bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Modified signal-to-noise: a new simple and practical gene filtering approach based on the concept of projective adaptive resonance theory (PART) filtering method
Authors: Takahashi Hiro , Honda Hiroyuki
Published: April 2006

Summary: Considering the recent advances in and the benefits of DNA microarray technologies, many gene filtering approaches have been employed for the diagnosis and prognosis of diseases. In our previous study, we developed a new filtering method, namely, the projective adaptive resonance theory (PART) filtering method. This method was effective in subclass discrimination. In the PART algorithm, the genes with a low variance in gene expression in either class, not both classes, were selected as important genes for modeling. Based on this concept, we developed novel simple filtering methods such as modified signal-to-noise (S2N′) in the present study. The discrimination model constructed using these methods showed higher accuracy with higher reproducibility as compared with many conventional filtering methods, including the t-test, S2N, NSC and SAM. The reproducibility of prediction was evaluated based on the correlation between the sets of U-test p-values on randomly divided datasets. With respect to leukemia, lymphoma and breast cancer, the correlation was high; a difference of >0.13 was obtained by the constructed model by using <50 genes selected by S2N′. Improvement was higher in the smaller genes and such higher correlation was observed when t-test, NSC and SAM were used. These results suggest that these modified methods, such as S2N′, have high potential to function as new methods for marker gene selection in cancer diagnosis using DNA microarray data.

Availability: Software is available upon request.

Contact:  honda@nubio.nagoya-ac.jp

Supplementary information: Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
Influence of surface layer on properties of hipped Ti–6Al–4V
Authors: Davidson A. , Zhang K. , Yuan W. , Mei J. , Hurley P. , Bache M. R. , Loretto M. H. , Voice W. E. , Wu X. H.
Published: April 2006

The nature of the surface region formed between Ti–6Al–4V and the mild steel tooling used to define the shape of net shape hot isostatically pressed (hipped) Ti–6Al–4V components has been evaluated. The surface topography has been assessed and analytical scanning electron microscopy (SEM) has been used to define the local changes in composition obtained under several hipping conditions. The tensile and fatigue properties of net shape hipped samples of Ti–6Al–4V have been compared with those obtained from samples produced by machining samples from larger hipped cylinders so that the surface layer is removed. The as hipped surface is irregular on the scale of the original powder particles and a 150 μm thick diffusion layer is produced under the standard hipping conditions. It has been found that the tensile properties of samples with the as hipped or machined surfaces are very similar. The fatigue limits of samples which were tested with the as hipped surface were significantly below those of samples which were machined to remove the as hipped surface. Electropolishing the as hipped samples to a depth of ∼150 μm leads to fatigue properties which are slightly higher than the properties of machined samples. These results are discussed in terms of the failure mechanisms during fatigue and issues in the production of net shape hipped products.
Strain rate and temperature dependence of dynamic shear properties of Al–Sc alloy
Authors: Lee W.-S. , Lin Y.-C.
Published: April 2006

The dynamic shear deformation behaviour and fracture characteristics of Al–Sc alloy are studied using a split Hopkinson torsional bar at shear strain rates of 800, 1800 and 2800 s−1 and at temperatures of −150, 25 and 300°C. The experimental results indicate that the shear strain, shear strain rate and temperature all have a significant influence on the mechanical properties of the alloy. At constant temperature, the flow shear stress, fracture shear strain, work hardening rate, yield shear strength, work hardening coefficient, strain rate sensitivity and temperature sensitivity increase with increasing strain rate, while the activation energy decreases. Meanwhile, under a constant strain rate, the flow shear stress, work hardening rate, yielding shear strength, work hardening coefficient, strain rate sensitivity and temperature sensitivity decrease with increasing temperature while the fracture shear strain and activation energy increase. The Kobayashi and Dodd constitutive equation accurately describes the high strain rate shear plastic behaviour of Al–Sc alloy under the current test conditions. The fracture surfaces are characterised by transgranular dimpled features, which are indicative of ductile fracture. The appearance and density of these dimples are significantly dependent on the strain rate and temperature. The fracture surfaces of the gauge length section of the deformed specimen are twisted into band like features as a result of intensive localised shear deformation. This provides clear evidence of ‘deformed’ type shear bands. The width and microhardness of the shear band change with strain rate and temperature as a result of different work hardening effects. Specimen fracture initiates at the Al3Sc precipitate/matrix interface. The presence of precipitates accelerates the dynamic shear fracture formation through microcracking.
Influence of Staging, Mean Cell Residence Time, and Thermophilic Temperature on the Thermophilic Anaerobic Digestion Process
Authors: Gray (Gabb) Donald M.D. , Hake John M. , Ghosh Sambhunath
Published: April 2006

As Class B biosolids land application has become less acceptable to many local jurisdictions, low‐cost processes to achieve Class A standards have become more popular. Prominent among these low‐cost processes is thermophilic anaerobic digestion. As a result, thermophilic anaerobic digestion is now a popular topic in wastewater treatment literature, but quantifiable methods for selecting a particular thermophilic process have not been offered. To provide for this need, an empirical model was developed from data collected in thermophilic anaerobic digestion studies conducted using East Bay Municipal Utility District's (Oakland, California) primary and waste activated sludge to feed both bench‐ and full‐scale digesters. The model predicts at which thermophilic temperature and mean cell residence time (MCRT) one process will outperform or equal another, with respect to fecal coliform reduction. The different disinfection efficiencies in the different thermophilic processes might be explained by the presence or absence of high volatile acid and/or un‐ionized ammonia levels in the processes' digested sludges. Data from these studies also show an apparent relationship between increased thermophilic temperatures and volatile solids destruction, and between increased temperatures and specific volatile acids production, for digesters operating at a 13‐day MCRT and higher, but not for digesters operating at a 2‐day MCRT.
The Second Review Conference of the 1980 Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons
Authors: Kaye David , Solomon Steven A.
Published: April 2006

The United Nations Convention on Conventional Weapons (CCW) of 1980 regulates the use in armed conflict of certain conventional arms deemed to cause excessive suffering to combatants or indiscriminate harm to civilian populations. In December 2001, CCW high contracting parties concluded a Second Review Conference of the Convention in Geneva. Unlike the First Review Conference of 1995-1996, which focused on land mines and blinding laser weapons, the Second Review Conference attracted modest public and media attention. This difference was due in part to the fact that the conference principally focused on an improvement of the Convention thatwasjuridicalin nature, lacking an “optical” quality typically associated with proposals to restrict particular weapon systems. Even so, the conference generated substantial governmental interest and a remarkable development in international humanitarian law: expansion of the scope of application of the Convention, previously limited to conflicts between sovereign states, to noninternational armed conflicts. This expanded scope, if widely observed, should influence the use of particular weapons in internal armed conflicts. More important, the expansion reinforces the trend toward reducing the distinction between international and noninternational armed conflicts for purposes of the rules governing the conduct of hostilities. This trend carries implications both for which weapons are used in warfare and how, and for the international criminalization of violations of the rules of noninternational armed conflict.
Law and Force After Iraq: A Transitional Moment
Authors: Stromseth Jane E.
Published: April 2006

What impact will the Iraq war of 2003 have on international law governing the use of force and on the future of the United Nations Security Council? Some commentators have proclaimed that the military intervention led by the United States amounted to the “death” of the UN Charter and the end of “the grand attempt to subject the use of force to the rule of law.” The Security Council’s failure to reach agreement—in die face of French-U.S. antagonisms—spells the end, they argue, of an effective Council role in addressing major threats to peace and security. My own view is that it is premature to pronounce the “death” of the UN Charter or to give up on future prospects for Security Council agreement on the use of force. We are, nevertheless, at a difficult and precarious transitional moment in the international legal system governing the use of force, and the stark tensions reflected in the differences over Iraq are symptomatic of hard problems that may persist for the foreseeable future. Both the rules and the system need refining and reform. Success in doing so will require imagination and much greater willingness by policy makers to consider law’s potential role, not as a barrier to necessary action, but as a means to enhance global security in the face of emerging threats. In seeking such reform, it will be important to build upon the realism of the Charter’s founders, who combined rules governing the use of force with a clear commitment to credible enforcement action in response to threats to peace and security.
The Thromboxane Receptor Antagonist S18886 Attenuates Renal Oxidant Stress and Proteinuria in Diabetic Apolipoprotein E-Deficient Mice
Authors: Xu Shanqin , Jiang Bingbing , Maitland Karlene A. , Bayat Hossein , Gu Jiali , Nadler Jerry L. , Corda Stefano , Lavielle Gilbert , Verbeuren Tony J. , Zuccollo Adriana , Cohen Richard A.
Published: April 2006

Arachidonic acid metabolites, some of which may activate thromboxane A2 receptors (TPr) and contribute to the development of diabetes complications, including nephropathy, are elevated in diabetes. This study determined the effect of blocking TPr with S18886 or inhibiting cyclooxygenase with aspirin on oxidative stress and the early stages of nephropathy in streptozotocin-induced diabetic apolipoprotein E−/− mice. Diabetic mice were treated with S18886 (5 mg · kg−1 · day−1) or aspirin (30 mg · kg−1 · day−1) for 6 weeks. Neither S18886 nor aspirin affected hyperglycemia or hypercholesterolemia. There was intense immunohistochemical staining for nitrotyrosine in diabetic mouse kidney. In addition, a decrease in manganese superoxide dismutase (MnSOD) activity was associated with an increase in MnSOD tyrosine-34 nitration. Tyrosine nitration was significantly reduced by S18886 but not by aspirin. Staining for the NADPH oxidase subunit p47phox, inducible nitric oxide synthase, and 12-lipoxygenase was increased in diabetic mouse kidney, as were urine levels of 12-hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acid and 8-iso-prostaglandin F2α. S18886 attenuated all of these markers of oxidant stress and inflammation. Furthermore, S18886 significantly attenuated microalbuminuria in diabetic mice and ameliorated histological evidence of diabetic nephropathy, including transforming growth factor-β and extracellular matrix expression. Thus, in contrast to inhibiting cyclooxygenase, blockade of TPr may have therapeutic potential in diabetic nephropathy, in part by attenuating oxidative stress.
Craniofacial, Craniocervical, and Pharyngeal Morphology in Bilateral Cleft Lip and Palate and Obstructive Sleep Apnea Patients
Authors: Oosterkamp Barbara C. M. , Remmelink Hendrik J. , Pruim Gerard J. , Hoekema Aarnoud , Dijkstra Pieter U.
Published: April 2006

Objective:

The aim of this study was to analyze craniofacial, craniocervical, and pharyngeal morphology in surgically treated bilateral cleft lip and palate (BCLP) men, untreated men with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), and a reference group of men.

Subjects and methods:

Lateral cephalograms were obtained of 27 male BCLP patients (mean age 29.0 ± 8.3 years), 27 untreated male OSA patients (mean age 38.6 ± 5.3 years), and 27 male controls serving as a reference group (mean age 30.8 ± 9.2 years). Tracings were made, and 26 variables representing craniofacial, craniocervical, and pharyngeal dimensions were obtained using Viewbox 3.1.1.6. software. The groups were compared using a one-way analysis of variance.

Results:

Craniofacial, craniocervical, and pharyngeal morphology of BCLP and OSA patients was similar except for a significantly more retrusive maxilla in the BCLP group. Compared to the reference group, the BCLP and OSA groups had significantly larger craniocervical angulations, smaller depth of the oropharynx at the tip of the velum, and a more inferiorly positioned hyoid bone. Significantly larger vertical dimensions were found in the BCLP group compared to the reference group.

Conclusions:

Craniofacial, craniocervical, and pharyngeal morphology of BCLP and OSA patients demonstrate substantial similarities except for a significantly more retrusive maxilla in the BCLP group. It is suggested that airway obstruction and postural adaptation to the obstruction may possibly be related to the aberrant craniofacial, craniocervical, and pharyngeal morphology in OSA and in BCLP patients.
Famine Crimes in International Law
Authors: Marcus David
Published: April 2006

Some of the worst human rights catastrophes of the twentieth century were famines created or manipulated by governments. In 1932 at least five million Ukrainians starved to death, while hunger was largely unknown across the border in Russia.The Soviet government imposed disastrous grain quotas on the Ukraine, then let its own citizens literally collapse in the streets while it exported grain to further its “revolutionary” objectives.The Ethiopian famine of 1983-1985, preserved in popular memory as a natural disaster of biblical proportions, most fiercely struck those parts of the country that harbored irredentist movements. In a stunning, but telling, rejoinder to international pity for the purportedly hapless Ethiopian government, the Ethiopian foreign minister told a U.S. chargé d’affaires that “food is a major element in our strategy against the secessionists.” Since 1994, more than two million out of a population of twenty-two million in North Korea have starved to death, while South Koreans, affected by similar weather patterns, have remained completely untouched by famine. Nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), trying to distribute aid earmarked for famine victims, have watched helplessly as the government callously interfered and have arrived at the conclusion that “the authorities are deliberately depriving hundreds of thousands of truly needy Koreans of assistance.”
Republic of South Africa v. Grootboom. Case No. CCT 11/00. 2000 (11) BCLR 1169 and Minister of Health v. Treatment Action Campaign. Case No. CCT 8/02
Authors: Caron David D. , Fitzpatrick Joan , Slye Ron C.
Published: April 2006

Republic of South Africa v. Grootboom. Case No. CCT 11/00. 2000 (11) BCLR 1169. Constitutional Court of South Africa, October 4, 2000.

Minister of Health v. Treatment Action Campaign. Case No. CCT 8/02. At .

Constitutional Court of South Africa, July 5, 2002.

Two cases decided by the Constitutional Court of South Africa in 2000 and 2002 implement several economic, social, and cultural rights guaranteed by the Constitution of South Africa. The decisions illuminate the role in such reasoning of human rights treaties to which South Africa is a state party or a signatory. They also analyze General Comment No. 3 of die UN Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (Committee). These cases, Republic of South Africa v. Grootboom, decided October 4,2000, and Minister of Health v. Treatment Action Campaign, decided July 5, 2002, illuminate questions concerning both die jusdciability of economic, social, and cultural rights—at least as incorporated into Soudi Africa's Bill of Rights, sections 7 through 39 of its Constitution—and the concept of “minimum core obligations” as developed by the Committee.
Climatological study of GPS total electron content variations caused by medium‐scale traveling ionospheric disturbances
Authors: Kotake N. , Otsuka Y. , Tsugawa T. , Ogawa T. , Saito A.
Published: April 2006

Using global positioning system (GPS) data taken from the International GNSS Service (IGS), we investigated total electron content (TEC) perturbations associated with medium‐scale traveling ionospheric disturbances (MSTIDs). We analyzed TEC data taken from four or five GPS receivers in each of six regions (Japan, Europe, eastern United States, western United States, Australia, and South America) in 3 years (1998, 2000, and 2001). To derive perturbation components of TEC (I′), we subtracted the 1‐hour running average form the time sequence of TEC for each satellite–receiver pair. Standard deviation of I′ within 1 hour, δI, was calculated every hour, and MSTIDs activity were defined as δI/, where is the 1‐hour average of absolute vertical TEC. We found that MSTIDs activity during daytime is different from that during nighttime with respect to seasonal, solar activity, longitudinal, and latitudinal dependences. Daytime MSTIDs activity are high in winter in all six regions. On the other hand, seasonal variation of nighttime MSTIDs activity is coupled with its longitudinal variation. In the Japanese and Australian longitudinal sector, nighttime MSTIDs are most active near the June solstice, whereas it is most active near the December solstice in the European longitudinal sector. Nighttime MSTIDs activity at the Japanese and Australian longitudinal sector shows negative correlation with solar activity, whereas solar activity dependence is not seen in daytime MSTIDs activity. These results suggest that mechanisms causing MSTIDs could be different between daytime and nighttime.
Microsaccades are triggered by low retinal image slip
Authors: Engbert Ralf , Mergenthaler Konstantin
Published: April 2006

Even during visual fixation of a stationary target, our eyes perform rather erratic miniature movements, which represent a random walk. These “fixational” eye movements counteract perceptual fading, a consequence of fast adaptation of the retinal receptor systems to constant input. The most important contribution to fixational eye movements is produced by microsaccades; however, a specific function of microsaccades only recently has been found. Here we show that the occurrence of microsaccades is correlated with low retinal image slip ≈200 ms before microsaccade onset. This result suggests that microsaccades are triggered dynamically, in contrast to the current view that microsaccades are randomly distributed in time characterized by their rate-of-occurrence of 1 to 2 per second. As a result of the dynamic triggering mechanism, individual microsaccade rate can be predicted by the fractal dimension of trajectories. Finally, we propose a minimal computational model for the dynamic triggering of microsaccades.
Time-resolved vibrational spectroscopy detects protein-based intermediates in the photosynthetic oxygen-evolving cycle
Authors: Barry Bridgette A. , Cooper Ian B. , De Riso Antonio , Brewer Scott H. , Vu Dung M. , Dyer R. Brian
Published: April 2006

Photosynthetic oxygen production by photosystem II (PSII) is responsible for the maintenance of aerobic life on earth. The production of oxygen occurs at the PSII oxygen-evolving complex (OEC), which contains a tetranuclear manganese (Mn) cluster. Photo-induced electron transfer events in the reaction center lead to the accumulation of oxidizing equivalents on the OEC. Four sequential photooxidation reactions are required for oxygen production. The oxidizing complex cycles among five oxidation states, called the Snstates, wherenrefers to the number of oxidizing equivalents stored. Oxygen release occurs during the S3-to-S0transition from an unstable intermediate, known as the S4state. In this report, we present data providing evidence for the production of an intermediate during each S state transition. These protein-derived intermediates are produced on the microsecond to millisecond time scale and are detected by time-resolved vibrational spectroscopy on the microsecond time scale. Our results suggest that a protein-derived conformational change or proton transfer reaction precedes Mn redox reactions during the S2-to-S3and S3-to-S0transitions.
An integrated approach for risk profiling and spatial prediction of
Schistosoma mansoni
–hookworm coinfection
Authors: Raso Giovanna , Vounatsou Penelope , Singer Burton H. , N′Goran Eliézer K. , Tanner Marcel , Utzinger Jürg
Published: April 2006

Multiple-species parasitic infections are pervasive in the developing world, yet resources for their control are scarce. We present an integrated approach for risk profiling and spatial prediction of coinfection with
Schistosoma mansoni
and hookworm for western Côte d’Ivoire. Our approach combines demographic, environmental, and socioeconomic data; incorporates them into a geographic information system; and employs spatial statistics. Demographic and socioeconomic data were obtained from education registries and from a questionnaire administered to schoolchildren. Environmental data were derived from remotely sensed satellite images and digitized ground maps. Parasitologic data, obtained from fecal examination by using two different diagnostic approaches, served as the outcome measure. Bayesian variogram models were used to assess risk factors and spatial variation of
S. mansoni
–hookworm coinfection in relation to demographic, environmental, and socioeconomic variables. Coinfections were found in 680 of 3,578 schoolchildren (19.0%) with complete data records. The prevalence of monoinfections with either hookworm or
S. mansoni
was 24.3% and 24.1%, respectively. Multinomial Bayesian spatial models showed that age, sex, socioeconomic status, and elevation were good predictors for the spatial distribution of
S. mansoni
–hookworm coinfection. We conclude that our integrated approach, employing a diversity of data sources, geographic information system and remote sensing technologies, and Bayesian spatial statistics, is a powerful tool for risk profiling and spatial prediction of
S. mansoni
–hookworm coinfection. More generally, this approach facilitates risk mapping and prediction of other parasite combinations and multiparasitism, and hence can guide integrated disease control programs in resource-constrained settings.
Exploiting indirect neighbours and topological weight to predict protein function from protein–protein interactions
Authors: Chua Hon Nian , Sung Wing-Kin , Wong Limsoon
Published: April 2006

Motivation: Most approaches in predicting protein function from protein–protein interaction data utilize the observation that a protein often share functions with proteins that interacts with it (its level-1 neighbours). However, proteins that interact with the same proteins (i.e. level-2 neighbours) may also have a greater likelihood of sharing similar physical or biochemical characteristics. We speculate that functional similarity between a protein and its neighbours from the two different levels arise from two distinct forms of functional association, and a protein is likely to share functions with its level-1 and/or level-2 neighbours. We are interested in finding out how significant is functional association between level-2 neighbours and how they can be exploited for protein function prediction.

Results: We made a statistical study on recent interaction data and observed that functional association between level-2 neighbours is clearly observable. A substantial number of proteins are observed to share functions with level-2 neighbours but not with level-1 neighbours. We develop an algorithm that predicts the functions of a protein in two steps: (1) assign a weight to each of its level-1 and level-2 neighbours by estimating its functional similarity with the protein using the local topology of the interaction network as well as the reliability of experimental sources and (2) scoring each function based on its weighted frequency in these neighbours. Using leave-one-out cross validation, we compare the performance of our method against that of several other existing approaches and show that our method performs relatively well.

Contact:  g0306417@nus.edu.sg
Molecular complexes at a glance: automated generation of two-dimensional complex diagrams
Authors: Stierand Katrin , Maaß Patrick C. , Rarey Matthias
Published: April 2006

Motivation: In this paper a new algorithmic approach is presented, which automatically generates structure diagrams of molecular complexes. A complex diagram contains the ligand, the amino acids of the protein interacting with the ligand and the hydrophilic interactions schematized as dashed lines between the corresponding atoms. The algorithm is based on a combinatorial optimization strategy which solves parts of the layout problem non-heuristically. The depicted molecules are represented as structure diagrams according to the chemical nomenclature. Due to the frequent usage of complex diagrams in the scientific literature as well as in text books dealing with structural biology, biochemistry and medicinal chemistry, the new algorithm is a key element for computer applications in these areas.

Results: The method was implemented in the new software tool PoseView. It was tested on a representative dataset containing 305 protein–ligand complexes in total from the Brookhaven Protein Data Bank. PoseView was able to find collision-free layouts for more than three quarters of all complexes. In the following the layout generation algorithm is presented and, additional to the statistical results, representative test cases demonstrating the challenges of the layout generation will be discussed.

Availability: The method is available as a webservice at

Contact:  rarey@zbh.uni-hamburg.de
Partial expression defect for the SCN5A missense mutation G1406R depends on splice variant background Q1077 and rescue by mexiletine
Authors: Tan Bi-Hua , Valdivia Carmen R. , Song Chunhua , Makielski Jonathan C.
Published: April 2006

Mutations in the cardiac Na+ channel gene SCN5A cause loss of function and underlie arrhythmia syndromes. SCN5A in humans has two splice variants, one lacking a glutamine at position 1077 (Q1077del) and one containing Q1077. We investigated the effect of splice variant background on loss of function and rescue for G1406R, a mutation reported to cause Brugada syndrome. Mutant and wild-type (WT) channels in both backgrounds were transfected into HEK-293 cells and incubated for up to 72 h with and without mexiletine. At 8 h, neither current nor cell surface expression was observed for the mutant in either background, but both were present in WT channels. At 24 h, small (<10% compared with WT) currents were noted and accompanied by cell surface expression. At 48 h, current density was ∼40% of WT channels for the mutant in the Q1077del variant background but remained at <10% of WT channels in Q1077. Current levels were stable by 72 h. Coexpression with β1- or β3-subunits or insertion of the polymorphism H558R in the background did not significantly affect current expression. Mexiletine restored current density of the mutant channel in both backgrounds to nearly WT levels. The mutant channels also showed a negative shift in inactivation, slower recovery, and enhanced slow inactivation, consistent with a loss of function phenotype. These data show that a trafficking defect may be partial and time dependent and may differ with the splice variant background. Also, expression defects and gating abnormalities may contribute to loss of function for the same mutation.
Endothelial dysfunction: a multifaceted disorder (The Wiggers Award Lecture)
Authors: Félétou Michel , Vanhoutte Paul M.
Published: April 2006

Endothelial cells synthesize and release various factors that regulate angiogenesis, inflammatory responses, hemostasis, as well as vascular tone and permeability. Endothelial dysfunction has been associated with a number of pathophysiological processes. Oxidative stress appears to be a common denominator underlying endothelial dysfunction in cardiovascular diseases. However, depending on the pathology, the vascular bed studied, the stimulant, and additional factors such as age, sex, salt intake, cholesterolemia, glycemia, and hyperhomocysteinemia, the mechanisms underlying the endothelial dysfunction can be markedly different. A reduced bioavailability of nitric oxide (NO), an alteration in the production of prostanoids, including prostacyclin, thromboxane A2, and/or isoprostanes, an impairment of endothelium-dependent hyperpolarization, as well as an increased release of endothelin-1, can individually or in association contribute to endothelial dysfunction. Therapeutic interventions do not necessarily restore a proper endothelial function and, when they do, may improve only part of these variables.
Fibromatosis Colli Presenting as an Infantile Neck Mass: Sonographic Appearances in Two Patients
Authors: Richardson Carol , Vogel Maria , Watson Gillian M. T. , Howlett David C.
Published: April 2006

Fibromatosis colli is rare, but is the most common cause of congenital torticollis. We describe, using two case reports as an example, how this condition can be diagnosed, by careful clinical history taking and using ultrasound as the imaging tool. Prompt detection with ultrasound can avoid more invasive methods of evaluation and treatment, and the variations of sonographic appearances of fibromatosis colli are highlighted.
Characterisation of precipitation of niobium carbide using carbon extraction replicas and thin foils by FESEM
Authors: Elwazri A. M. , Varano R. , Siciliano F. , Bai D. , Yue S.
Published: April 2006

Field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) was used to analyse small particles (<50 nm) in ferrite. Analysis of bulk specimens must be carried out at low voltages to preserve volume resolution, resulting in very weak signals. However, thin foils and carbon extraction replicas could be analysed with FESEM using relatively high voltages, because the interaction volume effect is no longer a problem.
Precipitation in vanadium bearing ultralow carbon strip steels
Authors: Ooi S. W. , Fourlaris G. , Tanner D. A. , Robinson J. S.
Published: April 2006

Two novel ultralow carbon (ULC) steels were investigated, one based on combined vanadium and titanium additions and the second based on titanium only additions. Grain size and mechanical property measurements have been performed on continuously annealed specimens previously subjected to 80% cold rolling reduction on both strip steel grades. The recrystallisation and grain coarsening characteristics of annealed ULC strips have been studied. The amount of precipitated species, under equilibrium conditions, at various annealing temperatures has also been calculated using MT-DATA thermodynamic modelling software. Transmission electron microscopy characterisation coupled with EDX study of the precipitation sequences on continuous annealing strips was also performed. Precipitate studies of the novel ULC steels confirmed the major role of TiC precipitates in retarding the recrystallisation behaviour of ULC strip steels. The role of vanadium addition in ULC steel grades in reducing the recrystallisation temperature of ULC strip steels was also identified.
A systematic review of telephone-based interventions for mental disorders
Authors: Leach L S , Christensen H
Published: April 2006

To assess the effectiveness of telephone-based interventions for mental illness, a systematic search of the literature was conducted using the databases PsycINFO and PubMed, and the search engine Google Scholar. The search identified 14 studies evaluating telephone-based interventions in the areas of depression ( n = 6), anxiety ( n = 3), eating disorders ( n = 3), substance use ( n = 1) and schizophrenia ( n = 1). Although these studies provide evidence that telephone interventions can be effective, the few studies conducted, small sample sizes and lack of randomized controlled trial methodology prevent firm conclusions from being drawn. The articles reviewed suggest that an effective telephone intervention includes clearly structured therapy sessions and homework tasks. However, further evidence using large-scale, randomized controlled trials must be obtained in order to inform government and telephone counselling agencies about the efficacy of telephone interventions.
Performance of a Submerged Membrane Bioreactor System for Biological Nutrient Removal
Authors: Mouthon‐Bello Javier , Zhou Hondge
Published: April 2006

A pilot submerged membrane bioreactor coupled with biological nutrient removal was used to treat the primary effluent at a municipal wastewater treatment plant. Long‐term experiments were conducted by varying hydraulic retention time from 6 to 8 hours and solids retention time from 20 to 50 days, respectively. The performance was assessed by monitoring key wastewater parameters, including chemical oxygen demand (COD), nitrogen, and phosphorus concentration in individual anoxic, anaerobic, aerobic, and membrane separation zones. Results showed that the tested system can consistently achieve COD, nitrogen, and phosphorus removal efficiencies at 80 to 98%, 70 to 93%, and 89 to 98%, respectively. Effluent COD remained low as a result of efficient solid retention, even though there was great variation in influent quality. However, total nitrogen increased proportionally with influent concentration. At a 50‐day solids retention time, higher COD and nitrogen oxides specific utilization rates in the anoxic zone resulted in a high production of nitrogen oxides in the subsequent aerobic zone.
Invoking State Responsibility in the Twenty-first Century
Authors: Weiss Edith Brown
Published: April 2006

At the beginning of the twenty-first century, the international community is globalizing, integrating, and fragmenting, all at the same time. States continue to be central, but many other actors have also become important: international organizations, nongovernmental organizations, corporations, ad hoc transnational groups both legitimate and illicit, and individuals. For the year 2000, theYearbook of International Organizationsreports that there were 922 international intergovernmental organizations and 9988 international nongovernmental organizations. If organizations associated with multilateral treaty agreements, bilateral government organizations, other international bodies (including religious and secular institutes) , and internationally oriented national organizations are included, the number of international organizations reaches nearly thirty thousand. Another twenty-four thousand are listed as inactive or unconfirmed. Corporations that produce globally are similarly numerous. As of September 27, 2002, an estimated 6,252,829,827 individuals lived on our planet. Some of these individuals and groups have made claims against states for breaching their obligations, particularly for human rights violations. In short, international law inhabits a much more complicated world than the one that existed fifty or even thirty years ago.
The ILC Articles on State Responsibility: The Paradoxical Relationship Between Form and Authority
Authors: Caron David D.
Published: April 2006

The adoption by the International Law Commission (ILC) in 2001 of its articles on state responsibility is an achievement that presents a paradox. This essay is about the form and authority of the articles, and the paradox that they could have more influence as an ILC text than as a multilateral treaty. The essay addresses the questions of the appropriate authority to be given an ILC text, why undue influence may be attributed to an ILC text (particularly by arbitral tribunals), and how an arbitral tribunal should approach interpreting and applying the articles on state responsibility.
The ILC’s Articles on Responsibility of States for Internationally Wrongful Acts: A Retrospect
Authors: Crawford James
Published: April 2006

The development of the articles on state responsibility of the International Law Commission (ILC) has been described elsewhere, in particular in the ILC’s Yearbook. The phases of development of the first (1955-1996) andsecond (1998-2001) readings are well enough known, and there is little point in repeating this material. Whatever the trials and longueurs of their production, the articles with their commentaries now exist and may be assessed as a whole.

The first reading was the product of decades of work under successive special rapporteurs (Roberto Ago, Willem Riphagen, and Gaetano Arangio-Ruiz). The second readingwas equally a collective process and many members contributed to the final result. As I was formally responsible for shaping the work on second reading, I may not be the best person to comment on the outcome. Anything less than a full-scale defense of the text will be seen as an unauthorized retreat, and if the text cannot defend itself with the aid of the commentaries, it is too late for individuals to make up for any deficiencies.
So Far, So Fair: The Local Remedies Rule in the Jurisprudence of the African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights
Authors: Udombana Nsongurua J.
Published: April 2006

Pending the establishment of the African Court on Human and Peoples' Rights, the African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights remains the only institutional body for the implementation of the rights guaranteed in the African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights. The Assembly of Heads of State and Government of the Organization of African Unity (OAU), reconstituted as the African Union (AU), established the Commission in 1987, after the entry into force of the African Charter, in 1986, and pursuant to its Article 64 (1). The Commission was established, inter alia, “to promote human and peoples' rights and ensure their protection in Africa.” That is, besides “any other tasks which may be entrusted to it” by the Assembly, the Commission performs three primary functions: it promotes and protects human and peoples' rights and interprets the provisions of the Charter.
International Law and the War in Iraq
Authors: Yoo John
Published: April 2006

In his speech before the United Nations (UN) in September 2002, President George W. Bush characterized the possible use of force against Iraq as necessary to enforce existing Security Council resolutions and to eliminate a dangerous threat to international peace and security. The Security Council responded by adopting Resolution 1441, which found Iraq to be in material breach of previous Security Council resolutions and threatened serious consequences for further intransigence. When Iraq refused to fully comply with these resolutions, the United States led an ad hoc “coalition of the willing” that invaded Iraq on March 19,2003, quickly defeated Iraq’s armed forces, and ended the regime of Saddam Hussein and the Ba’ath party. On May 1,2003, President Bush announced that major combat operations in Iraq had ended. At the time of this writing, the United States has assumed the position of an occupying power that is responsible for rebuilding Iraq, as recognized by the Security Council in Resolution 1483.
Iraq: The Shifting Sands of Preemptive Self-Defense
Authors: Sapiro Miriam
Published: April 2006

The United States articulated a new concept of preventive self-defense last fall that is designed to preclude emerging threats from endangering the country. Rising like a phoenix from the ashes of the September 11 terrorist attacks, the preventive approach to national security is intended to respond to new threats posed by “shadowy networks of individuals [who] can bring great chaos and suffering to our shores for less than it costs to purchase a single tank.” The Bush administration wisely concluded that it could not rely solely upon a reactive security posture, due to the difficulty in deterring potential attacks by those determined to challenge the United States and the magnitude of harm that could occur from weapons of mass destruction falling into the wrong hands. Although the administration has characterized its new approach as “preemptive,” it is more accurate to describe it as “preventive” self-defense. Rather than trying to preempt specific, imminent tiireats, the goal is to prevent more generalized threats from materializing.
Common But Differentiated Responsibilities in International Law
Authors: Stone Christopher D.
Published: April 2006

The concept of “common but differentiated responsibilities” (CDR) is receiving increasing recognition in international law. “Common” suggests that certain risks affect and are affected by every nation on earth. These include not only the climate and the ozone shield, but all risk-related global public goods, including peace, public health, and terrorism. In reducing the mutual risks, all nations should “cooperate in a spirit of global partnership.” Responsibilities are said to be “differentiated,” however, in that not all countries should contribute equally. CDR charges some nations, ordinarily the Rich, with carrying a greater share of the burden than others, ordinarily the Poor.
Compliance With Final Judgments of the International Court of Justice Since 1987
Authors: Paulson Colter
Published: April 2006

Commentators on the International Court of Justice (ICJ) note that cases of noncompliance with final judgments are very rare. The ICJ registrar Philippe Couvreur, however, recognized that compliance is often hard to determine because judgments are varied, declarations may not reflect actual conduct, effects may only become apparent long after the judgment is given, and the legal or political situation may substantially change after the judgment. In this vein, Judge Jennings asked:

The judgments of the Court are binding in law, but do they, in fact, resolve the matter? More work needs to be done here. It is ironic that the Court's business up to the delivery of judgment is published in lavish detail, but it is not at all easy to find out what happened afterwards.
Application of Human Rights Treaties Extraterritorially in Times of Armed Conflict and Military Occupation
Authors: Dennis Michael J.
Published: April 2006

Are obligations assumed by states under international human rights treaties applicable extraterritorially during periods of armed conflict and military occupation? This was one of the issues addressed by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in its advisory opinion Legal Consequences of the Construction of a Wall in the Occupied Palestinian Territory. The Court indicated that the obligations assumed by Israel under the International Covenants on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) and on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESC), and the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CROC) applied in the occupied territories and that the construction of the security barrier constituted “breaches” by Israel of various of its obligations under these instruments.
The Fifty-Sixth Session of the International Law Commission
Authors: Matheson Michael J.
Published: April 2006

The International Law Commission held its fifty-sixdi session in Geneva from May 3 to June 4, and from July 5 to August 6, 2004, under the chairmanship of Teodor Melescanu of Romania. The Commission completed its first reading of draft principles on international liability for transboundary harm and draft articles on diplomatic protection, which have now been submitted for comment by states with a view to their completion in 2006. The Commission also continued its work on reservations to treaties, responsibility of international organizations, unilateral acts of states, fragmentation of international law, and shared natural resources. In addition, the Commission decided to start work next year on the effect of armed conflict on treaties and the expulsion of aliens, and to recommend adding a new topic—the obligation to prosecute or extradite—to its long-term program. The following is a summary of where each topic stands and what issues are likely to be most prominent at the Commission's 2005 session.
Nitric Oxide Cytoskeletal–Induced Alterations Reverse the Endothelial Progenitor Cell Migratory Defect Associated With Diabetes
Authors: Segal Mark S. , Shah Ronak , Afzal Aqeela , Perrault Cecile M. , Chang Kyunghee , Schuler Anna , Beem Elaine , Shaw Lynn C. , Li Calzi Sergio , Harrison Jeffrey K. , Tran-Son-Tay Roger , Grant Maria B.
Published: April 2006

Stromal-derived factor-1 (SDF-1) is a critical chemokine for endothelial progenitor cell (EPC) recruitment to areas of ischemia, allowing these cells to participate in compensatory angiogenesis. The SDF-1 receptor, CXCR4, is expressed in developing blood vessels as well as on CD34+ EPCs. We describe that picomolar and nanomolar concentrations of SDF-1 differentially influence neovascularization, inducing CD34+ cell migration and EPC tube formation. CD34+ cells isolated from diabetic patients demonstrate a marked defect in migration to SDF-1. This defect is associated, in some but not all patients, with a cell surface activity of CD26/dipeptidyl peptidase IV, an enzyme that inactivates SDF-1. Diabetic CD34+ cells also do not migrate in response to vascular endothelial growth factor and are structurally rigid. However, incubating CD34+ cells with a nitric oxide (NO) donor corrects this migration defect and corrects the cell deformability. In addition, exogenous NO alters vasodilator-stimulated phosphoprotein and mammalian-enabled distribution in EPCs. These data support a common downstream cytoskeletal alteration in diabetic CD34+ cells that is independent of growth factor receptor activation and is correctable with exogenous NO. This inability of diabetic EPCs to respond to SDF-1 may contribute to aberrant tissue vascularization and endothelial repair in diabetic patients.