bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Recurrence of hepatic artery thrombosis following acute tacrolimus overdose in pediatric liver transplant recipient
Authors: Takahashi Soshi , Sugimoto Koh‐ichi , Hishikawa Shuji , Mizuta Koichi , Fujimura Akio , Kawarasaki Hideo
Published: October 2005

Abstract:  Acute overdose of tacrolimus appears to cause no or minimal adverse clinical consequences. We encountered a pediatric case who underwent liver transplantation associated with hepatic artery thrombosis (HAT), which recurred following acute tacrolimus overdose. A 10‐month‐old girl underwent living‐related liver transplantation because of biliary atresia. To reconstruct the hepatic artery, the right gastroepiploic artery of the donor was interposed between the right hepatic artery of the recipient (2.5 mm in diameter) and the left hepatic graft artery (1 mm in diameter) under microscopy. On postoperative day 4, Doppler ultrasonography showed a remarkable reduction in hepatic arterial flow, which was consistent with HAT. The patient underwent immediate hepatic arteriography and balloon angioplasty. The stenotic sites were dilated by the procedure. Tacrolimus was infused intravenously after transplantation and the infusion rate was adjusted to achieve a target concentration of 18–22 ng/mL, which remained stable until the morning of day 6. An unexpectedly high blood concentration of tacrolimus (57.4 ng/mL) was detected at 6:00 pm on day 6, and tacrolimus was discontinued at 9:00 pm; however, the tacrolimus level reached 119.5 ng/mL at 0:00 h on day 7. While the concentration decreased to 55.2 ng/mL on the morning of day 7, the hepatic arterial flow could not be observed by Doppler ultrasonography. Emergent hepatic arteriography showed stenosis of the artery at the proximal site of the anastomosis. Balloon angioplasty was again performed and the stenotic site was successfully dilated. High level of tacrolimus exposure to the hepatic artery with injured endothelium by preceding angioplasty may have been related to the recurrence of HAT in the present case.
Airway management of patient with Smith–Lemli–Opitz syndrome for gastric surgery: case report
Authors: MATVEEVSKII ALEXANDER , BERMAN LARRY , SIDI AVNER , GRAVENSTEIN DIETRICH , KAYS DAVID
Published: October 2005

A case of term, 5‐day‐old boy, with low birth weight of 2.4 kg, with Smith–Lemli–Opitz syndrome (SLOS) who was first scheduled for gastrostomy tube placement and later for pylorotomy, is discussed. General appearance of face and small chin showed possible difficulties during intubation, which are well known from the literature. Anesthetic plan included possibility of fiberoptic intubation. Mask induction and ventilation had been successful but attempts to intubate patient using fiberoptic bronchoscope had not been feasible and both procedures had been performed using laryngeal mask airway (LMA#1) with spontaneous ventilation without complications. In this case, we are showing the ability to secure the airway in a small infant with SLOS using LMA and the possibility to perform successfully surgery on the gastrointestinal tract.
The market for American state government bonds in Britain and the United States, 1830–431
Authors: KIM NAMSUK , WALLIS JOHN JOSEPH
Published: October 2005

In the 1830s the British and American economies were hit by a series of shared macroeconomic shocks. This paper investigates the role of markets for America's State bonds in Britain and the USA during and between the crises in 1837, 1839, and 1842.There is strong evidence that the crises in 1839 and 1842 originated in the USA and spread to Britain. There is also strong evidence that credit markets for American state bonds were tighter in the USA than in London between 1839 and 1842. The idea that the depression that began in 1839 in the USA was triggered by credit conditions in Britain and transmitted via the market for state credit, finds no support here.
OPTIMAL FORECAST COMBINATION UNDER REGIME SWITCHING*
Authors: Elliott Graham , Timmermann Allan
Published: October 2005

This article proposes a new forecast combination method that lets the combination weights be driven by regime switching in a latent state variable. An empirical application that combines forecasts from survey data and time series models finds that the proposed regime switching combination scheme performs well for a variety of macroeconomic variables. Monte Carlo simulations shed light on the type of data‐generating processes for which the proposed combination method can be expected to perform better than a range of alternative combination schemes. Finally, we show how time variations in the combination weights arise when the target variable and the predictors share a common factor structure driven by a hidden Markov process.
THE MARKET SELECTS THE WRONG FIRMS IN THE LONG RUN*
Authors: Ohkawa Takao , Okamura Makoto , Nakanishi Noritsugu , Kiyono Kazuharu
Published: October 2005

We consider the effects of free entry on the market structure and social welfare of an asymmetric Cournot oligopoly. Even if we allow for the existence of different types of firms initially, only one type (in almost all cases) can survive in the long run. Free entry leads an economy to a symmetric equilibrium, in which the excess entry theorem holds. Further, we consider the socially optimal policy for this economy. In cases of either (i) a concave demand (which implies strategic substitutability) or (ii) strategic complementarity (which implies a convex demand), the type of firms that should remain in the market to achieve social optimality does not necessarily coincide with the type of firms that will survive in the long run. The market may select not only the wrong number of firms but also the wrong type of firms in the long run.
HUMAN CAPITAL AND CONVERGENCE: A PRODUCTION‐FRONTIER APPROACH*
Authors: Henderson Daniel J. , Russell R. Robert
Published: October 2005

Using nonparametric, production‐frontier methods, we decompose labor productivity growth into components attributable to technological change (shifts in the world production frontier), technological catch‐up (movements toward or away from the frontier), and physical and human capital accumulation (movements along the frontier). We find that (1) technological change is decidedly nonneutral, (2) productivity growth is driven primarily by physical and human capital accumulation, (3) the increased international dispersion of productivity is explained primarily by physical capital accumulation, and (4) international polarization (the shift from a unimodal to a bimodal distribution) is brought about primarily by efficiency changes (technological catch‐up).
ENDOGENOUS PUNISHMENTS IN AGENCY WITH VERIFIABLE EX POST INFORMATION*
Authors: Kessler Anke S. , Lülfesmann Christoph , W. Schmitz Patrick
Published: October 2005

The article studies an adverse selection model in which a contractible, imperfect signal on the agent's type is revealed ex post. The agent is wealth constrained, which implies that the maximum penalty depends on the contracted transaction (e.g., the volume of trade). First, we show that the qualitative effects of the signal can be unambiguously tied to the nature of the problem (e.g., whether the agent is in a “buyer” or a “seller” position). Second, the distortions caused by informational asymmetries may become more severe although more information is now available. Finally, the signal can actually serve to increase the agent's informational rents.
THE LIQUIDITY TRAP, THE REAL BALANCE EFFECT, AND THE FRIEDMAN RULE*
Authors: Ireland Peter N.
Published: October 2005

This article studies the behavior of the economy and the efficacy of monetary policy under zero nominal interest rates using a model with population growth that nests, as a special case, the conventional specification in which there is a single infinitely lived representative agent. The article shows that with a growing population, monetary policy has distributional consequences that give rise to a real balance effect, thereby eliminating the liquidity trap. These same distributional effects, however, can also work to make many agents much worse off under zero nominal interest rates than they are when the nominal interest rate is positive.
THE WELFARE PERFORMANCE OF SEQUENTIAL PRICING MECHANISMS*
Authors: Miravete Eugenio J.
Published: October 2005

Consumers are commonly required to subscribe to particular tariff options before uncertainty regarding their future purchases gets resolved. Since the general comparison of welfare performance of different pricing mechanisms is ambiguous, this article empirically evaluates the expected welfare associated with standard nonlinear pricing and optional tariffs by using information directly linked to the type of individual consumers. Results show that tariffs composed of nonlinear options do not necessarily outperform simpler pricing strategies in terms of expected profits. Furthermore, evidence suggests that a menu of optional two‐part tariffs dominates any other pricing strategy from an expected welfare perspective.
The dark side of green fluorescent protein
Authors: Zhou Xin , Carranco Raul , Vitha Stanislav , Hall Timothy C.
Published: October 2005

Here, severe interference of chlorophyll with green fluorescent protein (GFP) fluorescence is described for medicago (Medicago truncatula), rice (Oryza sativa) and arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana). This interference disrupts the proportional relationship between GFP content and fluorescence that is intrinsic to its use as a quantitative reporter.

The involvement of chlorophyll in the loss of GFP fluorescence with leaf age was shown in vivo, by the removal of chlorophyll through etiolation or by ethanol extraction, and in vitro, by titration of a GFP solution with chlorophyll solutions of various concentrations.

A substantial decrease in fluorescence in early development of medicago and rice leaves correlated with chlorophyll accumulation. In all three species tested, removal of chlorophyll yielded up to a 10‐fold increase in fluorescence. Loss of GFP fluorescence in vitro was 4‐fold greater for chlorophyll b than for chlorophyll a.

Differences exist between plant species for the discrepancy between apparent GFP fluorescence and its actual level in green tissues. Substantial errors in estimating promoter activity from GFP fluorescence can occur if pigment interference is not considered.
Phosphorus nutrition‐mediated effects of arbuscular mycorrhiza on leaf morphology and carbon allocation in perennial ryegrass
Authors: Grimoldi Agustín A. , Kavanová Monika , Lattanzi Fernando A. , Schnyder Hans
Published: October 2005

The aim of this work was to disentangle phosphorus status‐dependent and ‐independent effects of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus (AMF) on leaf morphology and carbon allocation in perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne).

To this end, we assessed the P‐response function of morphological components in mycorrhizal and nonmycorrhizal plants of similar size.

AMF (Glomus hoi) stimulated relative P‐uptake rate, decreased leaf mass per area (LMA), and increased shoot mass ratio at low P supply. Lower LMA was caused by both decreased tissue density and thickness. Variation in tissue density was almost entirely caused by variations in soluble C, while that in thickness involved structural changes.

All effects of AMF were indistinguishable from those mediated by increases in relative P‐uptake rate through higher P‐supply rates. Thus the relationships between relative P‐uptake rate, leaf morphology and C allocation were identical in mycorrhizal and nonmycorrhizal plants. No evidence was found for AMF effects not mediated by changes in plant P status.
The novel herbicide oxaziclomefone inhibits cell expansion in maize cell cultures without affecting turgor pressure or wall acidification
Authors: O'Looney Nichola , Fry Stephen C.
Published: October 2005

Oxaziclomefone [OAC; IUPAC name 3‐(1‐(3,5‐dichlorophenyl)‐1‐methylethyl)‐3,4‐dihydro‐6‐methyl‐5‐phenyl‐2H‐1,3‐oxazin‐4‐one] is a new herbicide that inhibits cell expansion in grass roots. Its effects on cell cultures and mode of action were unknown. In principle, cell expansion could be inhibited by a decrease in either turgor pressure or wall extensibility.

Cell expansion was estimated as settled cell volume; cell division was estimated by cell counting. Membrane permeability to water was measured by a novel method involving simultaneous assay of the efflux of 3H2O and [14C]mannitol from a ‘bed’ of cultured cells. Osmotic potential was measured by depression of freezing point.

OAC inhibited cell expansion in cultures of maize (Zea mays), spinach (Spinacia oleracea) and rose (Rosa sp.), with an ID50 of 5, 30 and 250 nm, respectively. In maize cultures, OAC did not affect cell division for the first 40 h. It did not affect the osmotic potential of cell sap or culture medium, nor did it impede water transport across cell membranes. It did not affect cells’ ability to acidify the apoplast (medium), which may be necessary for ‘acid growth’.

As OAC did not diminish turgor pressure, its ability to inhibit cell expansion must depend on changes in wall extensibility. It could be a valuable tool for studies on cell expansion.
Do competition and herbivory alter the internal nitrogen dynamics of birch saplings?
Authors: Millett J. , Millard P. , Hester A. J. , McDonald A. J. S.
Published: October 2005

Deciduous trees recycle nitrogen within their tissues. The aim of this study was to test the hypothesis that reductions in plant growth, caused by competition and herbivory, reduce the sink strength for N during autumn nutrient withdrawal, and reduce the storage capacity and hence the amount of N remobilized in the following spring.

We used 15N‐labelled fertilizer to quantify N uptake, leaf N withdrawal and remobilization. Betula pubescens saplings were grown with either Molinia caerulea or Calluna vulgaris, and subjected to simulated browsing damage.

Competition reduced B. pubescens leaf N withdrawal and remobilization, with C. vulgaris having a greater effect than M. caerulea. However, simulated browsing had no significant effect on sapling N dynamics. The patterns of leaf N withdrawal and remobilization closely followed sapling dry mass.

We conclude that the effect of competition on sapling mass reduces their N‐storage capacity. This reduces sink strength for leaf N withdrawal and the source strength for remobilized N. The ability of saplings to compensate for browsing damage removed any potential effect of browsing on N dynamics.
Differences in the kinetics and scale of signalling molecule production modulate the ozone sensitivity of hybrid poplar clones: the roles of H2O2, ethylene and salicylic acid
Authors: Diara Cecilia , Castagna Antonella , Baldan Barbara , Sodi Anna Mensuali , Sahr Tobias , Langebartels Christian , Sebastiani Luca , Ranieri Annamaria
Published: October 2005

Hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), ethylene, 1‐aminocyclopropane‐1‐carboxylic acid (ACC) and salicylic acid (SA) concentrations and ACC synthase (ACS) gene expression were measured to establish whether the high sensitivity of the Populus deltoides × maximowiczii clone Eridano to ozone (O3) exposure, compared with the O3‐resistant Populus deltoides × euramericana clone I‐214, is attributable to differences in the modulation of signal transduction pathways.

In a time‐course experiment, Populus deltoides (poplar) clones were exposed to acute fumigation with 150 nl l−1 O3 for 5 h.

The two poplar clones showed differences in ethylene evolution, I‐214 displaying earlier and less pronounced ethylene emission than Eridano. In both clones, ethylene evolution was accompanied by increased ACS transcript levels and enhanced emission of free ACC. I‐214 exhibited a greater basal concentration of free SA and a lower concentration of the conjugated pool. However, a slight accumulation of free SA at the end of the 5‐h exposure was found only in Eridano, together with an earlier minimal increase in the concentration of conjugated SA.

The results show that both clones react to O3 by producing H2O2, ethylene and SA, but the difference in sensitivity to the pollutant is probably attributable to differences in the kinetics and magnitude of this response.
Modes and rates of selfing and associated inbreeding depression in the self‐incompatible plant Senecio squalidus (Asteraceae): a successful colonizing species in the British Isles
Authors: Brennan Adrian C. , Harris Stephen A. , Hiscock Simon J.
Published: October 2005

The strength of the self‐incompatibility (SI) response in Senecio squalidus was measured across its British range. Geographic variation in SI was investigated and the extent and inheritance of pseudo‐self‐compatibility (PSC) and inbreeding depression were determined.

Mean self‐fruit‐set per capitulum was calculated for individuals and sample populations. The heritability of PSC and the magnitude of inbreeding depression were assessed by comparing selfing rates and fitness trait values between SI and PSC parent–progeny lines.

SI was found to be strongly expressed in S. squalidus throughout its British range, with only 3.1% of the individuals sampled showing PSC. This PSC had relatively low heritability with stronger expression of SI in selfed progeny relative to PSC parents. Inbreeding depression was shown to be great in S. squalidus, with mean life history stage values ranging from 0.18 to 0.25.

The strength of SI in S. squalidus appears not to have weakened in response to its rapid colonization of Britain. The avoidance of inbreeding depression is likely to be the primary factor maintaining strong SI in this successful colonizing species.
Physiological and molecular evidence for Pi uptake via the symbiotic pathway in a reduced mycorrhizal colonization mutant in tomato associated with a compatible fungus
Authors: Poulsen Katrine H. , Nagy Réka , Gao Ling‐Ling , Smith Sally E. , Bucher Marcel , Smith F. Andrew , Jakobsen Iver
Published: October 2005

A Lycopersicon esculentum mutant (rmc) is resistant to colonization by most arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF), but one Glomus intraradices isolate (WFVAM 23) develops arbuscules and vesicles in the rmc cortex. It is unknown whether the symbiotic phosphate (Pi)‐uptake pathway is operational in this interaction.

Hyphal uptake of 32Pi and expression of plant Pi transporter genes were investigated in the rmc mutant and its wild‐type progenitor (76R) associated with three AMF.

Hyphae transferred 32Pi in all symbioses with 76R and in the rmc–G. intraradices WFVAM 23 symbiosis. The other AMF did not colonize rmc. The Pi transporter‐encoding LePT1 and LePT2 were expressed constitutively or in P‐starved roots, respectively. The mycorrhiza‐inducible Pi transporters LePT3 and LePT4 were expressed only in plants with AMF colonization and symbiotic 32Pi transfer.

LePT3 and LePT4 transcripts were reliable markers for a functional mycorrhizal uptake pathway in rmc. Our novel approach to the physiology and molecular biology of P transport can be applied to other arbuscular–mycorrhizal symbioses, irrespective of the size of plant responses.
A case study from the interaction of strawberry and Botrytis cinerea highlights the benefits of comonitoring both partners at genomic and mRNA level
Authors: Mehli Lisbeth , Kjellsen Trygve D. , Dewey Frances M. , Hietala Ari M.
Published: October 2005

Strawberry Fragaria × ananassa (cv. Korona) was inoculated with Botrytis cinerea by dipping berries in a conidial suspension.

Colonization by the pathogen was monitored using real‐time PCR, ELISA and ergosterol assays, the first showing the highest sensitivity. The expression of pathogen β‐tubulin and six polygalacturonases (Bcpg1–6) and three host defence genes (polygalacturonase‐inhibiting protein (FaPGIP) and two class II chitinases) were monitored using real‐time RT–PCR.

The maximum transcript levels of the host defence genes occurred at 16 h postinoculation (hpi) at the presumed initial penetration stage. The unique transcript profile of Bcpg2 over the 96‐h incubation time and its high transcript levels relative to those of the other Bcpgs at 8–24 hpi suggest that the gene has a specific role in the penetration stage.

Bcpg1 was expressed constitutively at a relatively high level in actively growing mycelia throughout the experimental period. Comparison of the transcript profiles indicated that Bcpg1 and Bcpg3–6 were coordinately regulated.
Leaf nitrogen and phosphorus stoichiometry across 753 terrestrial plant species in China
Authors: Han Wenxuan , Fang Jingyun , Guo Dali , Zhang Yan
Published: October 2005

Leaf nitrogen and phosphorus stoichiometry of Chinese terrestrial plants was studied based on a national data set including 753 species across the country.

Geometric means were calculated for functional groups based on life form, phylogeny and photosynthetic pathway, as well as for all 753 species. The relationships between leaf N and P stoichiometric traits and latitude (and temperature) were analysed.

The geometric means of leaf N, P, and N : P ratio for the 753 species were 18.6 and 1.21 mg g−1 and 14.4, respectively. With increasing latitude (decreasing mean annual temperature, MAT), leaf N and P increased, but the N : P ratio did not show significant changes.

Although patterns of leaf N, P and N : P ratios across the functional groups were generally consistent with those reported previously, the overall N : P ratio of China's flora was considerably higher than the global averages, probably caused by a greater shortage of soil P in China than elsewhere. The relationships between leaf N, P and N : P ratio and latitude (and MAT) also suggested the existence of broad biogeographical patterns of these leaf traits in Chinese flora.
Dürer's Rider
Authors: Emison Patricia
Published: October 2005

Durer's first extremely elaborate engraving is interpreted here as a farewell to the equestrian type rather than its oddly anonymous celebration. The work is placed in the aftermath of the bloody Battle of Ravenna (1512), in which the effects of gunpowder were registered with shock, and in the context of changing norms of political savvy, exemplified in the dreary career of the knightly Emperor Maximilian and the bloody career of the feared Cesare Borgia. The historically outmoded Knight with his ghoulish companions is seen as doomed rather than as inspiring or comforting. Rather than imperviousness to harm, he signifies the moribund character of chivalry in the new world of gunpowder and power politics. The work's role as print is also examined, both its place in Dürer's oeuvre, as the precursor of his etching, the Landscape with a Cannon, and its saleability to unsuspecting buyers as seeming to belong to a traditional type. The iconographic vagueness of the image is taken as a sign of its subtle conceptualization, picked up on by the Master of 1515 in his odd engraving of an equestrian. (pp. 511–522)
Reading the rhetoric of nationhood in two Reformation pamphlets by Richard Morison and Nicholas Bodrugan1
Authors: Mottram Stewart
Published: October 2005

This article seeks to redress a contemporary critical trend amongst social historians concerned to date the dawn of nationalism on our Western political horizons from the twilight period of empire at the end of the eighteenth century. It does so by examining the interplay between empire and nationhood in the rhetoric of royalist pamphlets written by Richard Morison in 1536 and Nicholas Bodrugan in 1548. Both these writers respond to crises in the English body politic under the absolute headship of the Tudor imperial crown. Both uphold Tudor pretensions to empire – and the precedents of the ‘old authentic histories and chronicles’ upon which these pretensions were originally based – through the use of rhetorical tropes that attempt to instil a sense of national identity in the members of the divided political communities for which they write. The rhetoric of these two Reformation pamphlets demands that we revise the commonplace critical exclusion of the nation from the imperial age of Reformation. (pp. 523–540)
Myosporidium merluccius n. g., n. sp. Infecting Muscle of Commercial Hake (Merluccius sp.) from Fisheries near Namibia
Authors: BAQUERO ENRIQUE , RUBIO MANUEL , MOURA IACI N. S. , PIENIAZEK NORMAN J. , JORDANA RAFAEL
Published: October 2005

Abstract. A new species of Microsporidia classified to a new genus was observed in the trunk muscle of commercial hake (Merluccius capensis/paradoxus complex) from Namibian fisheries. Macroscopic examination revealed thin and dark filaments inserted among muscle fibers. Inside the filaments were many sporophorous vesicles with about 30–50 spores per vesicle. The shape of the spore was pyriform and the extruded polar filament was of moderate length (up to 4.29 μm, n=12). This new species of Microsporidia is described using macrophotography, microphotography, staining, and transmission electron microscopy (TEM), as well as molecular methods. Its 16S rRNA was found to be similar to that of Microsporidium prosopium Kent et al., 1999, while both sequences were quite different from 16S rRNA sequences known for other Microsporidia. Nevertheless, this new species is separated morphologically from M. prosopium by the presence of 11–12 anisofilar coils and the formation of the xenoma at the site of infection. Type species
The Effects of E‐beam Irradiation and Microwave Energy on Eastern Oysters (Crassostrea virginica) Experimentally Infected with Cryptosporidium parvum
Authors: COLLINS MARINA V. , FLICK GEORGE J. , SMITH STEPHEN A. , FAYER RONALD , RUBENDALL ERIC , LINDSAY DAVID S.
Published: October 2005

Abstract. Shellfish have been identified as a potential source of Cryptosporidium infection for humans. The inactivation of C. parvum and other pathogens in raw molluscan shellfish would provide increased food safety for normal and at‐risk consumers. The present study examined the efficacy of two alternative food‐processing treatments, e‐beam irradiation and microwave energy, on the viability of C. parvum oocysts in Eastern Oysters (Crassostrea virginica), which were artificially infected with the Beltsville strain of C. parvum. The effects of the treatments were evaluated by oral feeding of the processed oyster tissues to neonatal mice. Significant reductions (P<0.05) in infectivity were observed for in‐shell and shucked oysters treated with e‐beam irradiation at doses of 1.0, 1.5, or 2 kGy vs. untreated controls. A dose of 2 kGy completely eliminated C. parvum infectivity and did not adversely affect the visual appearance of the oysters. Oyster tissue treated with microwave exposures of 1 s (43.2°C), 2 s (54.0°C), and 3 s (62.5°C) showed a reduction in C. parvum mouse infectivity, but the effects were not significantly different (P>0.05) from controls. Microwave energy treatments at 2 and 3 s showed extensive changes in oyster meat texture and color. Thus, because of lack of efficacy and unacceptable tissue changes, microwave treatment of oysters is not considered a viable food‐processing method.
Assessment of the Cell Viability of Cultured Perkinsus marinus (Perkinsea), a Parasitic Protozoan of the Eastern Oyster, Crassostrea virginica, Using SYBRgreen–Propidium Iodide Double Staining and Flow Cytometry
Authors: SOUDANT PHILIPPE , CHU FU‐LIN E. , LUND ERIC D.
Published: October 2005

Abstract. A flow cytometry (FCM) assay using SYBRgreen and propidium iodide double staining was tested to assess viability and morphological parameters of Perkinsus marinus under different cold‐ and heat‐shock treatments and at different growth phases. P. marinus meront cells, cultivated at 28°C, were incubated in triplicate for 30 min at −80°C, −20°C, 5°C, and 20°C for cold‐shock treatments and at 32°C, 36°C, 40°C, 44°C, 48°C, 52°C, and 60°C for heat‐shock treatments. A slight and significant decrease in percentage of viable cells (PVC), from 93.6% to 92.7%, was observed at −20°C and the lowest PVC was obtained at −80°C (54.0%). After 30 min of heat shocks at 40°C and 44°C, PVC decreased slightly but significantly compared to cells maintained at 28°C. When cells were heat shocked at 48°C, 52°C, and 60°C heavy mortality occurred and PVC decreased to 33.8%, 8.0%, and 3.4%, respectively. No change in cell complexity and size was noted until cells were heat shocked at≥44°C. High cell mortality was detected at stationary phase of P. marinus cell culture. Cell viability dropped below 40% in 28‐day‐old cultures and ranged 11–25% in 38 to 47‐day‐old cultures. Results suggest that FCM could be a useful tool for determining viability of cultured P. marinus cells.
Parastrombidinopsis shimi n. gen., n. sp. (Ciliophora: Choreotrichia) from the Coastal Waters of Korea: Morphology and Small Subunit Ribosomal DNA Sequence
Authors: KIM JAE SEONG , JEONG HAE JIN , STRÜEDER‐KYPKE MICHAELA C. , LYNN DENIS H. , KIM SANGHEE , KIM JONG HYEOK , LEE SEUNG HYEON
Published: October 2005

Abstract. The planktonic ciliate Parastrombidinopsis shimi n. gen., n. sp. is described from both living cells and quantitative protargol‐stained (QPS) preparations and the sequence of the small subunit rDNA (SSU rDNA) is reported. This species is almost oval when the cells are alive; when stained, it is cylindrical for the upper two‐fifths, half‐bowl shaped for the middle two‐fifths, and narrow rodshaped for the lower one‐fifth. The ranges (and mean±standard deviation, n=20) of cell length, cell width, and oral diameter of living cells were 112–221 μm (168±39), 88–176 μm (121±30), and 53–110 μm (80±14), respectively, while those of the QPS‐stained specimens (n=54) were 88–225 μm (162±29), 55–163 μm (102±19), and 53–98 μm (69±9), respectively. Thirty‐six to 48 external oral polykinetids had cilia 25–40 μm long. However, unlike Strombidinopsis species sensu stricto, P. shimi has an external oral polykinetid zone that is an open circle. This species has two shorter polykinetids associated with the end of the oral polykinetid zone, deep in the oral cavity. Like Strombidinopsis species in the subclass Choreotrichia, 36–50 somatic kineties were equally spaced around the cell body and extended from the oral to the posterior regions with 68–105 dikinetids per kinety. Both kinetosomes of each kinetid bore cilia 3–10 μm long. Parastrombidinopsis shimi had 2 (1–4) ovoid macronuclei of 20–82 × 15–32 μm. When properly aligned, the sequence of the SSU rDNA of P. shimi (GenBank Accession No. AJ786648) was approximately 5% different from that of Strobilidium caudatum and 6% different from that of two Strombidinopsis species. Based both on morphology and gene sequence divergence, we establish this is as a new species in a new genus belonging to the family Strombidinopsidae.
Ultrastructural Studies of Henneguya rhamdia n. sp. (Myxozoa) a Parasite from the Amazon Teleost Fish, Rhamdia quelen (Pimelodidae)
Authors: MATOS EDILSON , TAJDARI JESSICA , AZEVEDO CARLOS
Published: October 2005

Abstract. Henneguya rhamdia n. sp. is described in the gill filaments of the teleost fish Rhamdia quelen, collected from the Peixe Boi River, State of Pará, Brazil. This myxosporean produced spherical to ellipsoidal plasmodia, up to 300 μm in diameter, which contained developmental stages, including spores. Several dense bodies up to 2 μm in diameter were observed among the spores. The spore body was ellipsoidal (13.1 μm in length, 5.2 μm in width, and 2.5 μm in thickness) and each of the two valves presented a tapering tail (36.9 μm in length). These valves surrounded the binucleated sporoplasm cell and two equal ellipsoidal polar capsules (4.7 × 1.1 μm), which contained 10–11 (rarely 12) polar filament coils. The sporoplasm contained sporoplasmosomes with a laterally eccentric dense structure with a half‐crescent section. Based on the data obtained by electron microscopy and on the host specificity, the spores differed from previously described Henneguya species, mainly in their shape and size, number and arrangement of the polar filament coils, and sporoplasmosome morphology.
The locus of fixation in strabismic amblyopia changes with increasing effort of recognition as assessed by scanning laser ophthalmoscope
Authors: Siepmann Kirsten , Reinhard Jens , Herzau Volker
Published: October 2005

Purpose:  We performed a qualitative assessment of fixation behaviour in relation to the fovea in patients with strabismic amblyopia.

Methods:  The fixation of 25 patients with strabismic amblyopia was examined using a scanning laser ophthalmoscope (SLO). A digital frame grabber board was programmed to scan onto the patient's retina single solid black discs of 5, 10 and 15 degrees in diameter and Landolt Cs in different orientations and corresponding to a visual acuity (VA) of 0.01−0.2 in European decimals. The relative position of the fovea was video‐recorded. Fifty video fields per second were plotted as x/y (fixational positions in relation to the fovea) and x/t (motion over time) graphs.

Results:  Three main groups of patients were seen. Group 1 (n = 6), with a VA of < 0.1, showed a grossly eccentric and unstable locus of fixation independent of size/type of test stimulus used. Group 2 (n = 15), with VA of 0.1−0.8, initially used an eccentric retinal area for fixation that, however, shifted to the fovea with decreasing size and increasing detail of the target for fixation. Group 3 (n = 4), with VA of 0.3−0.8, had stable central fixation throughout.

Conclusions:  We speculate that the reduced VA associated with strabismic amblyopia is due to a defective motor control of fixation that can be modulated by recognitional effort.
Corneal penetration of simultaneously applied topical levofloxacin, norfloxacin and lomefloxacin in human eyes
Authors: Yamada Masakazu , Ishikawa Kaoru , Mochizuki Hiroshi , Kawai Masataka
Published: October 2005

Purpose:  This study was performed to assess the corneal penetration of three topically applied fluoroquinolones (levofloxacin, norfloxacin and lomefloxacin) in corneal buttons obtained from patients undergoing penetrating keratoplasty.

Methods:  Fourteen patients received three drops each of 0.5% levofloxacin, 0.3% norfloxacin and 0.3% lomefloxacin (the standard clinically available preparations) over a 30‐min interval beginning 90 mins before their scheduled keratoplasty. Corneal samples obtained from excised buttons at the time of surgery were stored at − 80 ° until analysis. The concentration of the administered fluoroquinolones was measured using high‐performance liquid chromatography.

Results:  The mean corneal concentration of levofloxacin (4.6 ± 3.5 µg/g, mean ± standard deviation) was significantly higher than that of lomefloxacin (2.7 ± 1.8 µg/g, p = 0.0018) and norfloxacin (1.3 ± 1.2 µg/g, p = 0.00012).

Conclusion:  Levofloxacin achieves a higher mean corneal concentration than norfloxacin and lomefloxacin in the human cornea.
Self‐assessed visual function for patients with posterior capsule opacification before and after capsulotomy
Authors: Sundelin Karin , Lundström Mats , Stenevi Ulf
Published: October 2005

Purpose:  To describe the functional outcome, as defined using the Catquest questionnaire, for patients with posterior capsule opacification (PCO) after capsulotomy.

Methods:  A total of 47 patients with PCO were examined before and 1 month after capsulotomy. In addition to the ophthalmic examination, Catquest was completed and a digital image of the posterior lens capsule acquired.

Results:  Capsulotomy resulted in a good level of benefit, as defined using Catquest, for 77% of the patients. No subgroup of patients who derived an exceedingly good or poor level of benefit was identified. Disabilities in daily life, satisfaction with vision and symptoms of glare improved from treatment (p < 0.001, p < 0.001 and p = 0.002, respectively). The results were comparable with the benefits of cataract surgery.

Conclusions:  Self‐assessed visual function as defined using Catquest improved after capsulotomy for the vast majority of patients with PCO. No group of patients with exceptionally good or poor levels of benefit could be identified with certainty. However, the majority of those with a poor outcome were elderly individuals with ocular comorbidity. The overall functional results from treatment of PCO were very similar to those achieved after cataract surgery.
Computer‐based Training in der Dermatoonkologie – erste Ergebnisse zum Vergleich elektronischer Lernprogramme mit Präsenzlehre
Authors: Smolle Josef , Staber Reinhard , De Neges Hei , Reibnegger Gilbert , Kerl Helmut
Published: October 2005

Hintergrund: Elektronische Medien spielen in der medizinischen Ausbildung eine zunehmende Rolle. Es stellt sich die Frage, wie Computerlernprogramme im Vergleich zu innovativen didaktischen Konzepten im Präsenzunterricht abschneiden.

Methoden: An der Untersuchung nahmen 26 Studierende teil. In einem speziellen Studienmodul „Dermatoonkologie” im Rahmen eines integrierten medizinischen Curriculums wurde ein Teil des Stoffs in Form von Team‐Learning als Präsenzveranstaltung vermittelt, der andere Teil dagegen als Internet‐basiertes Computer‐based‐Training. Die Ergebnisse der nachfolgenden Multiple‐Choice‐Prüfung wurden in dieser Hinsicht statistisch ausgewertet.

Ergebnisse: Die Prüfungsergebnisse waren bei jenen Fragen, die sich auf Computer‐based Trainings‐Inhalte bezogen, mit 90,4 ± 12,5 % richtigen Antworten signifikant besser als bei jenen, die sich aus dem Stoff des Team‐Learning rekrutiert hatten (80,6 ± 13,1 %; p < 0,001). Die Ergebnisse beider Prüfungsteile zeigten innerhalb der Einzelpersonen eine starke Korrelation (r = 0,52, p < 0,01), jedoch keinen statistischen Zusammenhang mit den übrigen Prüfungsleistungen der Studierenden.

Schlussfolgerungen: Unser Beispiel aus der dermatoonkologischen Ausbildung zeigt, dass – soweit angesichts der unterschiedlichen Lerninhalte beurteilbar – Computer‐based Training einem innovativen Format der Präsenzlehre hinsichtlich der Prüfungsergebnisse überlegen sein kann.
Ultrasonic point-source/point-receiver measurements in thin specimensa)
Authors: Veidt Martin , Sachse Wolfgang
Published: October 2005

This paper reports on the application of the ultrasonic point-source/point-receiver technique (PS/PR) to thin, anisotropic specimens. By using a scanned source and viewing a large number of signals measured at adjacent source/receiver configurations, one obtains a so-called scan image which represents the detailed spatial and temporal characteristics of the elastic wave field in a specimen. The measurement system uses either a focused, pulsed laser beam operating as a dipole source or a small aperture, piezoceramic shear transducer serving as a monopolar source. Detection of the signals is with a sensitive piezoceramic sensor that responds to the lateral or shear motions of the specimen surface. Scan images were obtained in a Silicon wafer whose thickness was 625 μm and in one- or two-ply, unidirectional, graphite/epoxy laminates whose thicknesses were approximately 145 and 275 μm, respectively. The experimental data are analyzed using a simple plane-wave, plane-stress model that describes the propagation of quasilongitudinal and quasitransverse membrane waves in the plane of the plate. Good agreement is obtained between the experimental and theoretical group velocity curves of the membrane waves in the laminates. It is shown that the measured group velocity data of different wave modes can be inverted to recover the elastic constants of a material with excellent reliability and accuracy. The measurement system was also used to map out the group velocities in branches comprising the cuspidal region of the quasi-transverse group velocity curve.
Dispersion and repopulation of Heard–Ascension modes
Authors: Shang E. C. , Wang Y. Y. , Georges T. M.
Published: October 2005

The propagation of acoustic modes over the 9140-km underwater path to Ascension during the Heard Island Feasibility Experiment is simulated. Using a modal decomposition of the parabolic-equation field, we find that mode coupling at the circumpolar front has significant impact on modal dispersion and modal repopulation, which complicates the pulse-arrival sequence. Modal dispersion and modal repopulation are calculated at eleven frequencies from 52 to 62 Hz, and the effects on pulse spreading are shown.
Differential Doppler as a Diagnostic
Authors: Dzieciuch Matthew , Munk Walter
Published: October 2005

Differential Doppler compression and travel time of individual peaks in the arrival sequence (relative to an overall average) are measured for the 5500-km acoustic transmissions from a moving source at Heard Island to Christmas (Crab) Island. The differentials cannot be explained by simple adiabatic propagation models. A hybrid theory, coupling polar and temperate models at the Antarctic Front, can account for some of the qualitative features. Differential Doppler could be a useful tool for identifying ray arrivals.
Features of the Heard Island signals received at Ascension
Authors: Georges T. M. , Boden Linda R. , Palmer David R.
Published: October 2005

The Heard Island transmissions were received 9140 km away at Ascension Island by an irregular array of bottom-mounted hydrophones. The single-hydrophone signal-to-noise ratio sometimes exceeded 30 dB in a 1-Hz band, confirming the detectability of 57-Hz underwater sound at global distances. The arrival-time pattern consists of a single broad pulse about 10 s long, whose fine structure decorrelates in about 12 min, in sharp contrast with the stable, discrete sequences observed over shorter, midlatitude paths. The amplitude fluctuations of both the fine arrival structure and the unmodulated receptions are uncorrelated between hydrophones as little as 3.4 km apart. Phase varies less than one cycle during a 1-h transmission after correcting for source motion, and the rms phase difference between hydrophones is about 3 rad averaged over the array. Phasor diagrams suggest that the effects of both source motion and ocean dynamics vary over the array. The probability density functions of the real and imaginary parts of a downshifted cw transmission are nearly Gaussian.
The role of vowel quality in pitch comparison
Authors: Hellström Åke , Aaltonen Olli , Raimo Ilkka , Vilkman Erkki
Published: October 2005

In normal speech, the fundamental frequency (F0) is higher for close than for open vowels. This phenomenon is called intrinsic F0 (IF0). With constant F0, open vowels sound higher pitched than close ones. Applying Hellström’s sensation weighting model for stimulus comparison, IF0 was hypothesized to contribute to this effect by making listeners’ adaptation levels (ALs) for F0 differ between vowels. Two groups of listeners (language students, choir singers) judged, for pairs of successively presented synthetic vowels, which vowel had the higher pitch. The judgments were clearly based on vowel quality; there were also large time-order effects. The results were well accounted for by the model. It is suggested that the adaptation-weighting mechanism increases the discriminability of vowels, and also equalizes the average pitch of different vowels in normal speech.
Nonlinear tube waves
Authors: Johnson David Linton , Kostek Sergio , Norris Andrew N.
Published: October 2005

The nonlinear characteristics of an acoustic tube wave propagating along the axis of a fluid-filled circular borehole in an elastic solid that is locally isotropic but whose properties may vary radially is considered. The analysis is carried out in the quasistatic limit. All terms through quadratic in the amplitude of the wave are considered and the amplitude of second-harmonic generation and the pressure dependence of the tube wave speed, dVT/dp, are expressed in terms of the fluid and formation nonlinear parameters. The results show that if there is no radial variation of the shear modulus of the solid then both the amplitude of second-harmonic generation and dVT/dp are independent of the third-order elastic constants of the solid and nearly equal to those of the fluid alone. If there is a radial variation of the shear modulus then the numerical calculations indicate that both the amplitude of second-harmonic generation and dVT/dp can be completely dominated by the nonlinear parameters of the solid. A perturbation theory valid for the case in which the shear modulus is nearly constant is derived that demonstrates that the nonlinear response is scaled by the value of the third-order parameters of the solid, leveraged by the degree and depth of alteration of the shear modulus.
Time harmonic acoustic Bloch wave propagation in periodic waveguides. Part II. Experiment
Authors: Bradley C. E.
Published: October 2005

The propagation of time harmonic acoustic Bloch waves in periodic waveguides is investigated experimentally and the findings compared with those of a theoretical investigation. The waveguides under study are air-filled rectangular aluminum ducts that are loaded with a periodic array of rigidly terminated rectangular side branches. The two parameters that characterize the Bloch waves, the Bloch wave number and the relative component wave amplitude, are measured and found to compare well with the theory. The band structure that is a well-known characteristic of Bloch wave dispersion is clearly evident in both parameters, and the features of the band structure are as predicted. The similarities and differences that, according to the theory, are allowed to exist between the forward and the backward traveling Bloch waves are likewise reflected in the measurements.
Generation of shear and compression waves in an inhomogeneous elastic medium
Authors: Robins Alvin J.
Published: October 2005

This paper considers an inhomogeneous solid sediment, whose properties vary continuously with depth, lying between two homogeneous media—an upper fluid layer representing the ocean and a semi-infinite, homogeneous, solid substrate. The problem considered is that of determining the reflection coefficient of a plane wave incident on the sediment from above. It is assumed that the shear modulus in the sediment is small compared with the bulk modulus. This results in a relatively simple pair of coupled equations governing the generation of shear and compression waves. The equations clearly demonstrate how a density gradient in the sediment results in the continuous generation of shear waves within the bulk of the medium, and not just at the interfaces between adjacent media. With a suitably chosen density variation in the sediment, the equations can be solved analytically. Exact solutions are derived for the isovelocity case, and are used to investigate the effect of a continuous density variation within the sediment, on the reflection of an incoming plane wave from the upper layer. These exact solutions are also compared with a simpler method for calculating reflection coefficient, in which density gradient terms are ignored and solutions for homogeneous media are matched simply by ensuring that the density is given its correct value at each interface. The shape of the density profile in the sediment has a significant effect on reflection coefficient if wavelength is comparable to the thickness of the sediment. The influence of the density profile decreases rapidly at higher frequencies, and the simple impedance matching technique is found to be adequate for wavelengths which are small compared with sediment thickness.