bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Pion production resembles stripping
Authors: Rothenberg Marian S.
Published: December 2008

Protons from the Uppsala University synchrocyclotron have produced positive pions with angular distributions for (p,π+), that are quantitatively similar to distributions in the well known deuteron stripping (d, p) reaction. This surprising result, which unexpectedly reinforces the simple view of a proton as a neutron and pion stuck together, comes from the first high-resolution mesic proton-capture experiment involving a change in baryon number.
Universality and scaling in critical behavior
Authors: Lubkin Gloria B.
Published: December 2008

The behavior of systems near critical points is a long-standing puzzle in statistical mechanics and solid-state physics. Experimentally this behavior is characterized by divergences in a variety of thermodynamic quantities as powers of the deviation from criticality. These divergences are described by critical indices, which are the exponents in power laws; for example, the susceptibility of a ferromagnet diverges like (T−Tc)γ as T approaches Tc.
More support for the big bang
Authors: Scott John T.
Published: December 2008

Two questions confront those who would interpret recent measurements of the far-infrared background radiation in the night sky. The first is: Are the data compatible with what would be expected from a blackbody cosmic background, left over from a “big-bang” origin of the universe? And if so, what is the equivalent temperature of the blackbody? The second problem is: What is going on down at much shorter wavelengths—around 100 microns—where the blackbody envelope has fallen essentially to zero, but radiation has been detected with an apparent diurnal variation? Late last year two groups, one at the Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory, the other at the Naval Research Laboratory in Washington D.C., reported new far-infrared measurements. The Los Alamos work at millimeter wavelengths supports “big-bang” cosmology with a 3.1-K equivalent blackbody temperature, and the new 100-micron data from both groups suggest that discrepancies already noted in earlier work may besigns of real variation in the flux.
Progress at Stanford's superconducting linac
Authors: Lubkin Gloria B.
Published: December 2008

During the past year many problems connected with development of the superconducting linear accelerator at Stanford have been resolved, according to Alan Schwettman and William Fairbank of Stanford's High-Energy Physics Laboratory. When we recently visited the laboratory, the two men told us that in the past year they had demonstrated that an intense continuous electron beam can be produced in a superconducting accelerator with exceptional stability and energy resolution. But a critical problem remains—achieving the high energy gradients of 4 MeV/ft hoped for in the superconducting structures.
A look at photon detectors
Authors: Keyes Robert J. , Kingston Robert H.
Published: December 2008

In the best of all possible worlds, we would have the ideal photon detector, a device that caught a photon, gave an unambiguous meter reading and kept count of the number of events. In the real world, these ideal devices do not exist; competing events both outside and inside the detector confuse the true measure of the photons that we are trying to monitor. Phenomena such as quantum noise, “dark” current and background radiation interfere to a degree that depends on the intensity of the signal being measured and on the photon frequency, to mention only a few of the experimental parameters.
New theory of weak and electromagnetic interactions
Authors: Lubkin Gloria B.
Published: December 2008

A new paper by Steven Weinberg (MIT) is causing great excitement among high-energy physicists. One leading theorist calls it “the most important development in weak-interaction theory in the last 15 years.” Weinberg explained to us that his new work is a possible solution of two outstanding problems. One is how, in a natural way, to unify the weak and electromagnetic interactions. The second is how to make a theory of weak and electromagnetic interactions in which the infinities can be dealt with in as simple a way as they are in quantum electrodynamics.
A new high-energy scale?
Authors: Lee T. D.
Published: December 2008

Throughout the study of microscopic physics, new frontiers are opened whenever a new basic energy scale is reached. We have the case of atomic and molecular physics with the electron-volt energy scale, nuclear physics with the MeV energy scale and the present stronginteraction physics with the GeV energy scale. In each case, at the energy scale of interest, we encounter a vastly rich structure of multiple energy levels and detailed dynamics; yet, when viewed against a much larger energy scale, this superstructure simply dissolves into the continuum.
Physicists in industry
Authors: Hammond Donald L.
Published: December 2008

My aim here is to state positively that in going into industry a physicist has every opportunity for a rewarding, satisfying and successful career. The match between him and industry will depend both on his training and on the kind of person he is, and I will accordingly have something to say about the curriculum for physicists, both in physics areas and related fields, and about desirable personality traits for a physicist in industry. In addition I will discuss the responsibilities of industry to the physicist and comment briefly on the future prospects for the job market, where I see a probable steady, though small, increase in the number of positions that will become available.
Liquid-xenon proportional counter
Authors: Lubkin Gloria B.
Published: December 2008

Luis Alvarez and his collaborators at Berkeley have built a proportional counter filled with liquid xenon. When we recently discussed the new counter (while flying over the Bay Area in Alvarez's twin-engine Cessna), he told us that the new counter will be useful for cosmic-ray satellite experiments, for ground-based high-energy particle detection and as a medical gamma-ray camera.
Alfvén on cosmic rays, sunspots, antimatter
Authors: Lubkin Gloria B.
Published: December 2008

Plasma-physics theories often have had little connection with reality, according to Hannes Alfvén. When we recently chatted with him in his office at the University of California in La Jolla (shortly before he left for his annual six-month stay at the Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm) Alfvén pointed out that two major confrontations between theory and experiment have occurred. One took place when controlled thermonuclear experiments began. “The result was catastrophic,” he said. The second confrontation came when space missions made the magnetosphere and interplanetary space accessible to physical instruments, and some cherished theories became ripe for revision. In the future, Alfvén believes, at least three “sacrosanct” astrophysics theories may be drastically revised.
The optical model at high energies
Authors: Islam Muhammad M.
Published: December 2008

For more than two decades physicists have used the optical model to describe the high-energy scattering of nucleons by nuclei. The motivation underlying the model both in nuclear scattering and in particle scattering is to represent the complex projectile–target interaction by a two-body complex potential. This makes the optical-model description somewhat analogous to the propagation of light through a refracting and absorbing medium. The success of such a description in high-energy nucleon–nucleus scattering is now well established.
Reflections on a decade of grade-school science
Authors: Griffith Joe , Morrison Philip
Published: December 2008

At a recent science convention, we had a display table showing some of the materials developed by the Elementary Science Study. One of the items on display was a small motor, made from one D cell, two fahnestock clips, a rubber band, 16 inches of enameled copper wire, two safety pins and one small flat magnet. The rotor for the motor is made by winding the wire around your finger, leaving the two ends protruding about an inch on opposite sides of the loop, and scraping the enamel off the ends. (See Batteries and Bulbs Teacher's Guide for more details.) There is no commutation for this loop. Why it works has yet to be clearly formulated, and some electrical engineers have told us it will not work.
No simple antiferromagnetism for He3
Authors: Rothenberg Marian S.
Published: December 2008

If you squeeze helium-three along its melting curve, the temperature of the liquid–solid system drops. This unusual but well established cooling occurs because the transition from liquid to solid is, in this case, a change from an ordered to a disordered state; the liquid is a spin-ordered Fermi liquid, with low entropy, whereas the solid, which has many degrees of freedom, is a highentropy state. Theorists predicted that, if compressive cooling were carried down to low enough temperatures, about 2.1 mK, a spin-ordering transition would occur in the solid, and it would become a nuclear antiferromagnet. But some recent observations at Cornell indicate that the behavior of He3 is much more complicated than had been anticipated: The experiments, in which temperatures low enough to order the nuclear spins were reached for the first time, show not one but two transitions, and the evidence goes against the existence of a simple antiferromagnetic phase.
Using tunable lasers
Authors: Schlossberg Howard R. , Kelley Paul L.
Published: December 2008

Lasers whose output can be varied over a wide range of frequencies offer the opportunity for a new kind of spectroscopy. These tunable sources are welcome in industry, in environmental monitoring and in medicine as well as in basic research. In absorption spectroscopy, for example, tunable coherent sources are bringing about developments, both evolutionary and revolutionary in character, that recall the way powerful fixed-frequency lasers revitalized the rather moribund field of Raman spectroscopy a few years ago. And an interesting analogy exists between the klystron and microwave spectroscopy on the one hand and tunable lasers and optical spectroscopy on the other.
The case of the missing solar neutrinos
Authors: Lubkin Gloria B.
Published: December 2008

The Brookhaven solar-neutrino experiment, after five years of running, is in even worse disagreement with theoretical expectations than it was earlier. While the theoretical value has tended to rise slightly, the experimental limit has dropped and is consistent with zero.
Surface structure—an emerging spectroscopy
Authors: Duke C. B. , Park Robert L.
Published: December 2008

The intrinsic interest in an empty box is limited, however difficult the task of evacuating it may be. It is the new vistas in science and technology opened by the ability routinely to produce ultra-high vacua as a controlled environment that excite our interest. The challenges of generating and measuring such vacua will be described in the following articles of this issue of PHYSICS TODAY. We devote our discussion to recent developments in the study of surface phenomena, an area of science that has been both a beneficiary of and contributor to advances in vacuum technology.
Selecting materials and hardware
Authors: Wheeler William R.
Published: December 2008

The primary function of very high and ultrahigh vacuum equipment is to provide an environment that is superbly nonreactive: so neutral that molecular, electron and other submolecular beams can travel uninhibited; that chemically reactive metals can be heated to any temperature and be improved rather than degraded; that physiochemical reactions can be precisely controlled without contamination problems.
The origin of the European Physical Society
Authors: Bernardini Gilberto
Published: December 2008

Conceived in 1965, born in 1968, and by now a healthy, growing four-year-old, the European Physical Society is an excellent example of successful cooperation among physicists of different countries. This article is the story of how this new society came into being. It takes us across the continent, north and south, east and west; it introduces us to the many individuals who had a part in the evolution of EPS, and it demonstrates how cultural and political differences can be submerged when the goal is worthwhile.
Physics in the developing countries
Authors: Moravcsik Michael J.
Published: December 2008

Physicists in the US, and other scientifically advanced countries, can make a significant contribution to the growth of less developed countries throughout the world. Yet, probably only a few members of the physics community know that we are now living in the Second United Nations Development Decade, designed to aid in the evolution of the less developed countries. Because of the crucial role that science and technology must play in this development, a World Plan of Action for the Application of Science and Technology has been established, and is now being studied by the various bodies of the UN with the aim of eventual adoption by the General Assembly (see box for details of plan). Obviously, if this plan encounters indifference from the scientific community, it is likely to fail even if the governments of the more developed countries formally agree to participate in the plan. The lack of adequately trained manpower and a scientific isolation from the rest of the world are the two main problems facing these less developed countries. Therefore, in this article, I will propose some programs with which we physicists in the more advanced countries can mitigate these problems and thus contribute to the scientific emergence of the developing countries. I do this, however, with the full realization that the main task of science development must be carried out by indigenous personnel and manpower and that outside assistance must be primarily catalytic in nature. The purpose of international assistance is to make itself superfluous in the shortest possible time, and thus scientific help must aim at the vigorous development of local scientific infrastructures that can be self-sufficient and productive in the not too distant future.
Neutron-star cores: solid or liquid?
Authors: Lubkin Gloria B.
Published: December 2008

A popular picture of the neutron star has been a solid crust on top of a liquid, possibly superfluid. Now some theorists also envision a solid core. Such a picture might explain the disparity between the slowing-down rates of the Crab and Vela pulsars. These ideas on neutron stars were discussed at the symposium on Physics of Dense Matter held in Boulder at the end of August. Another exotic state of matter discussed at the meeting is a mixture of protons, neutrons and negative pions.
The APS Amendment on Professional Responsibility
Authors: March Robert H. , Orear Jay , Karras Thomas W. , Tobey A. R. , Menard Albert R. , Vig John R. , Morse Robert W. , Alonso C. T. , Ericson William B. , McLane C. Keith , Pawlicki Anthony J. , Woodbury E. J. , Birks L. S. , Rohrlich F. , Huebner J. S. , Lyons W. James , Bube Richard H. , Planet Walter G. , Evans Ralph A. , Weisberg Howard , Martin Stuart T. , Camp Paul R. , Maurer Robert , Weller Royal
Published: December 2008

On behalf of 276 members of The American Physical Society, I have introduced the amendment to the APS constitution described in the January issue of the Bulletin of that Society. I urge the membership of APS to give this amendment their most careful consideration.
CERN boosting energy of new accelerator to 400 GeV
Authors: Davis Harold L.
Published: December 2008

With less than two years gone by since he CERN Council approved the revised 300-GeV accelerator, the project is moving rapidly from the drawing board into the machine shop. Contracts have now been let for the civilengineering work, the main magnets and the rf power supply, and a start has been made on ordering other major components on schedules that would ensure that the facility would be in operation in 1976 supporting a full experimental schedule.
Fluctuations at chemical equilibrium
Authors: Rothenberg Marian S.
Published: December 2008

In chemically reacting systems at equilibrium, forward and backward reactions proceed at statistically equal rates, so that the average properties of the system are time independent. However, a series of instantaneous microscopic analyses of the system is expected to reveal recurring random concentration fluctuations about the equilibrium state. Until recently no one had directly measured the rates of fluctuation relaxation by the mechanism of chemical reaction, but now Douglas Magde, Elliott Elson and Watt Webb of Cornell University have seen the thermodynamic concentration fluctuations that reflect the dynamic balance of chemical reactions at equilibrium. They have studied the binding between DNA and the dye ethidium bromide (EtBr), which form a strongly fluorescing complex, and they were able to determine the chemical rate constants, the diffusion coefficients and the coupling between the two by observing fluctuations of the fluorescent intensity.
Conflicting evidence for K-meson decay
Authors: Rothenberg Marian S.
Published: December 2008

The long-lived K-meson may decay according to predictions after all. Last year, experiments at the Berkeley Bevatron had failed to find evidence of the reaction KL0←μ++μ−. Accepted theoretical estimates of the ratio of this decay to all other decays (the branching ratio) give a lower bound of about 6×10−9, but the Berkeley group established an upper limit of about 1.8×10−9, with a 90% confidence level, causing some theorists to question such basic ideas as the nature of muon interactions, the idea that CP is conserved in the decay and even the principles of unitarity (probability conservation) and quantum electrodynamics (see PHYSICS TODAY, July 1971, page 13).
Identification of direct residue contacts in protein–protein interaction by message passing
Authors: Weigt Martin , White Robert A. , Szurmant Hendrik , Hoch James A. , Hwa Terence
Published: December 2008

Understanding the molecular determinants of specificity in protein–protein interaction is an outstanding challenge of postgenome biology. The availability of large protein databases generated from sequences of hundreds of bacterial genomes enables various statistical approaches to this problem. In this context covariance-based methods have been used to identify correlation between amino acid positions in interacting proteins. However, these methods have an important shortcoming, in that they cannot distinguish between directly and indirectly correlated residues. We developed a method that combines covariance analysis with global inference analysis, adopted from use in statistical physics. Applied to a set of >2,500 representatives of the bacterial two-component signal transduction system, the combination of covariance with global inference successfully and robustly identified residue pairs that are proximal in space without resorting to ad hoc tuning parameters, both for heterointeractions between sensor kinase (SK) and response regulator (RR) proteins and for homointeractions between RR proteins. The spectacular success of this approach illustrates the effectiveness of the global inference approach in identifying direct interaction based on sequence information alone. We expect this method to be applicable soon to interaction surfaces between proteins present in only 1 copy per genome as the number of sequenced genomes continues to expand. Use of this method could significantly increase the potential targets for therapeutic intervention, shed light on the mechanism of protein–protein interaction, and establish the foundation for the accurate prediction of interacting protein partners.
Activated protein C ligation of ApoER2 (LRP8) causes Dab1-dependent signaling in U937 cells
Authors: Yang Xia V. , Banerjee Yajnavalka , Fernández José A. , Deguchi Hiroshi , Xu Xiao , Mosnier Laurent O. , Urbanus Rolf. T. , de Groot Phillip G. , White-Adams Tara C. , McCarty Owen J. T. , Griffin John H.
Published: December 2008

Binding of activated protein C (APC) to cells triggers multiple beneficial cytoprotective activities that suppress apoptosis, inflammation, and endothelial barrier breakdown. One paradigm for APC's signaling emphasizes its binding to endothelial cell protein C receptor (EPCR) and subsequent protease activated receptor (PAR)-1 activation. Here we used human monocytic-like U937 cells to evaluate apolipoprotein E receptor 2 (ApoER2)-dependent signaling by APC and found that APC initiated rapid phosphorylation of Tyr-220 in the adaptor protein disabled-1 (Dab1) and of Ser-473 in Akt. APC also induced phosphorylation of Ser-9 in glycogen synthase kinase 3β (GSK3β), which was blocked by the PI3K inhibitor LY294002. Receptor-associated protein (RAP), a general antagonist for binding of ligands to LDL receptor family members, inhibited APC-induced phosphorylation of Dab1 and GSK3β, whereas anti-EPCR or anti-PAR1 blocking antibodies did not. Knocking down ApoER2 by using siRNA-ablated APC induced Dab1 phosphorylation, suggesting that RAP-sensitive APC-induced signaling requires ApoER2. In surface plasmon resonance equilibrium binding studies, APC bound with high affinity to soluble (s) ApoER2 (apparent
K
d
, ≈30 nM) but not to soluble very low density lipoprotein receptor. RAP blocked APC binding to sApoER2 but not to sEPCR. RAP blocked binding of U937 cells to immobilized APC. RAP also blocked APC's ability to inhibit endotoxin-induced tissue factor pro-coagulant activity of U937 cells. Thus, we propose that ligation of ApoER2 by APC signals via Dab1 phosphorylation and subsequent activation of PI3K and Akt and inactivation of GSK3β, thereby contributing to APC's beneficial effects on cells.
Condensation of FtsZ filaments can drive bacterial cell division
Authors: Lan Ganhui , Daniels Brian R. , Dobrowsky Terrence M. , Wirtz Denis , Sun Sean X.
Published: December 2008

Forces are important in biological systems for accomplishing key cell functions, such as motility, organelle transport, and cell division. Currently, known force generation mechanisms typically involve motor proteins. In bacterial cells, no known motor proteins are involved in cell division. Instead, a division ring (Z-ring) consists of mostly FtsZ, FtsA, and ZipA is used to exerting a contractile force. The mechanism of force generation in bacterial cell division is unknown. Using computational modeling, we show that Z-ring formation results from the colocalization of FtsZ and FtsA mediated by the favorable alignment of FtsZ polymers. The model predicts that the Z-ring undergoes a condensation transition from a low-density state to a high-density state and generates a sufficient contractile force to achieve division. FtsZ GTP hydrolysis facilitates monomer turnover during the condensation transition, but does not directly generate forces. In vivo fluorescence measurements show that FtsZ density increases during division, in accord with model results. The mechanism is akin to van der Waals picture of gas-liquid condensation, and shows that organisms can exploit microphase transitions to generate mechanical forces.
The key role of the surface membrane in why gastropod nacre grows in towers
Authors: Checa Antonio G. , Cartwright Julyan H. E. , Willinger Marc-Georg
Published: December 2008

The nacre of gastropod molluscs is intriguingly stacked in towers. It is covered by a surface membrane, which protects the growing nacre surface from damage when the animal withdraws into its shell. The surface membrane is supplied by vesicles that adhere to it on its mantle side and secretes interlamellar membranes from the nacre side. Nacre tablets rapidly grow in height and later expand sideways; the part of the tablet formed during this initial growth phase is here called the core. During initial growth, the tips of the cores remain permanently submerged within the surface membrane. The interlamellar membranes, which otherwise separate the nacre tablet lamellae, do not extend across cores, which are aligned in stacked tablets forming the tower axis, and thus towers of nacre tablets are continuous along the central axis. We hypothesize that in gastropod nacre growth core formation precedes that of the interlamellar membrane. Once the core is complete, a new interlamellar membrane, which covers the area of the tablet outside the core, detaches from the surface membrane. In this way, the tower-like growth of gastropod nacre becomes comprehensible.
Sic1-induced DNA rereplication during meiosis
Authors: Sawarynski Kara E. , Najor Nicole A. , Kepsel Andrea C. , Brush George S.
Published: December 2008

Orderly progression through meiosis requires strict regulation of DNA metabolic events, so that a single round of DNA replication is systematically followed by a recombination phase and 2 rounds of chromosome segregation. We report here the disruption of this sequence of events in
Saccharomyces cerevisiae
through meiosis-specific induction of the cyclin-dependent kinase (CDK) inhibitor Sic1 mutated at multiple phosphorylation sites. Accumulation of this stabilized version of Sic1 led to significant DNA rereplication in the absence of normal chromosome segregation. Deletion of
DMC1
abolished DNA rereplication, but additional deletion of
RAD17
restored the original phenotype. Therefore, activation of the meiotic recombination checkpoint, which arrests meiotic progression at pachytene, suppressed DNA rereplication resulting from Sic1 stabilization. In contrast to deletion of
DMC1
, deletion of
NDT80
, which encodes a transcription factor required for pachytene exit, did not inhibit DNA rereplication. Our results provide strong evidence that CDK activity is required to prevent inappropriate initiation of DNA synthesis before the meiotic divisions.
The role of PTEN/Akt/PI3K signaling in the maintenance and viability of prostate cancer stem-like cell populations
Authors: Dubrovska Anna , Kim Sungeun , Salamone Richard J. , Walker John R. , Maira Sauveur-Michel , García-Echeverría Carlos , Schultz Peter G. , Reddy Venkateshwar A.
Published: December 2008

Characterization of the molecular pathways that are required for the viability and maintenance of self-renewing tumor-initiating cells may ultimately lead to improved therapies for cancer. In this study, we show that a CD133
+
/CD44
+
population of cells enriched in prostate cancer progenitors (PCaPs) has tumor-initiating potential and that these progenitors can be expanded under nonadherent, serum-free, sphere-forming conditions. Cells grown under these conditions have increased
in vitro
clonogenic and
in vivo
tumorigenic potential. mRNA expression analysis of cells grown under sphere-forming conditions, compared with long-term monolayer cultures, revealed preferential activation of the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway. PI3K p110α and β-protein levels were higher in cells grown under sphere-forming conditions, and phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN) knockdown by shRNA led to an increase in sphere formation as well as increased clonogenic and tumorigenic potential. Similarly, shRNA knockdown of FoxO3a led to an increase in tumorigenic potential. Consistent with these results, inhibition of PI3K activity by the dual PI3K/mTOR inhibitor NVP-BEZ235 led to growth inhibition of PCaPs. Taken together, our data strongly suggest that the PTEN/PI3K/Akt pathways are critical for prostate cancer stem-like cell maintenance and that targeting PI3K signaling may be beneficial in prostate cancer treatment by eliminating prostate cancer stem-like cells.
Challenges and Opportunities in the Treatment of Adolescents with Substance Use Disorder and Suicidal Behavior
Authors: Esposito-Smythers Christianne , Goldston David B.
Published: December 2008

Many youth who present for substance abuse treatment report co-occurring sui-cidality. Therefore, it is important to learn about the characteristics of this population and effective treatment strategies. The purpose of this paper is to provide an overview of some of the key issues that arise when treating youth with substance abuse and co-occurring suicidality and to offer recommendations on how to approach these areas. Specifically, we discuss the potential utility of an integrated approach to treatment, and provide an overview of the characteristics of this treatment population, motivational and treatment engagement issues, the clinical management of suicidality in the context of treatment, and the effect of psychiatric comorbidity on treatment needs. We then discuss school, family, and peer issues that may arise as well as special considerations for the use of urine drug screens with this population. We conclude with recommendations for future treatment development research in this very important area.
Treatment Attendance among Homeless Youth: The Impact of Childhood Abuse and Prior Suicide Attempts
Authors: Slesnick Natasha , Kang Min Ju , Aukward Erin
Published: December 2008

Treatment engagement and retention is a significant challenge for those who serve adolescent substance abusers. Homeless youth are considered especially challenging to engage and maintain in intervention efforts given their lack of residence and range of associated problems. This study examined predictors of treatment attendance and its impact on substance use outcome among a sample of substance abusing homeless youth ( n = 133). Stepwise regression results indicated that a history of sexual abuse and suicide attempts were the two strongest predictors of the treatment attendance rate, higher attendance among those with these histories. Youths who attended greater than 6 treatment sessions showed a significant reduction in alcohol use at post-treatment, but attendance rates did not impact other substance use. Identifying predictors of treatment attendance among this subgroup of adolescents is vital given that much research suggests that treatment attendance alone is associated with better short and long term outcomes.
Does Temperament Moderate Treatment Response in Adolescent Substance Use Disorders?
Authors: Burleson Joseph A. , Kaminer Yifrah
Published: December 2008

To assess whether temperament moderates response to treatment for substance use disorders (SUD), n = 88 consecutively referred adolescents with SUD were randomized to cognitive-behavioral (CBT) or psychoeducational (PET) therapies. Principal components analyses reduced the 10-attribute Dimensions of Temperament Revised (DOTS-R) to three factors (Rhythmicity, Activity/Flexibility, and Mood/Sociability). Three response domains (Alcohol Use, Other Substance Use, and Psychological Function) from the Teen Addiction Severity Index (T-ASI) were assessed at baseline and at 3-month post-treatment completion. There was a significant moderator effect on Treatment only for Rhythmicity on T-ASI Alcohol and Psychological domains. For Alcohol use, for youth with poor levels of Rhythmicity, only PET effected significant improvement, whereas for youth with good levels of Rhythmicity, no treatment differences emerged. For Psychological function, for youth with good levels of Rhythmicity, only CBT effected significant improvement, whereas for youth with poor levels of Rhythmicity, no treatment differences emerged. Implications of these findings are discussed.
Medical Consequences of Drug Abuse and Co-Occurring Infections
Authors: Khalsa Jag H. , Treisman Glenn , McCance-Katz Elinore , Tedaldi Ellen
Published: December 2008

Substance abuse still remains one of the major problems in the world today, with millions of people abusing legal and illegal drugs. In addition, a billion people may also be infected with one or more infections. Both drugs of abuse and infections are associated with enormous burden of social, economic, and health consequences. This article briefly discusses a few medical consequences of drugs of abuse and infections such as human immunodeficiency virus, hepatitis C virus, psychiatric complications in hepatitis C infection, pharmacokinetic drug–drug interactions among medications used in the treatment of addiction and infections, and new drugs in development for the treatment of infections. Research is encouraged to study interactions between infections, drugs of abuse, and underlying pathophysiologic and molecular/genetic mechanisms of these interactions.
The Therapeutic Community: An International Perspective
Authors: Bunt Gregory C. , Muehlbach Britta , Moed Claire O.
Published: December 2008

The Therapeutic Community (TC) for drug-free substance abuse treatment can be found in more than 65 countries around the world, reflecting the global scope of substance abuse and addiction. This article describes some of the historical developments from an American-based to an international treatment model with professional associations on every continent. Possibly the two most important TC principles are outlined; i.e., the role of the treatment community as the primary agent of client change and the distinct therapeutic structure. While these two principles define the TC and can be found in programs around the world, the model leaves sufficient room to adapt practices and interventions to the respective culture. Examples of cultural adaptations are briefly described in this article.
A Review of Systems for Continued Education and Training in the Substance Abuse Field
Authors: Uchtenhagen Ambros , Stamm René , Huber Jakob , Vuille Rodolphe
Published: December 2008

Continued education of professionals is a major factor for service improvement and evidence-based good practice. This project explores the strategies used for this purpose across countries (CET = continued education and training in the substance abuse field). A structured questionnaire was circulated internationally by an expert committee of the Swiss Federal Office of Public Health. Reports from 11 countries were collected in 2005. The following review is based on these reports and structured according to the questionnaire (questions in italics). The authors of the reports are listed in the acknowledgements. The countries are Australia, Austria, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, The Netherlands, Scotland, Switzerland, and the United States. As a result of this project, an international think tank on continued education and training was established and is briefly described.
Treating Addiction with Tunes: A Systematic Review of Music Therapy for the Treatment of Patients with Addictions
Authors: Mays Kara L. , Clark David L. , Gordon Adam J.
Published: December 2008

Music therapy is the use of musical interventions in a therapeutic setting to accomplish health-related goals. Descriptions of music therapy exist in the peer-reviewed literature and indicate potential use of music therapy in treatment of patients with addiction disorders. This systematic review describes and compares the types of music therapy demonstrated in the literature and evaluates the evidence that music therapy improves outcomes of patients with addictions. A search and critical review of all the existing published literature on music therapy for the treatment of addictions was conducted using online databases and secondary search strategies. Few studies quantitatively assess the use of music therapy in the treatment of patients with addictions. Music listening provided by music therapists is commonly studied. Music therapy sessions reported were additive, not independent, treatment modalities. In the literature, no consensus exists regarding of the efficacy of music therapy as treatment for patients with addictions.
Analysis of the LIF Spectroscopy of Nickel Hydride in 1900021400 cm1
Authors: Guo Jing-ru , Wang Ting-ting , Zhang Zhao-xia , Chen Cong-xiang , Chen Yang
Published: December 2008

The laser-induced fluorescence (LIF) excitation spectrum of NiH was recorded in the spectral region from 15000 cm1 to 21400 cm1, with the NiH molecules produced by the reaction of sputtered nickel atoms with methanol under supersonic jet conditions. The 1900021400 cm1 portion of the spectrum of NiH is reported for the first time. Twenty-four bands were observed and classified into seven electronic transitions. Every band was rotationally analyzed. Higher vibrational levels of many excited states, A, B, D, E, F, and G, were observed and the complete set of spectroscopic parameters, vibrational frequency, unharmonic constant, rotational constant, and equilibrium length of these states were obtained. Some bands were reassigned.
Coherent Resonance for Rate Oscillations During CO Oxidation on Pt(110) Surfaces: Interplay Between Internal and External Noise
Authors: Ma Juan , Hou Zhong-huai , Xin Hou-wen
Published: December 2008

Effects of noise on rate oscillations during CO oxidation on Pt(110) surface were investigated, both theoretically and numerically, by focusing on the interplay of internal noise (IN) due to stochasticity in reaction events, and external noise (EN) resulting from parameter perturbation. The surface is divided into cells of variable size which are assumed to be well mixed, and we consider the behavior inside a single cell. Attention is paid to parameter regions subthreshold of the deterministic Hopf bifurcation, where noise can induce stochastic oscillations, the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of which shows a maximum with the variation of noise intensity, known as coherent resonance (CR). By stochastic normal theory, we show that IN and EN contribute in a weighted additive way to an effective noise that lead to CR, such that SNR shows a ridge shape in the D-1/ (see PDF) plane, where D and 1/ (see PDF) measures the strength of EN and IN, respectively. It is shown that for too large IN (EN), CR behavior with EN (IN) no longer exists. Numerical simulations show good agreements with the theoretical results.
Synthesis and Luminescent Properties of Nano-scale Y2Si2O7:Re3+ (Re=Eu, Tb) Phosphors via Sol-Gel Method
Authors: Li Yong , You Bao-gui , Zhao Wei , Zhang Wei-ping , Yin Min
Published: December 2008

By using metal nitrates as starting materials and citric acid as a complexing agent, Y2Si2O7:Re3+ (Re=Eu, Tb) phosphors were prepared by a sol-gel method. X-ray diffraction was employed to characterize the resulting samples. The results of XRD indicate that the -Y2Si2O7 nanocrystal with size of 27 nm is obtained at 1000 C and the doping ion content does not influence the structure. The excitation spectra in the UV and VUV ranges and the emission spectra of Re3+ doped samples were measured. The excitation spectra in the VUV range is due to absorption of host, that in the UV range is ascribed to absorption transitions from 4f to 5d state of the Tb3+ and the charge transfer in the Eu3+O2 bond. The spectral energy distribution of the Tb3+ emission depends strongly on the Tb3+ concentration. The dependence of photoluminescence intensity on Re3+ concentration is also discussed in detail. The fluorescent decay curves at room temperature were measured and analyzed.
Effect of Cation Proportion on the Structural and Magnetic Properties of Ni-Zn Ferrites Nano-Size Particles Prepared By Co-Precipitation Technique
Authors: Jadhav Santosh S. , Shirsath Sagar E. , G. Toksha B. , J. Shukla S. , M. Jadhav K.
Published: December 2008

Ferrites having general formula Ni1xZnxFe2O4 with x = 0.0, 0.1, 0.2, 0.3, 0.4, 0.5, 0.6, and 0.7 were prepared by wet chemical co-precipitation method. The structural and magnetic properties were studied by means of X-ray diffraction, magnetization, and AC susceptibility measurements. The X-ray analysis confirmed the single-phase formation of the samples. The lattice parameter obtained from XRD data was found to increase with Zn content x. The cation distribution was studied by X-ray intensity ratio calculations. Magnetization results exhibit collinear ferrimagnetic structure for x 0.4, and which changes to non-collinear for x>0.4. Curie temperature TC obtained from AC susceptibility data decreases with increasing x.
The E3 Ubiquitin Ligase Atrophin Interacting Protein 4 Binds Directly To The Chemokine Receptor CXCR4 Via a Novel WW Domain-mediated Interaction
Authors: Bhandari Deepali , Robia Seth L. , Marchese Adriano
Published: December 2008

The E3 ubiquitin ligase atrophin interacting protein 4 (AIP4) mediates ubiquitination and down-regulation of the chemokine receptor CXCR4. AIP4 belongs to the Nedd4-like homologous to E6-AP carboxy terminus domain family of E3 ubiquitin ligases, which typically bind proline-rich motifs within target proteins via the WW domains. The intracellular domains of CXCR4 lack canonical WW domain binding motifs; thus, whether AIP4 is targeted to CXCR4 directly or indirectly via an adaptor protein remains unknown. Here, we show that AIP4 can interact directly with CXCR4 via a novel noncanonical WW domain-mediated interaction involving serine residues 324 and 325 within the carboxy-terminal tail of CXCR4. These serine residues are critical for mediating agonist-promoted binding of AIP4 and subsequent ubiquitination and degradation of CXCR4. These residues are phosphorylated upon agonist activation and phosphomimetic mutants show enhanced binding to AIP4, suggesting a mechanism whereby phosphorylation mediates the interaction between CXCR4 and AIP4. Our data reveal a novel noncanonical WW domain-mediated interaction involving phosphorylated serine residues in the absence of any proline residues and suggest a novel mechanism whereby an E3 ubiquitin ligase is targeted directly to an activated G protein-coupled receptor.
The Subcellular Distribution of an RNA Quality Control Protein, the Ro Autoantigen, Is Regulated by Noncoding Y RNA Binding
Authors: Sim Soyeong , Weinberg David E. , Fuchs Gabriele , Choi Keum , Chung Jina , Wolin Sandra L.
Published: December 2008

The Ro autoantigen is a ring-shaped RNA-binding protein that binds misfolded RNAs in nuclei and is proposed to function in quality control. In the cytoplasm, Ro binds noncoding RNAs, called Y RNAs, that inhibit access of Ro to other RNAs. Ro also assists survival of mammalian cells and at least one bacterium after UV irradiation. In mammals, Ro undergoes dramatic localization changes after UV irradiation, changing from mostly cytoplasmic to predominantly nuclear. Here, we report that a second role of Y RNAs is to regulate the subcellular distribution of Ro. A mutant Ro protein that does not bind Y RNAs accumulates in nuclei. Ro also localizes to nuclei when Y RNAs are depleted. By assaying chimeric proteins in which portions of mouse Ro were replaced with bacterial Ro sequences, we show that nuclear accumulation of Ro after irradiation requires sequences that overlap the Y RNA binding site. Ro also accumulates in nuclei after oxidative stress, and similar sequences are required. Together, these data reveal that Ro contains a signal for nuclear accumulation that is masked by a bound Y RNA and suggest that Y RNA binding may be modulated during cell stress.
Biofilm formation by group A Streptococcus: a role for the streptococcal regulator of virulence (Srv) and streptococcal cysteine protease (SpeB)
Authors: Doern Christopher D. , Roberts Amity L. , Hong Wenzhou , Nelson Jessica , Lukomski Slawomir , Swords William E. , Reid Sean D.
Published: December 2008

Recently, biofilms have become a topic of interest in the study of the human pathogen group A Streptococcus (GAS). In this study, we sought to learn more about the make-up of these structures and gain insight into biofilm regulation. Enzymic studies indicated that biofilm formation by GAS strain MGAS5005 required an extracellular protein and DNA component(s). Previous results indicated that inactivation of the transcriptional regulator Srv in MGAS5005 resulted in a significant decrease in virulence. Here, inactivation of Srv also resulted in a significant decrease in biofilm formation under both static and flow conditions. Given that production of the extracellular cysteine protease SpeB is increased in the srv mutant, we tested the hypothesis that increased levels of active SpeB may be responsible for the reduction in biofilm formation. Western immunoblot analysis indicated that SpeB was absent from MGAS5005 biofilms. Complementation of MGAS5005Δsrv restored the biofilm phenotype and eliminated the overproduction of active SpeB. Inhibition of SpeB with E64 also restored the MGAS5005Δsrv biofilm to wild-type levels.
Deletion of tolA in Salmonella Typhimurium generates an attenuated strain with vaccine potential
Authors: Paterson G. K. , Northen H. , Cone D. B. , Willers C. , Peters S. E. , Maskell D. J.
Published: December 2008

The Gram-negative Tol-Pal system of envelope proteins plays a key role in maintaining outer membrane integrity and contributes to the virulence of several pathogens. We have investigated the role of one of these proteins, TolA, in the biology of Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium. Deletion of tolA rendered strain SL1344 more susceptible to killing by bile and human serum. In addition the mutant had impaired membrane integrity and displayed alterations in LPS production. The tolA mutant was highly attenuated in mouse infections via the oral and intravenous routes. Importantly, each phenotype displayed by the mutant was complemented by provision of tolA
in trans. The tolA gene therefore contributes to virulence, membrane integrity, LPS production and bile and serum resistance in S. enterica serovar Typhimurium SL1344. Finally, immunization with the tolA mutant provided significant protection against subsequent challenge with wild-type SL1344. The Tol-Pal system is therefore a potential target in the development of novel attenuated live vaccines against Salmonella and other Gram-negative pathogens.
hag expression in Bacillus subtilis is both negatively and positively regulated by ScoC
Authors: Kodgire Prashant , Rao K. Krishnamurthy
Published: December 2008

InBacillus subtilis, motility and chemotaxis require the expression ofhag, which encodes flagellin. This gene is transcribed by theσDform of RNA polymerase and is regulated by a group of proteins called transition state regulators (TSRs). Our studies show thathagtranscription is negatively regulated by the transition state regulator ScoC, by binding to its promoter. Furthermore, ScoC, indirectly, also positively regulateshagby increasing the availability ofσDby downregulating the levels of the anti-σD-factor FlgM. We further show that the positive regulation by ScoC predominates over the negative regulation.
In vivo measurement of cytosolic and mitochondrial pH using a pH-sensitive GFP derivative in Saccharomyces cerevisiae reveals a relation between intracellular pH and growth
Authors: Orij Rick , Postmus Jarne , Ter Beek Alex , Brul Stanley , Smits Gertien J.
Published: December 2008

The specific pH values of cellular compartments affect virtually all biochemical processes, including enzyme activity, protein folding and redox state. Accurate, sensitive and compartment-specific measurements of intracellular pH (pHi) dynamics in living cells are therefore crucial to the understanding of stress response and adaptation. We used the pH-sensitive GFP derivative ‘ratiometric pHluorin’ expressed in the cytosol and in the mitochondrial matrix of growingSaccharomyces cerevisiaeto assess the variation in cytosolic pH (pHcyt) and mitochondrial pH (pHmit) in response to nutrient availability, respiratory chain activity, shifts in environmental pH and stress induced by addition of sorbic acid. Thein vivomeasurement allowed accurate determination of organelle-specific pH, determining a constant pHcytof 7.2 and a constant pHmitof 7.5 in cells exponentially growing on glucose. We show that pHcytand pHmitare differentially regulated by carbon source and respiratory chain inhibitors. Upon glucose starvation or sorbic acid stress, pHidecrease coincided with growth stasis. Additionally, pHiand growth coincided similarly in recovery after addition of glucose to glucose-starved cultures or after recovery from a sorbic acid pulse. We suggest a relation between pHiand cellular energy generation, and therefore a relation between pHiand growth.