bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Assessing the reliability of sequence similarities detected through hydrophobic cluster analysis
Authors: Silva Pedro J.
Published: October 2007

Hydrophobic cluster analysis (HCA) has long been used as a tool to detect distant homologies between protein sequences, and to classify them into different folds. However, it relies on expert human intervention, and is sensitive to subjective interpretations of pattern similarities. In this study, we describe a novel algorithm to assess the similarity of hydrophobic amino acid distributions between two sequences. Our algorithm correctly identifies as misattributions several HCA‐based proposals of structural similarity between unrelated proteins present in the literature. We have also used this method to identify the proper fold of a large variety of sequences, and to automatically select the most appropriate structure for homology modeling of several proteins with low sequence identity to any other member of the protein data bank. Automatic modeling of the target proteins based on these templates yielded structures with TM‐scores (vs. experimental structures) above 0.60, even without further refinement. Besides enabling a reliable identification of the correct fold of an unknown sequence and the choice of suitable templates, our algorithm also shows that whereas most structural classes of proteins are very homogeneous in hydrophobic cluster composition, a tenth of the described families are compatible with a large variety of hydrophobic patterns. We have built a browsable database of every major representative hydrophobic cluster pattern present in each structural class of proteins, freely available at http://www2.ufp.pt/˜pedros/HCA_db/index.htm. Proteins 2008. © 2007 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Observations of flame behavior during flame‐obstacle interaction
Authors: Fan Baochun , Ying Zhanfeng , Chen Zhihua , Ye Jingfang
Published: October 2007

A series of experiments have been performed to investigate the premixed flame behavior during its propagation in a rectangle chamber with various obstacles mounted on its wall. A high speed shadowgraph system was used to visualize the flame front development. Three different obstacles were used, and their corresponding sequential images are presented and used to quantify the shape and location of the flame front during its propagation. Our experimental results for flame acceleration showed similar results as the literature: the flame accelerates as it passes over the obstacles and then decelerates due to the existence of a recirculation zone behind the obstacles. However, significant changes in flame structures and turbulent transitions were found for the three different obstacles. It is found that the passage, which is composed of the surface shape of the obstacle and the inner wall of chamber, is critical to the shape of the flame front and propagation of the flame. The obstacle with the largest volume results in the fastest flame acceleration. © 2007 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Process Saf Prog, 2008
Quantitative determination of lysozyme‐ligand binding in the solution and gas phases by electrospray ionisation mass spectrometry
Authors: Veros Christopher T. , Oldham Neil J.
Published: October 2007

Affinity constants for the binding of a range of substrate and non‐substrate oligosaccharides to hen egg white lysozyme were determined by direct observation of the protein.ligand complexes using electrospray ionisation mass spectrometry (ESI‐MS) with a chip‐based nano‐ESI source. The values obtained for a series of β‐1,4‐N‐acetylglucosamine oligomers (NAGn) were found to be in good agreement with those determined by fluorescence measurement. Oligomers of α‐1,4‐glucose (Glcn), which are believed to bind to lysozyme non‐specifically, exhibited a 106‐ to 108‐fold lower affinity for the enzyme. Lysozyme.NAGn complexes displayed an increase in Ka from n = 2 to n = 4, but then reached a plateau. In contrast non‐specific lysozyme.Glcn complexes showed no such trend. Determination of gas‐phase complex stability was achieved by quantitative collision‐induced dissociation (CID) and infrared multiphoton dissociation (IRMPD) measurements. The collision energy (Ec50) or laser power (IRMPD50) required to dissociate precursor ions to 50% of their original intensity was determined for lysozyme.NAGn and Glcn complexes using the [M+8H]8+ charge state. An excellent correlation between trends in Ka and gas‐phase stability was seen for NAGn oligomers bound to lysozyme, whereas no such relationship was observed with the non‐specific, weaker lysozyme.Glcn complexes. These results illustrate that ESI‐MS can be used to quantify the interactions between lysozyme and oligosaccharides in both the solution and gas phase and that measurement of gas‐phase complex stability by CID or IRMPD can provide information about specific solution binding events. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Multi‐class confirmatory method for analyzing trace levels of tetracyline and quinolone antibiotics in pig tissues by ultra‐performance liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry
Authors: Shao Bing , Jia Xiaofei , Wu Yongning , Hu Jianying , Tu Xiaoming , Zhang Jing
Published: October 2007

An ultra‐performance liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC/MS/MS) method was developed to screen and confirm multi‐class veterinary drug residues in pig tissues including pig kidney, liver and meat. Twenty‐one drugs of two different classes including seven tetracyclines and four types of quinolones (quinoline, naphthyridine, pyridopyrimidine and cinoline) were determined simultaneously in a single run. The homogenized sample tissues were extracted with EDTA–McIlvaine buffer solution and further purified using a polymer‐based Oasis HLB solid‐phase extraction (SPE) cartridge. An ACQUITY UPLC™ BEH C18 column was used to separate the analytes followed by tandem mass spectrometry using an electrospray ionization source. MS data acquisition was performed in the positive ion multiple reaction monitoring mode, selecting two ion transitions for each target compound. Recovery studies were performed at different fortification levels. The overall average recoveries from pig muscle, kidney, and liver fortified with quinolones and tetracyclines at three levels ranged from 80.2 to 117.8% based on the use of matrix‐fortified calibration with the coefficients of variation ranging from 2.1 to 17.8% (n = 6). The limits of quantitation (LOQs) of quinolones and tetracyclines in different tissues ranged from 0.03–4.50 µg/kg and 0.16–10.00 µg/kg, respectively. The effects of the extraction solvent, SPE cartridge, elution solvent and sample matrix on the analyte recovery as well as the effects of the mobile phase composition and column temperature on the chromatographic behavior were also studied. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
The diameter of sparse random graphs
Authors: Fernholz Daniel , Ramachandran Vijaya
Published: October 2007

We derive an expression of the form c ln n + o(ln n) for the diameter of a sparse random graph with a specified degree sequence. The result holds asymptotically almost surely, assuming that certain convergence and supercriticality conditions are met, and is applicable to the classical random graph Gn,p with np = Θ(1) + 1, as well as certain random power law graphs. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Random Struct. Alg., 2007
Development and validation of time‐series synthesizers of rain attenuation for Ka‐band and Q/V‐band satellite communication systems
Authors: Lemorton Joël , Castanet Laurent , Lacoste Frédéric , Riva Carlo , Matricciani Emilio , Fiebig Uwe‐Carsten , Van de Kamp Max , Martellucci Antonio
Published: October 2007

The aim of this paper is to present recent developments in terms of propagation time‐series synthesizers, carried out in the framework of the ESA study 16865/03/NL/EC ‘Development of propagation models for telecommunication satellite systems’ (ONERA Final Report RF 4/07757/DEMR, 2004). The paper is composed of three parts: a review of the initial requirements related to propagation time series for system performance simulation, a description of a collection of rain attenuation time‐series synthesizers and of their related input parameters, and a comparative analysis of the output characteristics of these time‐series synthesizers as compared with experimental data collected during the OLYMPUS and ITALSAT propagation experiments. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Sequential causal inference: Application to randomized trials of adaptive treatment strategies
Authors: Dawson Ree , Lavori Philip W.
Published: October 2007

Clinical trials that randomize subjects to decision algorithms, which adapt treatments over time according to individual response, have gained considerable interest as investigators seek designs that directly inform clinical decision making. We consider designs in which subjects are randomized sequentially at decision points, among adaptive treatment options under evaluation. We present a sequential method to estimate the comparative effects of the randomized adaptive treatments, which are formalized as adaptive treatment strategies. Our causal estimators are derived using Bayesian predictive inference. We use analytical and empirical calculations to compare the predictive estimators to (i) the ‘standard’ approach that allocates the sequentially obtained data to separate strategy‐specific groups as would arise from randomizing subjects at baseline; (ii) the semi‐parametric approach of marginal mean models that, under appropriate experimental conditions, provides the same sequential estimator of causal differences as the proposed approach. Simulation studies demonstrate that sequential causal inference offers substantial efficiency gains over the standard approach to comparing treatments, because the predictive estimators can take advantage of the monotone structure of shared data among adaptive strategies. We further demonstrate that the semi‐parametric asymptotic variances, which are marginal ‘one‐step’ estimators, may exhibit significant bias, in contrast to the predictive variances. We show that the conditions under which the sequential method is attractive relative to the other two approaches are those most likely to occur in real studies. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Estimation of treatment effect adjusting for treatment changes using the intensity score method: Application to a large primary prevention study for coronary events (MEGA study)
Authors: Tanaka Yukari , Matsuyama Yutaka , Ohashi Yasuo
Published: October 2007

The MEGA study was a prospective, randomized, open‐labeled, blinded‐endpoints study conducted in Japan to evaluate the primary preventive effect of pravastatin against coronary heart disease (CHD), in which 8214 subjects were randomized to diet or diet plus pravastatin. The intention‐to‐treat (ITT) analysis showed that pravastatin reduced the incidence of CHD (hazard ratio=0.67; 95 per cent confidence interval (CI): 0.49–0.91) and of stroke events, which was the secondary endpoint in the MEGA study (hazard ratio=0.83; 95 per cent CI: 0.57–1.21). Owing to considerable treatment changes, it is also of interest to estimate the causal effect of treatment that would have been observed had all patients complied with the treatment to which they were assigned. In this paper, we present an intensity score method developed for clinical trials with time‐to‐event outcomes that correct for treatment changes during follow‐up. The proposed method can be easily extended to the estimation of time‐dependent treatment effects, where the technique of g‐estimation has been difficult to apply in practice. We compared the performances of the proposed method with other methods (as‐treated, ITT, and g‐estimation analysis) through simulation studies, which showed that the intensity score estimator was unbiased and more efficient. Applying the proposed method to the MEGA study data, several prognostic factors were associated with the process of treatment changes, and after adjusting for these treatment changes, larger treatment effects for pravastatin were observed for both CHD and stroke events. The proposed method provides a valuable and flexible approach for estimating treatment effect adjusting for non‐random non‐compliance. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Controlling the type 1 error rate in non‐inferiority trials
Authors: Snapinn Steven , Jiang Qi
Published: October 2007

Two different approaches have been proposed for establishing the efficacy of an experimental therapy through a non‐inferiority trial: The fixed‐margin approach involves first defining a non‐inferiority margin and then demonstrating that the experimental therapy is not worse than the control by more than this amount, and the synthesis approach involves combining the data from the non‐inferiority trial with the data from historical trials evaluating the effect of the control. In this paper, we introduce a unified approach that has both these approaches as special cases and show how the parameters of this approach can be selected to control the unconditional type 1 error rate in the presence of departures from the assumptions of assay sensitivity and constancy. It is shown that the fixed‐margin approach can be extremely inefficient and that it is always possible to achieve equivalent control of the unconditional type 1 error rate, with higher power, by using an appropriately chosen synthesis method. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Correction
Authors: Wu Yujun , Shih Weichung J. , Moore Dirk F.
Published: October 2007

‘Estimating a survival curve with unlinked entry and failure times’, by Yujun Wu, Weichung J. Shih and Dirk F. Moore (Statistics in Medicine 2007; 26:3624–3638).

(1) Equation (5) on page 3629 reads

which should read as

(2) Equation (7) on page 3630 reads

which should read as
The relationship between feminine gender role stress and disordered eating symptomatology in women
Authors: Mussap Alexander J.
Published: October 2007

A questionnaire was administered to 124 women aged between 18 and 40 years (M = 24.49; SD = 4.9) to explore the relationship between feminine gender role stress and disordered eating symptomatology. Fear of being unattractive (a subscale of the Feminine Gender Role Stress scale) correlated with the dietary restraint, eating concern, bingeing and purging subscales of the Eating Disorder Examination‐Questionnaire, while fear of being assertive correlated with the eating concern subscale. These relationships were mediated primarily by body dissatisfaction and by a tendency towards overcontrol. Although interpretation is limited by the cross‐sectional design employed, these results add to evidence that the stress of conforming to the feminine role is associated with a range of unhealthy body change attitudes and behaviours. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Jgroup/ARM: a distributed object group platform with autonomous replication management
Authors: Meling Hein , Montresor Alberto , Helvik Bjarne E. , Babaoglu Ozalp
Published: October 2007

This paper presents the design and implementation of Jgroup/ARM, a distributed object group platform with autonomous replication management along with a novel measurement‐based assessment technique that is used to validate the fault‐handling capability of Jgroup/ARM. Jgroup extends Java RMI through the group communication paradigm and has been designed specifically for application support in partitionable systems. ARM aims at improving the dependability characteristics of systems through a fault‐treatment mechanism. Hence, ARM focuses on deployment and operational aspects, where the gain in terms of improved dependability is likely to be the greatest. The main objective of ARM is to localize failures and to reconfigure the system according to application‐specific dependability requirements. Combining Jgroup and ARM can significantly reduce the effort necessary for developing, deploying and managing dependable, partition‐aware applications. Jgroup/ARM is evaluated experimentally to validate its fault‐handling capability; the recovery performance of a system deployed in a wide area network is evaluated. In this experiment multiple nearly coincident reachability changes are injected to emulate network partitions separating the service replicas. The results show that Jgroup/ARM is able to recover applications to their initial state in several realistic failure scenarios, including multiple, concurrent network partitionings. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Mirror, mirrors on the wall, who is the most powerful of all? A self‐study analysis of power relationships in science methods courses
Authors: Moscovici Hedy
Published: October 2007

This study explored the dynamics of power relationships in secondary science methods courses taught at an urban university in Southern California for credential candidates. Data collection extended over 10 academic semesters. Employing frameworks of power, self‐study, and critical pedagogy, the study analyzes the multifaceted and intricate roads (or multimirrored reflections) of an instructor on her way to becoming a transformative intellectual. Findings suggested that power sources and their use may vary according to the credential candidates' needs and the demands and perceptions of the different tasks performed in class. Perceptions of the instructor's goals and perceived attitudes during classroom tasks seemed to relate to power shifts ultimately influencing classroom dynamics. The major implications of this study was to reemphasize the acute need for instructor self‐studies in science education as a way of improving practice and fulfilling the demands of the changing and challenging science credential candidate population as well as their K–12 students. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Res Sci Teach 44: 1370–1388, 2007
Measurements behind model wind turbines: further evidence of wake meandering
Authors: Medici D. , Alfredsson P. H.
Published: October 2007

The frequency of wind turbine wake meandering was studied using wind turbine models with one, two and three blades. The one‐bladed turbine did not give rise to any meandering motion, whereas meandering was observed for both the two‐ and three‐bladed turbines at high enough rotational speeds. It was shown that both the thrust of the turbine and the tip‐speed ratio influence the meandering. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Indenyl‐Titanchloride: Ethen‐Polymerisation und Struktur‐Reaktivitäts‐Untersuchungen
Authors: Weiß T. , Völkening S. , Rüffer T. , Meichel E. , Sachse H. , Rheinwald G. , Lang H.
Published: October 2007

Indenyl‐Titaniumchlorides: Ethene‐Polymerization and Structure‐Reactivity Studies

The halfsandwich complexes [(η5‐C9H7)TiCl3] (3a), [(η5‐Me3Si‐1‐C9H6)TiCl3] (3b), [(η5‐Me‐1‐C9H6)TiCl3] (3c), [(η5‐Me2‐4,7‐C9H5)TiCl3] (3d), [(η5‐Me3Si‐2‐C9H6)TiCl3] (3e), [(η5‐Me2–1,3‐C9H5)TiCl3] (3f), [(η5‐(CH2)3–5,6‐C9H5)TiCl3] (4), and [(η5‐(CH2)3–1,7‐C9H5)TiCl3] (5) are accessible by reacting the in position 1 or 3 Me3Si‐functionalized appropriate indenes with TiCl4. CG‐TiCl2 compounds (CG = Constraint Geometry) can be synthesized by the subsequent reaction of Br‐2‐C9H7 (6a), Br‐2‐Me2‐1,3‐C9H5 (6b) and Br‐2‐(CH2)3‐5,6‐C9H5 (6c), respectively, with magnesium in presence of Me2SiCl2 to give the respective Me2SiCl‐functionalized indenes which further react with an excess of H2NtBu to afford tBuHN‐SiMe2‐2‐C9H7 (8a), tBuHN‐2‐Me2‐1,3‐C9H5 (8b) and tBuHN–2‐(CH2)3‐5,6‐C9H5 (8c). The latter species produce on their consecutive reaction with nBuLi, [TiCl3·3Thf] and PbCl2 the titanium CG‐complexes [(η5‐SiMe2NtBu‐2‐C9H6)TiCl2] (9a), [(η5‐Me2‐1,3‐SiMe2NtBu‐2‐C9H4)TiCl2] (9b), and [(η5‐Me2SiNtBu‐2‐(CH2)3‐5,6‐C9H4)TiCl2] (10). The same synthesis protocol allows the preparation of [(η5‐Me2SiNtBu‐1‐Me3Si‐2‐C9H5)TiCl2] (12) a CG complex in which the Me2SiNtBu unit is located in position 1.

The polymerization of ethene by using 3–5 and 9–12 and MAO (MAO = methylaluminoxane) as cocatalyst is described to show if a strong activity correlation between 3–5 and 9–12 exists. In order to optimize the catalytic activity of 3–5 the electronic (cyclic voltammetry, UV‐Vis spectroscopy) and steric properties (Multiple Overlap Solid Angle) of these species were analyzed. Based on the obtained data, semi‐empirical structure‐activity models for 3–5 are proposed to obtain an optimized substituent pattern for the indenyl moiety. Substituents in position 1 or 4 of the appropriate indenyl π‐perimeters show a strong bathochromic (+M) and electro‐neutral to electro‐negativ effect (0/‐I).
Adducts of Gallium Trichloride and Bis(trimethylsilyl)sulfur Diimide
Authors: Hubrich Christopher , Schulz Axel , Villinger Alexander
Published: October 2007

The monoadduct of GaCl3 with bis(trimethylsilyl)sulfur diimide (1) was synthesized and fully characterized. In the attempt to synthesize and isolate the diadduct of bis(trimethylsilyl)sulfur diimide (2), an astonishing GaCl3 diadduct of 3,3,5,5‐tetramethyl‐4,3,5,1,2,6‐oxadisilathiadiazine (3) was obtained. The formation of the six‐membered heterocycle can be explained by a methyl/chlorine exchange with GaCl3 as transfer reagent followed slow hydrolysis along with a condensation process. The structure of 1 and 3 was determined by single crystal X‐ray studies (1: monoclinic, P21/c, a = 11.187(2) Å, b = 9.338(2) Å, c = 18.117(6) Å, β = 111.80(2)° V = 1757.2(8) Å3, Z = 4; 3: monoclinic, C2/c, a = 19.950(6) Å, b = 8.722(2) Å, c = 12.078(2) Å, β = 114.60(4)°; V = 1910.8(8) Å3, Z = 4).
Ontogeny of chick behavior: a tool for monitoring the growth and development of lesser adjutant storks
Authors: Maust Maria , Clum Nancy , Sheppard Christine
Published: October 2007

We studied the behavioral development of seven lesser adjutant stork (Leptoptilos javanicus) chicks from hatching to fledging over three breeding seasons at the Bronx Zoo. We developed an ethogram and compared the rate at which behaviors appeared in relation to brood size, sex, and the conditions in which the chicks were raised by their parents. Although sample sizes were small, there seem to be sex‐related differences in the rate at which behaviors develop, with females developing more rapidly than males. Larger clutch size may be associated with slower growth rate because the single male developed faster than the two males in 2004. The slowest growth rate, observed in a single male chick in 1999, was most likely owing to nutritional deficiencies and other health complications. More research is needed, but these results can be used to help evaluate the age and health of lesser adjutant stork chicks in captivity and in the wild. Zoo Biol 26:533–538, 2007. © 2007 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Complete recovery from acute encephalopathy of late‐onset ornithine transcarbamylase deficiency in a 3‐year‐old boy
Authors: Mak C. M. , Siu T.‐S. , Lam C.‐W. , Chan G. C.‐F. , Poon G. W.‐K. , Wong K.‐Y. , Low L. C.‐K. , Tang N. L. , Li S. K. , Lau K.‐Y. , Kwong N.‐S. , Tam S.
Published: October 2007

Ornithine transcarbamylase deficiency is the commonest urea cycle disorder which is transmitted in X‐linked inheritance. It is mainly characterized in males by acute encephalopathy and hyperammonaemia with fatal outcomes in both classical neonatal and late‐onset types. We report a 3‐year‐old healthy Hong Kong Chinese boy who presented with acute encephalopathy and coma after three days of gastroenteritis. He had no focal neurological deficit and brain CT imaging was normal. His plasma ammonia (54 μmol/L) and glutamine (747 μmol/L) concentrations were normal. The only biochemical abnormalities detected were marked orotic aciduria (700 μmol/mmol creatinine) and elevated urinary uracil. He regained consciousness spontaneously after three days under intensive care with parenteral fluid therapy. He recovered completely without any neurological deficits. Five months after discharge, urinary uracil concentration remained elevated despite normalized orotic acid concentration. Finally, ornithine transcarbamylase deficiency was diagnosed by DNA analysis. A missense mutation of arginine‐to‐glutamine substitution on amino acid 277 (p.R277Q) was revealed to be a late‐onset mutant. Our case strengthens the argument that in any child with coma or acute encephalopathy of undetermined cause, genetic analysis of the OTC gene and the measurement of urinary uracil concentration remain the most reliable indicators of late‐onset OTCD during acute and even quiescent phases. Existing neonatal screening programmes for inheritable metabolic disorders fail to detect late‐onset variants. Therefore, a high clinical suspicion is a key to correct and timely diagnosis, especially in those patients with atypical presentations.
An existence result for a free boundary shallow water model using a Lagrangian scheme
Authors: Flori F. , Orenga P. , Peybernes M.
Published: October 2007

We propose a free boundary shallow water model for which we give an existence theorem. The proof uses an original Lagrangian discrete scheme in order to build a sequence of approximate solutions. The properties of this scheme allow to treat the difficulties linked to the boundary motion. These approximate solutions verify some compactness results which allow us to pass to the limit in the discrete problem.

Nous proposons un modèle de shallow water à frontière libre pour lequel nous donnons un théorème d'existence. La preuve utilise un schéma de discrétisation lagrangien original afin de construire une suite de solutions approchées. Les propriétés de ce schéma permettent de traiter les difficultés liées au mouvement de la frontière. Ces solutions approchées vérifient certaines estimations qui nous permettent de passer à la limite dans le problème discrétisé.
Compensated convexity and its applications
Authors: Zhang Kewei
Published: October 2007

We introduce the notions of lower and upper quadratic compensated convex transforms

C_{2,\lambda }^{l}(f)

and

C_{2,\lambda }^{u}(f)

respectively and the mixed transforms by composition of these transforms for a given function

f\:\text{:}\mathbb{R}^{n}\mapsto \mathbb{R}

and for possibly large

\lambda > 0

. We study general properties of such transforms, including the so-called ‘tight’ approximation of

C_{2,\lambda }^{l}(f)

to
f
as

\lambda \rightarrow + \infty

and compare our transforms with the well-known Moreau–Yosida regularization (Moreau envelope) and the Lasry–Lions regularization. We also study analytic and geometric properties for both the quadratic lower transform

C_{2,\lambda }^{l}(\mathrm{dist}^{2}(x,K))

of the squared-distance function to a compact set
K
and the quadratic upper transform

C_{2,\lambda }^{u}(f)

for any convex function
f
of at most quadratic growth. We show that both

C_{2,\lambda }^{l}(\mathrm{dist}^{2}(x,K))

and

C_{2,\lambda }^{u}(f)

are

C^{1,1}

approximations of the original functions for large

\lambda > 0

and

C_{2,\lambda }^{u}(f)

remains convex. Explicitly calculated examples of quadratic transforms are given, including the lower transform of squared distance function to a finite set and upper transform for some non-smooth convex functions in mathematical programming.
Are reports of mechanical dysfunction in chronic oro‐facial pain related to somatisation? A population based study
Authors: Aggarwal Vishal R. , McBeth John , Zakrzewska Joanna M. , Lunt Mark , Macfarlane Gary J.
Published: October 2007

Objectives:

To examine the association between self‐reported mechanical factors and chronic oro‐facial pain.

To test the hypothesis that this relationship could be explained by (a) reporting of psychological factors (b) common association of self‐reported mechanical factors with other unexplained syndromes.

Methods: A population based cross‐sectional study of 4200 randomly selected adults registered with a General Medical Practice in North West, England. The study examined the association of chronic oro‐facial pain with a variety of self‐reported mechanical factors: teeth grinding, facial trauma, missing teeth and the feeling that the teeth did not fit together properly. Information was also collected on demographic factors, psychological factors and the reporting of other frequently unexplained syndromes.

Results: An adjusted response rate of 72% was achieved. Only two mechanical factors: teeth grinding (odds ratio (OR) 2.0, 95% CI 1.3–3.0) and facial trauma (OR 2.0; 95% CI 1.3–2.9) were independently associated with chronic oro‐facial pain after adjusting for psychological factors. However, these factors were also commonly associated with the reporting of other frequently unexplained syndromes: teeth grinding (odds ratio (OR) 1.8, 95% CI 1.5–2.2), facial trauma (OR 2.1; 95% CI 1.7–2.6).

Conclusions: Self‐reported mechanical factors associated with chronic oro‐facial pain are confounded, in part, by psychological factors and are equally common across other frequently unexplained syndromes. They may represent another feature of somatisation. Therefore the use of extensive invasive therapy such as occlusal adjustments and surgery to change mechanical factors may not be justified in many cases.
Crystal structure of calf spleen purine nucleoside phosphorylase complexed to a novel purine analogue
Authors: Pereira H.M. , Berdini V. , Cleasby A. , Garratt R.C.
Published: October 2007

The combined use of a rapid virtual screen of a small fragment library together with a single point enzyme assay has been used for the discovery of novel PNP inhibitors. The availability of readily soakable crystals of bovine PNP has allowed the approach to be experimentally validated by determining the crystal structure of one of the inhibitor‐PNP complexes. Comparison of the experimentally determined binding mode with that predicted by the virtual screening shows them to be similar. This represents a starting point for the growth of the ligand into a higher affinity inhibitor.
RAC3 down‐regulation sensitizes human chronic myeloid leukemia cells to TRAIL‐induced apoptosis
Authors: Colo Georgina P. , Rosato Roberto R. , Grant Steven , Costas Mónica A.
Published: October 2007

The nuclear receptor coactivator RAC3 plays important roles in many biological processes and tumorigenesis. We found that RAC3 is over‐expressed in human chronic myeloid leukemia cells K562, which are normally resistant to TRAIL‐induced apoptosis. RAC3 down‐regulation by siRNA rendered these cells sensitive to TRAIL‐induced cell death. In addition to the up‐regulation of TRAIL receptors, the process involves Bid, caspases and PARP activation, loss of mitochondrial membrane potential, and release of AIF, cytochrome c and Smac/DIABLO to the cytoplasm. We conclude that RAC3 is required for TRAIL resistance and that this anti‐apoptotic function is independent of its role in hormone receptor signaling.
The degree of macromolecular crowding in the cytoplasm and nucleoplasm of mammalian cells is conserved
Authors: Guigas Gernot , Kalla Claudia , Weiss Matthias
Published: October 2007

Macromolecular crowding provides the cytoplasm and the nucleoplasm with strongly viscoelastic properties and renders the diffusion of soluble proteins in both fluids anomalous. Here, we have determined the nanoscale viscoelasticity of the cytoplasm and the nucleoplasm in different mammalian cell lines. In contrast to the cell‐specific response on the macroscale the nanoscale viscoelasticity (i.e. the behavior on length scales about 100‐fold smaller than the cell size) only showed minor variations between different cell types. Similarly, the associated anomalous diffusion properties varied only slightly. Our results indicate a conserved state of macromolecular crowding in both compartments for a variety of mammalian cells with the cytoplasm being somewhat more crowded than the nucleus.
Cyclin G associated kinase interacts with interleukin 12 receptor β2 and suppresses interleukin 12 induced IFN‐γ production
Authors: Lin Ying , Tang Yu Jie , Zong Hong Liang , Gu Jian Xin , Deng Wei Wen , Wang Chen , Sun Bing
Published: October 2007

Interleukin 12 receptor β1 (IL‐12Rβ1) and β2 (IL‐12Rβ2) constitute the functional and high‐affinity receptor complex for interleukin 12 (IL‐12) and mediate important functions in activated T cells. In this study, we identified cyclin G associated kinase (GAK) as a new IL‐12Rβ2‐interacting protein using yeast two‐hybrid system and confirmed it by coimmunoprecipitation assays. Overexpression of GAK in activated T cells suppresses IL‐12 induced IFN‐γ production but has no detectable effects on its proliferation, whereas knockdown of GAK by RNA interference (RNAi) increases IFN‐γ production. These results suggest that GAK associates with IL‐12Rβ2 and may play a role in regulating IL‐12 signaling.
Fatty acids in component of milk enhance the expression of the cAMP-response-element-binding-protein-binding protein (CBP)/p300 gene in developing rats
Authors: Mochizuki Kazuki , Kawai Hiromi , Mochizuki Hiroko , Shimada Masaya , Takase Sachiko , Goda Toshinao
Published: October 2007

Fatty acids in milk are thought to play an important role in intestinal maturation and gene expression in the rat small intestine during the suckling–weaning period. In the present study, we determined the jejunal mRNA level of the cAMP-response-element-binding-protein-binding protein (CBP)/p300, which is one of the chromatin remodelling factors and regulates histone acetylation, during the postnatal period in rats. The mRNA level of CBP/p300 was high during the suckling and middle of the weaning period (day 5 to 20) and then declined sharply to a low level at the end of the weaning period and after weaning.In situhybridisation also showed that CBP/p300 mRNA levels in the villus as well as the basal membrane clearly decreased after weaning. Rat pups at age 17 d, weaned to a high-fat diet, showed higher levels of CBP/p300 mRNA than those weaned to a low-fat diet. Oral administration of caprylic acid, oleic acid and linoleic acid, which are major fatty acid components in milk, induced jejunal CBP/p300 gene expression. The present results suggest that fatty acids in components of milk enhance expression of the CBP/p300 genes in the small intestine.
Comparative effects of olive oil-based and soyabean oil-based emulsions on infection rate and leucocyte count in critically ill patients receiving parenteral nutrition
Authors: Mateu-de Antonio Javier , Grau Santiago , Luque Sonia , Marín-Casino Mónica , Albert Inmaculada , Ribes Esther
Published: October 2007

Soyabean oil-based emulsions high in linoleic acid used in parenteral nutrition (PN) could interfere with immune function and may increase the risk of septic complications. Olive oil-based emulsions, high in oleic acid, could have fewer immune effects. We compared the effects of a soyabean oil-based emulsionv. an olive oil-based emulsion on infection rate, appearance of new infection episodes, leucocyte count (peak and evolution), acute-phase proteins, and major health outcomes in intensive care unit (ICU) adult patients receiving PN. The study was designed as an observational, retrospective, single-centre, cohort study in a general ICU. Patients in the SOYA cohort (n16) received a soyabean oil-based emulsion and patients in the OLIVE cohort (n23), an olive oil-based emulsion. Both cohorts had similar basal characteristics and received a similar energy load. The SOYA cohort received an oleic acid:linoleic acid ratio of 0·43 and the OLIVE cohort 2·99 (P < 0·001). No differences were observed in infection rate and appearance, acute-phase proteins, and major health outcomes. At the end of PN, blood leucocyte count decreased by 3·25 × 109cells/l in the SOYA cohort and increased by 4·51 × 109cells/l in the OLIVE cohort from baseline values (P = 0·036). Peak leucocyte count presented a trend for a higher value in the OLIVE cohortv. the SOYA cohort (18·86v. 15·28 × 109cells/l;P = 0·078). The use of an olive oil-based emulsion in PN had no effect on infection, acute-phase proteins, major health outcomes, and presented higher leucocyte count at the end of PN and a trend to higher peak leucocyte count when compared with soyabean oil-based emulsion in ICU patients.
A comparison of methods to assess changes in dietary patterns from pregnancy to 4 years post-partum obtained using principal components analysis
Authors: Northstone Kate , Emmett Pauline M.
Published: October 2007

Few studies have examined the longitudinal nature of dietary patterns obtained using principal components analysis (PCA); the methods used are inconsistent. This paper investigates the methodologies used to assess stability and changes in such patterns. Pregnant women recorded frequency of consumption of various food items as part of regular self-completed questionnaires in the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children. This was repeated when their children were 4 years of age; 8953 women provided data at both times. Dietary patterns were identified using PCA and component scores were calculated at each time point. Additional ‘applied’ scores were created at 4 years using the loadings obtained from the PCA on the pregnancy data. Correlations were similar for each component across the time points, though slightly larger using the applied method. The applied scores were considerably lower on average than those obtained from separate PCA at 4 years. Women's scores decreased on ‘health conscious’ and ‘confectionery’ components while ‘processed’ and ‘vegetarian’ scores both increased over the 4-year period. In contrast, applied scores were systematically lower for all components. When split into quintiles, weighted κ was slightly higher between pregnancy and applied 4-year scores compared to the separate scores. In this cohort it was felt that the ‘applied’ method to obtain scores at the second time point was inappropriate, primarily due to the differences in FFQ between the two time points. We recommend that future studies using such ‘applied’ scores compare them with cross-sectional scores and consider the implications of any differences.
The Miocene igneous rocks in the Basal Unit of Lavrion (SE Attica, Greece): petrology and geodynamic implications
Authors: SKARPELIS NIKOS , TSIKOURAS BASILIOS , PE-PIPER GEORGIA
Published: October 2007

The Miocene igneous rocks in the Basal Unit of the Lavrion area form part of the granitoid province of the central Aegean. Undeformed, subvertical dykes of quartz-syenite to granodiorite and granite porphyries, and a little deformed but variably altered granodiorite stock intrude metamorphic rocks of the Basal Unit. A 9.4 ± 0.3 Ma K–Ar age on feldspar for a dyke rock provides a minimum age for the igneous activity in the Basal Unit. East–west orientation of porphyry dykes is indicative of a regional extensional stress field with roughly north–south direction. Substantial extension in the Basal Unit after granodiorite emplacement is evident from widespread quartz veining associated with hydrothermal alteration of the granodiorite and the occurrence of mineralized tension gashes cutting the hydrothermally altered hornfelses. Final emplacement of the Blueschist Unit over the Basal Unit by extensional detachment post-dates contact metamorphism of the rocks surrounding the granodiorite. Geochemical diagrams show a continuous range of compositions from the dykes to the granodiorite. Radiogenic isotope compositions are compatible with a common magmatic source for the two lithologies. Elemental variations, as well as the considerable geochemical similarity of the dyke rocks to the Hercynian paragneiss of the central Cyclades, indicate that crustal melts were significant components during the evolution of the igneous rocks with fractional crystallization as an important process during later stages of evolution. The granodiorite displays geochemical signatures indicative of a significant mafic mantle-derived magma component.
Festivals and the dynamics of the exceptional dead in northern Vietnam
Authors: Kingsley Malarney Shaun
Published: October 2007

This article examines the changing dynamics of ritual engagements with the ‘exceptional dead’ in northern Vietnam. Since its inception, the socialist state has attempted to control which exceptional dead its citizenry can ritually engage in order to advance revolutionary goals. Although it was successful in this effort for several decades, since the early 1990s both the state and the population have begun ritually engaging a wider number of exceptional dead. This article examines the implications of this change with regard to political legitimation, access to sacred space and the changing role of the exceptional dead in people's lives.
Man's “Hollow Core”: ethics and aesthetics in Ḥadīth literature and classical Arabic adab
Authors: Sperl Stefan
Published: October 2007

Classical Arabic Ḥadīth literature is largely composed of micro-narratives recording the sayings and deeds of the Prophet Muḥammad. This study seeks to examine their literary form by focusing on selected examples listed in the canonical Ḥadīth compendia under the heading of adab, a term which may be rendered here as “practical ethics” but which is also commonly used to designate classical Arabic belles-lettres. While the latter is a type of literature quite distinct from the literature of Ḥadīth the texts here studied point to a certain interface between them. The ethical dimension of adab as it appears in Ḥadīth is examined further in the light of Haydon White's theory on the relation between narrativity and law. Contrasting the micro-narrative of Ḥadīth with the “macro-narrative” of the epic provides further insight into its approach to adab and serves to highlight its distinct literary and religious aesthetic.
The service retinues of the Chola court: a study of the term veḷam in Tamil inscriptions
Authors: Ali Daud
Published: October 2007

Drawing on the large corpus of Chola period Tamil inscriptions, this paper attempts to clarify the meaning of the apparently obscure and neglected term in Tamil epigraphy, known as veḷam. The paper argues that the term in Chola period sources should best be understood as a “palace establishment” composed mostly of women (and sometimes men) of servile status. A relatively comprehensive review of the term in inscriptions and literature sheds significant light on the organization of the lower echelons of labour in the Chola royal household and the conditions under which men and women of this status were incorporated into such service. The paper argues for a reconsideration of the importance of the veḷam as an institution in Chola times, as well as the lives of its members, concluding with reflections on how the institution changed over time.
Redefining Cantonese cuisine in post-Mao Guangzhou
Authors: Klein Jakob A.
Published: October 2007

To what extent do regional cuisines provide a set of principles through which “outside” flavours, foodstuffs and techniques may be safely incorporated? This question is explored through an ethnographic account of Cantonese cuisine in Guangzhou (Canton) at the turn of the twenty-first century. I focus on a historic restaurant in the city, where managers and cooks sought to innovate with the help of “outside” tastes, but without the restaurant losing its status as a “traditional” establishment. I argue that the incorporation of “outside” flavours onto local menus was not done on the basis of culinary principles alone, but that considerations of social hierarchy and cultural identity were equally important factors. Indeed, many of the dishes and techniques introduced contradicted the alleged principles of Cantonese cuisine. Such contradictions were downplayed, however, through essentialized representations of Cantonese cuisine and its relationship to specific localities.
Ngaraya: Women and musical mastery in Mali
Authors: Durán Lucy
Published: October 2007

This article aims to contribute to an understanding of the evaluation of musical artistry in Africa, through Mali as a case study. The discussion focuses on the informal discourses of the occupational group of Mande artisan-musicians known as jeli (pl. jeliw, jalilu), concerning the ideal of musical greatness, signified by the polysemic term ngaraya; while there is consensus about the ideal, there is much debate about who qualifies. Drawing on extensive interviews and fieldwork with leading jeliw over the past twenty years, it pays special attention to the views of and about Malian women singers, who since the 1980s have – somewhat controversially, as explored here – been the “stars” on the home scene. The article shows how local discourses challenge the widely accepted view that only men are the true masters (ngaraw). Many women jeli singers (jelimusow) have a special claim to ngaraya, and some also seek to position themselves within the canon, as they increasingly move into centre-stage of Malian popular culture. The importance of learning directly from senior master jeliw remains a core issue in the evaluation of ngaraya for both men and women, encapsulated in the phrase “the true ngaraw are all at home”.
Peter Zadek: The Outsider Who Has Come Inside
Authors: Carlson Marvin
Published: October 2007

Peter Zadek, now in his eighties, is among the most honoured and respected stage
directors in Germany, a nation which during most of the past century has
privileged stage directors above all other theatre artists. Zadek's
central position is somewhat surprising in that he began his professional career
in England and has in his repertoire, his public statements and his artistic
approach sought to position himself outside the mainstream German tradition.
This survey of his lengthy career seeks to illuminate this paradox, to show the
nature and extent of Zadek's singularity and also to suggest what
features in his approach have attracted such a devoted following within a
culture he has never claimed as his own.
Sources of Pleasure in the Theatre of Hanoch Levin
Authors: CASPI ZAHAVA
Published: October 2007

This article asks how it is that performances of the work of the most important playwright in Israel – Hanoch Levin – fill auditoria, despite the fact that these plays are considered to be unpleasant, irritating and even repulsive. I investigate the position of Levin's theatre with regard to audience response, and demonstrate how he arouses both conscious intellectual and emotional responses in his audience. The article seeks thereby to identify the sources of pleasure in Levin's theatre. It is apparent that Levin has no wish to send his audience home cleansed and contented. Neither is he interested in providing intellectual affirmation of the world's rationality, regularity and order. Rather than balance, harmony and external affirmation, Levin's plays offer a kind of pleasure bordering on what Roland Barthes calls jouissance, resulting in a new kind of catharsis in his audience.
Mapping Utopia in the Post-ideological Era: Lee Yun-taek's The Dummy Bride
Authors: KIM YOO
Published: October 2007

Written by Lee Yun-taek, arguably the most prolific and influential of contemporary Korean dramatists, The Dummy Bride (1993) is of considerable significance to the Korean political theatre's search for a new dramatic idiom in the increasingly apathetic post-ideological era. Although the issue of modernization of tradition has been a constant preoccupation with a number of other Korean playwrights in the 1990s, Lee's exploration of the relationship between tradition and contemporary social reality strikes a much more political note under the influence of Brecht and Artaud. His incorporation of the utopian realm of imagination into everyday life does not offer a stable sense of resolution to the audience. Swerving away from the ‘decontextualization and museumization’ of tradition and cautiously guiding against the excessive optimism of madang theatre, a dominant form of political theatre in the 1980s, his unique theatrical aesthetic stands as a vigilant rehearsal for how to dream without disregarding or succumbing to a frustrating reality.