistent with these effects, ATPγS promotes phosphorylation of tyrosine receptor kinase A, early response kinase 1/2, and p38, thereby enhancing sensitivity to nerve growth factor and accelerating neurite formation in both PC12 cells and dorsal root ganglion neurons. Genetic or small interfering RNA depletion of P2Y2receptors abolished the ATPγS-mediated increase in neuronal differentiation. Moreover,in vivoinjection of ATPγS into the sciatic nerve increased growth-associated protein-43 (GAP-43), a marker for axonal growth, in wild-type but notP2Y2-/-mice. The interactions of tyrosine kinase- and P2Y2-signaling pathways provide a paradigm for the regulation of neuronal differentiation and suggest a role for P2Y2as a morphogen receptor that potentiates neurotrophin signaling in neuronal development and regeneration.
Extreme conformational diversity in human telomeric DNA
Authors: Lee J. Y. , Okumus Burak , Kim D. S. , Ha Taekjip
Published: December 2005

DNA with tandem repeats of guanines folds into G-quadruplexes made of a stack of G-quartets.
In vitro
, G-quadruplex formation inhibits telomere extension, and POT1 binding to the single-stranded telomeric DNA enhances telomerase activity by disrupting the G-quadruplex structure, highlighting the potential importance of the G-quadruplex structure in regulating telomere length
in vivo
. We have used single-molecule spectroscopy to probe the dynamics of human telomeric DNA. Three conformations were observed in potassium solution, one unfolded and two folded, and each conformation could be further divided into two species, long-lived and short-lived, based on lifetimes of minutes vs. seconds. Vesicle encapsulation studies suggest that the total of six states detected here is intrinsic to the DNA. Folding was severely hindered by replacing a single guanine, showing only the shortlived species. The long-lived folded states are dominant in physiologically relevant conditions and probably correspond to the parallel and antiparallel G-quadruplexes seen in high-resolution structural studies. Although rare under these conditions, the short-lived species determine the overall dynamics because they bridge the different long-lived species. We propose that these previously unobserved transient states represent the early and late intermediates toward the formation of stable G-quadruplexes. The major compaction occurs between the early and late intermediates, and it is possible that local rearrangements are sufficient in locking the late intermediates into the stably folded forms. The extremely diverse conformations of the human telomeric DNA may have mechanistic implications for the proteins and drugs that recognize G-rich sequences.