bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Inverse estimation of the acoustic impedance of a porous woven hose from measured transmission coefficients
Authors: Park Chul-Min , Ih Jeong-Guon , Nakayama Yoshio , Takao Hideo
Published: January 2003

A porous tube, comprised of a resin-coated woven fabric has recently been used as an effective component for use in intake systems of internal combustion engines to reduce the intake noise. For the prediction of the acoustic performance of an engine intake system with a porous woven hose, the acoustic wall impedance of the hose must be known. However, the accurate measurement of the wall impedance of a porous woven hose is not easy because of its peculiar acoustical and structural characteristics. A new measurement technique is proposed herein, that is valid over the low to mid frequency ranges. The acoustics impedance is inversely estimated from an overdetermined set of measured pressure transmission coefficients for specimens of different lengths and the reflection coefficient of end termination. The method involves only one measurement setup, and, as a result, it is very simple. A variation of the proposed method, an inverse estimation method using one of the four-pole parameters is also proposed. An error sensitivity analysis was performed to investigate the effect of measurement error on the accuracy of the final result. The measured TL for samples with arbitrary lengths and arbitrary porous frequency are in reasonably good agreement with values predicted from curve-fitted impedance data.
A- and C-weighted sound levels as predictors of the annoyance caused by shooting sounds, for various façade attenuation types
Authors: Vos Joos
Published: January 2003

In a previous study on the annoyance caused by a great variety of shooting sounds [J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 109, 244–253 (2001)], it was shown that the annoyance, as rated indoors with the windows closed, could be adequately predicted from the outdoor A-weighted and C-weighted sound-exposure levels [ASEL (LAE) and CSEL (LCE)] of the impulse sounds. The explained variance in the mean ratings by (outdoor) ASEL was significantly increased by adding the product (LCE−LAE)(LAE) as a second variable. In the present study it was investigated to which extent the additional contribution of the second predictor is also relevant for façade attenuation types with lower and higher degrees of sound isolation than applied previously. Twenty subjects rated the indoor annoyance caused by 11 different impulse types produced by firearms ranging in caliber from 7.62 to 155 mm, at various levels and for five façade attenuation conditions. The effect of façade attenuation on the ratings was large and consistent. In all conditions, an optimal prediction of the annoyance was obtained with outdoor ASEL as the first, and (LCE−LAE)(LAE) as the second predictor. The benefit of the second predictor, expressed as the increase in the explained variance, ranged from 2.5 to 55 percent points, and strongly increased with the degree of façade attenuation. It was concluded that for the determination of the rating sound level, the acoustic parameters ASEL and CSEL are very powerful. In addition, the results showed that for the whole set of impulses included, the annoyance could also be predicted very well by the weighted sum of indoor ASEL and the product (LCE−LAE)(LAE).
A directional acoustic array using silicon micromachined piezoresistive microphones
Authors: Arnold David P. , Nishida Toshikazu , Cattafesta Louis N. , Sheplak Mark
Published: January 2003

The need for noise source localization and characterization has driven the development of advanced sound field measurement techniques using microphone arrays. Unfortunately, the cost and complexity of these systems currently limit their widespread use. Directional acoustic arrays are commonly used in wind tunnel studies of aeroacoustic sources and may consist of hundreds of condenser microphones. A microelectromechanical system (MEMS)-based directional acoustic array system is presented to demonstrate key technologies to reduce the cost, increase the mobility, and improve the data processing efficiency versus conventional systems. The system uses 16 hybrid-packaged MEMS silicon piezoresistive microphones that are mounted to a printed circuit board. In addition, a high-speed signal processing system was employed to generate the array response in near real time. Dynamic calibrations of the microphone sensor modules indicate an average sensitivity of 831 μV/Pa with matched magnitude (±0.6 dB) and phase (±1°) responses between devices. The array system was characterized in an anechoic chamber using a monopole source as a function of frequency, sound pressure level, and source location. The performance of the MEMS-based array is comparable to conventional array systems and also benefits from significant cost savings.
Measuring hearing in the harbor seal (Phoca vitulina): Comparison of behavioral and auditory brainstem response techniques
Authors: Wolski Lawrence F. , Anderson Rindy C. , Bowles Ann E. , Yochem Pamela K.
Published: January 2003

Auditory brainstem response (ABR) and standard behavioral methods were compared by measuring in-air audiograms for an adult female harbor seal (Phoca vitulina). Behavioral audiograms were obtained using two techniques: the method of constant stimuli and the staircase method. Sensitivity was tested from 0.250 to 30 kHz. The seal showed good sensitivity from 6 to 12 kHz [best sensitivity 8.1 dB (re 20 μPa2⋅s) RMS at 8 kHz]. The staircase method yielded thresholds that were lower by 10 dB on average than the method of constant stimuli. ABRs were recorded at 2, 4, 8, 16, and 22 kHz and showed a similar best range (8–16 kHz). ABR thresholds averaged 5.7 dB higher than behavioral thresholds at 2, 4, and 8 kHz. ABRs were at least 7 dB lower at 16 kHz, and approximately 3 dB higher at 22 kHz. The better sensitivity of ABRs at higher frequencies could have reflected differences in the seal’s behavior during ABR testing and/or bandwidth characteristics of test stimuli. These results agree with comparisons of ABR and behavioral methods performed in other recent studies and indicate that ABR methods represent a good alternative for estimating hearing range and sensitivity in pinnipeds, particularly when time is a critical factor and animals are untrained.
High intensity anthropogenic sound damages fish ears
Authors: McCauley Robert D. , Fewtrell Jane , Popper Arthur N.
Published: January 2003

Marine petroleum exploration involves the repetitive use of high-energy noise sources, air-guns, that produce a short, sharp, low-frequency sound. Despite reports of behavioral responses of fishes and marine mammals to such noise, it is not known whether exposure to air-guns has the potential to damage the ears of aquatic vertebrates. It is shown here that the ears of fish exposed to an operating air-gun sustained extensive damage to their sensory epithelia that was apparent as ablated hair cells. The damage was regionally severe, with no evidence of repair or replacement of damaged sensory cells up to 58 days after air-gun exposure.
Individual talker differences in voice-onset-time
Authors: Allen J. Sean , Miller Joanne L. , DeSteno David
Published: January 2003

Individual talkers differ in the acoustic properties of their speech, and at least some of these differences are in acoustic properties relevant for phonetic perception. Recent findings from studies of speech perception have shown that listeners can exploit such differences to facilitate both the recognition of talkers’ voices and the recognition of words spoken by familiar talkers. These findings motivate the current study, whose aim is to examine individual talker variation in a particular phonetically-relevant acoustic property, voice-onset-time (VOT). VOT is a temporal property that robustly specifies voicing in stop consonants. From the broad literature involving VOT, it appears that individual talkers differ from one another in their VOT productions. The current study confirmed this finding for eight talkers producing monosyllabic words beginning with voiceless stop consonants. Moreover, when differences in VOT due to variability in speaking rate across the talkers were factored out using hierarchical linear modeling, individual talkers still differed from one another in VOT, though these differences were attenuated. These findings provide evidence that VOT varies systematically from talker to talker and may therefore be one phonetically-relevant acoustic property underlying listeners’ capacity to benefit from talker-specific experience.
Direct and inverse scattering of transient acoustic waves by a slab of rigid porous material
Authors: Fellah Z. E. A. , Fellah M. , Lauriks W. , Depollier C.
Published: January 2003

This paper provides a temporal model of the direct and inverse scattering problem for the propagation of transient ultrasonic waves in a homogeneous isotropic slab of porous material having a rigid frame. This new time domain model of wave propagation takes into account the viscous and thermal losses of the medium as described by the model of Johnson et al. [D. L. Johnson, J. Koplik, and R. Dashen, J. Fluid. Mech. 176, 379 (1987)] and Allard [J. F. Allard (Chapman and Hall, London, 1993)] modified by a fractional calculus based method applied in the time domain. This paper is devoted to the analytical calculus of acoustic field in a slab of porous material. The main result is the derivation of the expression of the scattering operators (reflection and transmission) which are the responses of the medium to an incident acoustic pulse. In this model the reflection operator is the sum of two contributions: the first interface and the bulk of the medium. Experimental and numerical results are given as a validation of our model.
Modeling of nonlinear ultrasound propagation in tissue from array transducers
Authors: Zemp Roger J. , Tavakkoli Jahangir , Cobbold Richard S. C.
Published: January 2003

A computationally efficient model capable of simulating finite-amplitude ultrasound beam propagation in water and in tissue from phased linear arrays and other transducers of arbitrary quasiplanar geometry is described. It is based on a second-order operator splitting approach [Tavakkoli et al., J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 104, 2061–2072 (1998)], with a fractional step-marching scheme, whereby the effects of diffraction, attenuation, and nonlinearity can be computed independently over incremental steps. This approach is an extension to that of Christopher and Parker [J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 90, 507–521; 90, 488–499 (1991)], wherein linear and nonlinear effects are propagated separately over incremental steps, and the computation of the diffractive substeps are based on an angular spectrum technique with a modified sampling scheme for accurate and efficient implementation of diffractive propagation from nonradially symmetric sources. Results of the model are compared with published data. Predicted field profiles for nonlinear propagation in tissue from realistic array transducers using the pulse inversion method are presented.
Acoustic streaming generated by standing waves in two-dimensional channels of arbitrary width
Authors: Hamilton Mark F. , Ilinskii Yurii A. , Zabolotskaya Evgenia A.
Published: January 2003

An analytic solution is derived for acoustic streaming generated by a standing wave in a viscous fluid that occupies a two-dimensional channel of arbitrary width. The main restriction is that the boundary layer thickness is a small fraction of the acoustic wavelength. Both the outer, Rayleigh streaming vortices and the inner, boundary layer vortices are accurately described. For wide channels and outside the boundary layer, the solution is in agreement with results obtained by others for Rayleigh streaming. As channel width is reduced, the inner vortices increase in size relative to the Rayleigh vortices. For channel widths less than about 10 times the boundary layer thickness, the Rayleigh vortices disappear and only the inner vortices exist. The obtained solution is compared with those derived by Rayleigh, Westervelt, Nyborg, and Zarembo.
Experimental demonstration of noninvasive transskull adaptive focusing based on prior computed tomography scans
Authors: Aubry J.-F. , Tanter M. , Pernot M. , Thomas J.-L. , Fink M.
Published: January 2003

Developing minimally invasive brain surgery by high-intensity focused ultrasound beams is of great interest in cancer therapy. However, the skull induces strong aberrations both in phase and amplitude, resulting in a severe degradation of the beam shape. Thus, an efficient brain tumor therapy would require an adaptive focusing, taking into account the effects of the skull. In this paper, we will show that the acoustic properties of the skull can be deduced from high resolution CT scans and used to achieve a noninvasive adaptive focusing. Simulations have been performed with a full 3-D finite differences code, taking into account all the heterogeneities inside the skull. The set of signals to be emitted in order to focus through the skull can thus be computed. The complete adaptive focusing procedure based on prior CT scans has been experimentally validated. This could have promising applications in brain tumor hyperthermia but also in transcranial ultrasonic imaging.
Influence of spectral shape on ordinary and higher order correlation detection of broadband transients with prefiltering
Authors: Dean Marcella E. , Ioup George E. , Ioup Juliette W. , Pflug Lisa A.
Published: January 2003

The performances of ordinary and higher order correlation detectors of broadband chirps, amplitude modulated by a Gaussian envelope or a cosine taper and of various center frequencies and widths, are compared. It has been previously reported that using several inputs to the detectors, including functionals such as the autocorrelation, the energy spectrum, and wavelet transforms of the signals, provided no significant improvement over ordinary correlation detection. It was only after prefiltering the signal to some fraction of its passband (a partially-known source scenario, i.e., only the passband is known) that quite significant gains were achieved. These gains, up to 12.5 dB in the signal-to-noise ratio at the minimum detectable level, were obtained for Gaussian-modulated chirps. These chirps have spectra which are fairly sharply peaked in their passbands. For comparison, the detection performance for cosine-tapered chirps, whose spectrum is fairly flat in the passband, is examined. Performance gains are not as large, but still reach almost 10 dB. In all partially-known prefiltering, the tricorrelation detector has the best performance, which is achieved using the received signal input for the Gaussian-modulated chirp and the autocorrelation input for the cosine-tapered chirp. The known source performance is also investigated. [Research supported by ONR.]
Drosophila
BLM in Double-Strand Break Repair by Synthesis-Dependent Strand Annealing
Authors: Adams Melissa D. , McVey Mitch , Sekelsky Jeff J.
Published: January 2003

Bloom syndrome, characterized by a predisposition to cancer, is caused by mutation of the RecQ DNA helicase gene
BLM
. The precise function of BLM remains unclear. Previous research suggested that
Drosophila
BLM functions in the repair of DNA double-strand breaks. Most double-strand breaks in flies are repaired by homologous recombination through the synthesis-dependent strand-annealing pathway. Here, we demonstrate that
Drosophila
BLM mutants are severely impaired in their ability to carry out repair DNA synthesis during synthesis-dependent strand annealing. Consequently, repair in the mutants is completed by error-prone pathways that create large deletions. These results suggest a model in which BLM maintains genomic stability by promoting efficient repair DNA synthesis and thereby prevents double-strand break repair by less precise pathways.
Characterization of the Humoral Immune Response to
Chlamydia
Outer Membrane Protein 2 in Chlamydial Infection
Authors: Portig I. , Goodall J. C. , Bailey R. L. , Gaston J. S. H.
Published: January 2003

Detection of antibodies to an outer membrane protein 2 (OMP2) by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) by using either the
Chlamydia trachomatis
- or the
Chlamydia pneumoniae
-specific protein was investigated. OMP2 is an immunodominant antigen giving rise to antibody responses in humans infected with different
C. trachomatis
serovars (A to C and D to K) or with
C. pneumoniae
, which could be detected by OMP2 ELISA. OMP2 ELISA is not species specific, but antibody titers were usually higher on the homologous protein. The sensitivity of this assay was high but varied according to the “gold standard” applied. Levels of antibody to
C. pneumoniae
OMP2 as detected by ELISA seem to return to background or near-background values within a shorter period of time compared to antibodies to
C. pneumoniae
detected by microimmunofluorescence (MIF), making it more likely that positive results in ELISA reflect recent infection. Thus, OMP2 ELISA has distinct advantages over MIF and commercially available ELISAs and might be a useful tool for the serodiagnosis of chlamydial infection.
Simultaneous Quantitation of Antibodies to Neutralizing Epitopes on Virus-Like Particles for Human Papillomavirus Types 6, 11, 16, and 18 by a Multiplexed Luminex Assay
Authors: Opalka David , Lachman Charles E. , MacMullen Stefani A. , Jansen Kathrin U. , Smith Judith F. , Chirmule Narendra , Esser Mark T.
Published: January 2003

Several different methods have been developed to quantitate neutralizing antibody responses to human papillomaviruses (HPVs), including in vivo neutralization assays, in vitro pseudoneutralization assays, competitive radioimmunoassays (cRIAs), and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays. However, each of these techniques possesses one or more limitations that preclude testing large numbers of patient sera for use in natural history studies and large vaccine clinical trials. We describe here a new multiplexed assay, by using the Luminex Laboratory MultiAnalyte Profiling (LabMAP3) assay system, that can simultaneously quantitate neutralizing antibodies to human papillomavirus types 6, 11, 16, and 18 in 50 μl of serum. The HPV-Luminex competitive immunoassay measures titers of polyclonal antibodies in serum capable of displacing phycoerythrin-labeled detection monoclonal antibodies binding to conformationally sensitive, neutralizing epitopes on the respective virus-like particles. This competitive Luminex immunoassay was found to be as sensitive, accurate, and precise as the currently used cRIAs. An effective HPV vaccine will most likely require several distinct genotypes to protect against multiple cancer causing papillomaviruses. The HPV-Luminex immunoassay should prove to be a useful tool in simultaneously quantitating antibody immune responses to multiple HPV genotypes for natural history infection studies and for monitoring the efficacy of prospective vaccines.
Decreased Epithelial Cytokine Responses in the Duodenal Mucosa ofHelicobacter pylori-Infected Duodenal Ulcer Patients
Authors: Strömberg E. , Edebo A. , Svennerholm A.-M. , Lindholm C.
Published: January 2003

Helicobacter pyloricolonizes the human stomach and areas of gastric metaplasia in the duodenum, but only a minority of those that are infected develop symptoms, e.g., peptic ulcers. Although most ulcers occur in the duodenum, almost all studies of mucosal immune responses against the infection have been limited to responses in the stomach. In the present study we evaluated whether there are differences in the levels of proinflammatory cytokines as well as immunoregulatory cytokines in the duodenal mucosa of duodenal ulcer (DU) patients and asymptomatic (AS) carriers which may be related to the development of duodenal ulcers. Duodenal biopsy specimens collected from normal mucosa as well as metaplastic mucosa of DU patients, AS carriers, and uninfected controls were analyzed for a number of cytokines by immunohistochemistry. Interestingly, the level of epithelial staining for several cytokines, e.g., interleukin-8 (IL-8), transforming growth factor β (TGF-β), and gamma interferon (IFN-γ), was found to be significantly lower in DU patients than in AS carriers and uninfected individuals. No differences were observed when cytokine staining in normal and metaplastic biopsy specimens was compared. However, larger numbers of IL-8-, IL-6-, TGF-β-, and IFN-γ-positive mononuclear cells were observed in the duodenal lamina propria of both DU patients and AS carriers than in that of the uninfected controls. Our finding that a number of cytokines that may be important for the mucosal host defense againstH. pyloriare strongly decreased in the duodenal epithelium of ulcer patients suggests that a down-regulated immune response plays a role in the development of duodenal ulcers.
Elevated Fecal
Candida
Counts in Patients with Antibiotic-Associated Diarrhea: Role of Soluble Fecal Substances
Authors: Krause Robert , Krejs Günter J. , Wenisch Christoph , Reisinger Emil C.
Published: January 2003

To assess the role of soluble fecal substances in the elevation of fecal
Candida
counts in patients with antibiotic-associated diarrhea (AAD), we investigated the growth of
Candida albicans
in vitro in serially diluted stool fluids from patients with AAD and healthy subjects. There were significantly higher
Candida albicans
counts in stool fluids diluted 1:10 from AAD patients than in healthy subjects and the phosphate-buffered saline growth control, which may be due to reduced soluble
Candida
inhibitors and increased availability of growth factors and nutrients.
Assessment of Safety ofLactobacillusStrains Based on Resistance to Host Innate Defense Mechanisms
Authors: Asahara Takashi , Takahashi Masatoshi , Nomoto Koji , Takayama Hiroo , Onoue Masaharu , Morotomi Masami , Tanaka Ryuichiro , Yokokura Teruo , Yamashita Naoya
Published: January 2003

SevenLactobacillusstrains belonging to four species were evaluated for pathogenicity as well as for in vitro sensitivity to the bactericidal mechanisms of macrophages in a rabbit infective endocarditis (IE) model. Two bacteremia-associated strains,L. rhamnosusPHLS A103/70 andL. caseiPHLS A357/84, as well as theL. rhamnosustype strain and the probioticL. rhamnosusstrain ATCC 53103, showed moderate infectivity, and the virulence of the probioticL. caseistrain Shirota and type strains such asL. acidophilusATCC 4356TandL. gasseriDSM 20243Tin the model was negligible. The strains that showed pathogenic potential in the rabbit IE model (PHLS A357/84, PHLS A103/70, and ATCC 53103) were more resistant than strain Shirota to intracellular killing activity by mouse macrophages in vitro and also to bactericidal nitrogen intermediates, such as nitric oxide and NO2−ions. These results suggest that resistance to host innate defense systems, which would function at inflammatory lesions, should be considered in the safety assessment ofLactobacillusstrains.
Performance Characteristics of an In-House Assay System Used To Detect West Nile Virus (WNV)-Specific Immunoglobulin M during the 2001 WNV Season in the United States
Authors: Prince Harry E. , Hogrefe Wayne R.
Published: January 2003

During the 2001 U. S. West Nile virus (WNV) season, 163 specimens were reactive in an in-house WNV-specific immunoglobulin M (IgM) screening enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and were referred to either the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention or the appropriate state public health laboratory (CDC/SPHL) for additional testing. CDC/SPHL supplied results for 124 specimens that could be further evaluated in-house: 70 specimens were nonreactive in the CDC/SPHL WNV-specific IgM screening assay, and 54 specimens were reactive. These specimens were used to evaluate a modified in-house WNV-specific IgM ELISA that incorporated background subtraction to identify nonspecific reactivity and thus improve assay specificity. Of the 70 CDC/SPHL nonreactive samples, 49 (70%) were nonreactive in the modified ELISA; of the 54 CDC/SPHL reactive samples, 51 (94%) were reactive in the modified ELISA. Confirmatory studies performed by CDC/SPHL indicated that 38 CDC/SPHL screen-reactive specimens represented true WNV infection; all 38 specimens were reactive in the modified in-house WNV-specific IgM ELISA. These findings demonstrate that an in-house ELISA system for WNV-specific IgM effectively identifies patients with WNV infection.
Experimental Mucosal Infection with Molecularly Cloned Feline Immunodeficiency Viruses
Authors: Kohmoto Mariko , Ikeda Yasuhiro , Sato Eiji , Nishimura Yorihiro , Inoshima Yasuo , Shimojima Masayuki , Tohya Yukinobu , Mikami Takeshi , Miyazawa Takayuki
Published: January 2003

Four of six specific pathogen-free cats were infected after intravaginal exposure to molecularly cloned lymphotropic but non-Crandell feline kidney (CRFK)-tropic feline immunodeficiency virus strain TM2 and its AP-1 deletion mutant. The sequences of the
env
V3-to-V5 region which defines the CRFK tropism were unchanged in the infected cats through the infection. These data suggest that the strain was transmitted across the mucosal epithelium without a broadening of cell tropism.
Chemokine Receptor 5 Expression in Gastric Mucosa ofHelicobacter pylori-Infected and Noninfected Children
Authors: Krauss-Etschmann S. , Sammler E. , Koletzko S. , Konstantopoulos N. , Aust D. , Gebert B. , Luckow B. , Reinhardt D. , Schendel D. J.
Published: January 2003

Experimental data from human adults or animal models indicate that theHelicobacter pylori-specific immune response is dominated by inflammatory T cells of the Th1 type. To investigate whether a Th1 immune response is established in earlyH.pyloriinfection, gastric biopsy samples from 70 children were subjected to immunohistochemical analysis. To this end, T cells, B cells, monocytes, neutrophils, and chemokine receptor 5 (CCR5)-expressing (CCR5+) cells, which are associated with Th1 immune responses, were quantified. Children were classified according toH.pyloristatus and clinical, laboratory, and macroscopic (during endoscopy) findings, without knowledge of histological findings. Group 1 included 31H.pylori-infected children, group 2 contained 24 children with other conditions possibly affecting the stomach, and group 3 contained 15 children without verifiable pathological findings in the stomach. Lymphoid follicles were present in 90% of biopsy samples from group 1 and 48% of those from group 2 but absent in group 3 biopsy samples. Intraepithelial T cells and CCR5+cells were regularly detected in all groups without significant differences. B cells, monocytes, and neutrophils were not found. In contrast, the numbers of lamina propria T cells (P< 0.003) and CCR5+cells (P< 0.001) were increased significantly inH.pylori-infected children. B cells (in 13 of 66 children) were detected in children with active (n= 11) or previously cleared (n= 2)H.pyloriinfections but were absent in healthy children. The numbers of monocytes (in 10 of 67 children) did not differ among the groups. Calculations indicated that the majority of gastric T cells express CCR5; this finding is in contrast to the low percentage of CCR5+T cells in the peripheral circulation. Thus, an increase in the numbers of CCR5+cells inH.pylori-infected stomach mucosa suggests that this molecule may play an important role in gastric immune responses.
Enhanced Immunological Memory Responses toListeria monocytogenesin Rodents, as Measured by Delayed-Type Hypersensitivity (DTH), Adoptive Transfer of DTH, and Protective Immunity, followingLactobacillus caseiShirota Ingestion
Authors: de Waard R. , Claassen E. , Bokken G. C. A. M. , Buiting B. , Garssen J. , Vos J. G.
Published: January 2003

We have investigated the effect of orally administeredLactobacillus caseiShirota (L. casei) on immunological memory, as measured by delayed-type hypersensitivity (DTH) and acquired cellular resistance (ACR). The studies were performed in animal models in which the animals were rendered immune by a primaryListeria monocytogenesinfection. It was shown that orally administered viableL. casei, and not heat-killedL. casei, enhanced significantly the antigen-specific DTH at 24 and 48 h in Wistar rats, Brown Norway rats, and BALB/c mice in a time- and dose-dependent fashion.L. caseihad to be administered at least 3 days prior to the DTH assay at a daily dose of 109CFU in order to induce significant effects. Long-term administration of 109CFU of viableL. caseiresulted in enhanced ACR, as demonstrated by reducedL. monocytogenescounts in the spleen and liver and diminished serum alanine aminotransferase activity after reinfection. Enhancement of cell-mediated immunological immune responses byL. caseiwas further established in an adoptive transfer study. Naïve recipient BALB/c mice, which were infused with nonadherent, immunized spleen cells fromL. casei-fed donor BALB/c mice, showed significantly enhanced DTH responses at 24 and 48 h compared to recipient mice which received spleen cells from control donor mice. In conclusion, orally administeredL. caseienhanced cell-mediated immunological memory responses. The effects relied on lactobacillus dose and viability as well as timing of supplementation and, further, appeared to be independent of host species or genetic background.
Specificity and Diversity of Antibodies toMycobacterium tuberculosisArabinomannan
Authors: Navoa Josephine Anne D. , Laal Suman , Pirofski Liise-Anne , McLean Gary R. , Dai Zhongdong , Robbins John B. , Schneerson Rachel , Casadevall Arturo , Glatman-Freedman Aharona
Published: January 2003

Arabinomannan (AM) is a polysaccharide antigen of the mycobacterial capsule. However, it is uncertain whether AM constitutes an immunologically distinct fraction ofMycobacterium tuberculosis. In this study, we analyzed the repertoire and specificity of antibodies to AM by using AM-binding murine monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) and human serum samples. Murine MAbs were found to be diverse in their specificity to AM and cross-reactivity with other arabinose-containing mycobacterial polysaccharides, with MAb 9d8 binding exclusively to AM. Human antibodies to AM were detected in serum samples from patients with pulmonary tuberculosis (TB), as well as in those from healthy, purified protein derivative-negative controls, with significantly higher titers among patients. The binding of human antibodies to AM was inhibited by MAb 9d8 in three patients with TB but not in controls. MAb 5c11, which recognizes other mycobacterial arabinose-containing carbohydrates in addition to AM, inhibited the binding of serum samples from 75% of patients and 76% of controls. Analysis of human antibodies with murine MAbs to human VHdeterminants demonstrated diversity among antibodies to AM with qualitative and quantitative differences compared with antibodies to lipoarabinomannan. In summary, our study suggests that antibodies to AM are diverse and heterogeneous with respect to antigen recognition and VHdeterminant expression, with human serum samples containing different subsets of antibodies to AM with the specificities of AM-binding murine MAbs. One MAb and a subset of human antibodies bind AM specifically, suggesting that this polysaccharide is antigenically distinct and is expressed in human infection.
Western Immunoblotting for
Bartonella
Endocarditis
Authors: Houpikian Pierre , Raoult Didier
Published: January 2003

To differentiate infectious endocarditis (IE) from other
Bartonella
infections and to identify infecting
Bartonella
bacteria at the species level on a serological basis, we used Western immunoblotting to test sera from 51 patients with
Bartonella
IE (of which 27 had previously benefited from species identification by molecular techniques), 11 patients with chronic
Bartonella quintana
bacteremia, and 10 patients with cat scratch disease. Patients with IE were Western blot positive in 49 of 51 cases, and significant cross-reactivity with three heterologous
Bartonella
antigens was found in 45 of 49 cases. Sera from bacteremic patients did not react with more than one heterologous antigen, and sera from patients with cat scratch disease gave negative results. Sera reacted only with
B. henselae
in four cases of IE, including one with a positive PCR result for valve tissue. Western blot and cross-adsorption performed on serum samples from patients with IE (the identity of the causative species having been determined by PCR) were demonstrated to identify efficiently the causative species in all cases. When applied to patients diagnosed on the basis of serological tests only, this technique allowed identification of the causative species in 20 of 22 cases. The results were in accordance with epidemiological features. Six reactive bands of
B. quintana
(of molecular sizes from 10 to 83 kDa) demonstrated significant association with sera from patients with
B. quintana
endocarditis. Overall, Western blotting and cross-adsorption made it possible to identify the causative species in 49 of 51 (96%) IE cases.
WEIGHTED TRACES ON ALGEBRAS OF PSEUDO-DIFFERENTIAL OPERATORS AND GEOMETRY ON LOOP GROUPS
Authors: CARDONA A. , DUCOURTIOUX C. , MAGNOT J. P. , PAYCHA S.
Published: January 2003

Using weighted traces which are linear functionals of the type [Formula: see text] defined on the whole algebra of (classical) pseudo-differential operators (P.D.Os) and where Q is some admissible invertible elliptic operator, we investigate the geometry of loop groups in the light of the cohomology of pseudo-differential operators. We set up a geometric framework to study a class of infinite dimensional manifolds in which we recover some results on the geometry of loop groups, using again weighted traces. Along the way, we investigate properties of extensions of the Radul and Schwinger cocycles defined with the help of weighted traces.
L2(E*, μ)-WEYL REPRESENTATIONS
Authors: HU XIAOSHAN , HUANG ZHIYUAN , WANG XIANGJUN
Published: January 2003

For the canonical commutation relations in infinite dimensions, we offer an explicit direct construction of Weyl representations Wϕ generated from the Fock representation by any ϕ ∈ L2(E*, μ, R) over the Q-space (E*, μ). Moreover, we obtain that, for any ϕ, ψ ∈ L2(E*, μ,R), Wϕ+ψ and Wϕ are unitarily equivalent, proving a conjecture posed by Robinson in Ref. 2. Our construction employs Wiener–Itô decomposition of the space L2(E*, μ, R) (respectively L2(E*, μ, C)).
DEFORMED POISSON-LAWS AS CERTAIN TRANSFORM OF DEFORMED GAUSSIAN-LAWS
Authors: ORAVECZ FERENC
Published: January 2003

We define a natural transformation of certain symmetric probability measures, and show that it brings the Gaussian-law as well as several deformed analogue of it to the Poisson-law or to the corresponding deformed Poisson-law, respectively. An important example is the q-Gaussian-law with its transform being the q-Poisson-law of Saitoh and Yoshida. By analogy we define an even more general class of deformed Poisson distributions, and show that, as in the classical and the q-case, these deformed Poisson-laws can be achieved as the distributions of certain operators.
LOCALLY CONVEX SPACES OF VECTOR-VALUED DISTRIBUTIONS WITH MULTIPLICATIVE STRUCTURES
Authors: KHRENNIKOV A. YU. , SHELKOVICH V. M. , SMOLYANOV O. G.
Published: January 2003

We construct an infinite-dimensional linear space [Formula: see text] of vector-valued distributions (generalized functions), or sequences, f*(x)=(fn(x)) finite from the left (i.e. fn(x)=0 for n<n0(f*)) whose components fn(x) belong to the linear span [Formula: see text] generated by the distributions δ(m-1)(x-ck), P((x-ck)-m), xm-1, where m=1, 2, …, ck ∈ ℝ, k = 1, …, s. The space of distributions [Formula: see text] can be realized as a subspace in [Formula: see text]

This linear space [Formula: see text] has the structure of an associative and commutative algebra containing a unity element and free of zero divizors. The Schwartz counterexample does not hold in the algebra [Formula: see text]. Unlike the Colombeau algebra, whose elements have no explicit functional interpretation, elements of the algebra [Formula: see text] are infinite-dimensional Schwartz vector-valued distributions.

This construction can be considered as a next step and a "model" on the way of constructing a nonlinear theory of distributions similar to that developed by L. Schwartz. The obtained results can be considerably generalized.
A REMARK ON THE STRUCTURE OF SYMMETRIC QUANTUM DYNAMICAL SEMIGROUPS ON VON NEUMANN ALGEBRAS
Authors: ALBEVERIO SERGIO , GOSWAMI DEBASHISH
Published: January 2003

We study the structure of the generator of a symmetric, conservative quantum dynamical semigroup with norm-bounded generator on a von Neumann algebra equipped with a faithful semifinite trace. For von Neumann algebras with Abelian commutant (i.e. type I von Neumann algebras), we give a necessary and sufficient algebraic condition for the generator of such a semigroup to be written as a sum of square of self-adjoint derivations of the von Neumann algebra. This generalizes some of the results obtained by Albeverio, Høegh-Krohn and Olsen1 for the special case of the finite-dimensional matrix algebras. We also study similar questions for a class of quantum dynamical semigroups with unbounded generators.
The Soviet Military and the Disintegration of the USSR
Authors: Taylor Brian D.
Published: January 2003

This article uses competing theories of civil-military relations to explain why the Soviet military failed to act in a decisive manner to prevent the collapse of the USSR in 1991. The norms and beliefs held by Soviet military officers—that is, the military's organizational culture—were crucial in shaping officers' behavior. The article tests this explanation against other approaches to civil-military relations and finds that the organizational culture framework is by far the most convincing. The article gives particular attention to the behavior of the Soviet armed forces during the attempted coup d'état in August 1991 and the events leading up to the dissolution of the Soviet state at the end of 1991.
Novel Linear and Cross-Linked Acrylate Polymers Bearing O-Cyanoethylated (Glycosyloxy)ethyl Side Chain with High Dielectric Properties over Wide Temperature Range
Authors: Nishida Ryosuke , Ishikawa Teruhiko , Saito Seiki
Published: January 2003

UV-irradiation (365 nm) on a spreaded mixture of 2-[tetra-O-(cyanoethyl)glucopyranosyloxy]ethyl acrylate and ethylene glycol dimethacrylate onto a copper plate gave a cross-linked copolymer which exhibited extremely stable and high dielectric permittivity (ε′) of 23 to 30 (−100 to −10 °C) and as high as 49 even at 20 °C.
Submicroscopic Morphology of the Laser Induced Surface Structure of Partially Renatured Gelatin Films
Authors: Sugiura Masaru , Tsunoda Katsunori , Yajima Hirofumi , Ishii Tadahiro , Itoh Hiroshi , Nagai Yutaka
Published: January 2003

The formation of nap-type structures induced by UV-laser irradiation of renatured gelatin films with various triple helix contents was observed by an atomic force microscope. Surface topography was found to be dependent on degree of helix content (DHC), fluence, and number of applied pulses (PN). The surface roughness (Ra) increased with PN following a hyperbolic curve for the renatured gelatin films with DHC of more than ca. 7%. The increment of Ra tended to be depressed with increasing DHC.
Steric and Conformational Effects on the Photophysical and DNA Binding Properties of Novel Viologen Linked Tolylacridines
Authors: Eldho Nadukkudy V , Joseph Joshy , Ramaiah Danaboyina
Published: January 2003

Two novel water soluble tolylacridines having viologen at the para and ortho to the acridine chromophore have been synthesized. Photophysical and DNA binding studies have revealed that the para-isomer exists in the extended conformation and binds to DNA by partial intercalation whereas the ortho-isomer exists both in folded and extended conformations and fails to interact with DNA.
Selective Hydrogenation of Benzene to Cyclohexadiene and Cyclohexene by Lanthanide Precipitates Obtained from Eu or Yb Metal Solutions in Liquid Ammonia
Authors: Imamura Hayao , Nishimura Kouzi , Sumioki Kenji , Fujimoto Mitoshi , Sakata Yoshihisa
Published: January 2003

Lanthanide precipitates obtained by decomposition of Eu or Yb metal solutions in liquid ammonia were active at 393 K for the partial liquid-phase hydrogenation of benzene to cyclohexene with high selectivity (≥90%). When the reaction temperature decreased to 323 K, cyclohexadienes were preferentially formed. The reducing behavior was markedly enhanced by the addition of ammonia to the reaction system.
The Preparation of Solid Superacid of Sulfated Tin Oxide with Acidity Higher Than Sulfated Zirconia
Authors: Matsuhashi Hiromi , Miyazaki Hidenori , Arata Kazushi
Published: January 2003

A highly active solid superacid of sulfated tin oxide was prepared from tin oxide gel which was precipitated from SnCl4 solution and washed with aqueous ammonium acetate solution. The sulfated tin oxide showed activity much higher than the sulfated zirconia, a well known solid superacid, for the skeletal isomerization of n-pentane, and its acid strength estimated by temperature-programmed desorption using argon was also higher than that of the latter.
Synthesis and Properties of Perfluoroalkylalkoxy Substituted Benzoic Acid Derivatives II: Forming Liquid Crystalline Cubic Phases
Authors: Nishikawa Etsushi , Yamamoto Jun , Yokoyama Hiroshi
Published: January 2003

A benzoic acid derivative having a long flexible fluorinated chain is synthesized. The material dimerizing through hydrogen bonding shows a smectic C phase at room temperature. The acid/base complex with 4,4′-dipyridyl exhibits a thermotropic liquid crystalline cubic phase. Flexibility of the fluorinated substituent and incompatibility with the hard aromatic cores are crucial factors to form a cubic phase.
A New Nonlinear Optical Borate Crystal Na3La2(BO3)3
Authors: Zhang Guochun , Wu Yicheng , Fu Peizhen , Wang Guofu , Pan Shilie , Chen Chuangtian
Published: January 2003

A new nonlinear optical (NLO) borate crystal Na3La2(BO3)3 (sodium lanthanum borate, NLBO) has been discovered. The bar-shaped crystal with sizes up to 8 × 3 × 2 mm3 was grown by the Top-Seeded Solution Growth (TSSG) method using Na2CO3–H3BO3–NaF as fluxes. The measurement of the infrared spectrum indicated that the basic anionic group is the BO3 group. Furthermore, NLBO crystal exhibits an optical second harmonic generation effect about twice as large as that of KDP(KH2PO4).
Synthesis and Characterization of the Dicobalt Bisporphyrin Complex Linked by 1,2-Phenylene Bridge
Authors: Shimazaki Yuichi , Takesue Hironori , Chishiro Takefumi , Tani Fumito , Naruta Yoshinori
Published: January 2003

The structure of a 1,2-phenylene linked dicobalt tetraarylporphyrin dimer was determined by X-ray crystallography and its dioxygen adduct was characterized by absorption and ESR spectroscopies. Since the porphyrin dimer has a long metal–metal distance and a rigid framework against inward bending, the cobalt centers were not bridged by the coordinated dioxygen.
Control of Ion Binding by Cooperative Ion-Pair Recognition Using a Flexible Heterotopic Receptor
Authors: Nabeshima Tatsuya , Hanami Takeshi , Akine Shigehisa , Saiki Toshiyuki
Published: January 2003

Complex of the host, which bears four amide groups and two crown ethers, and Cs+, recognizes chloride and bromide anions much more strongly than the free host, because the host captures one Cs+ ion with the two crown rings in a face-to-face fashion to cyclize the host, and the preorganization of the amide protons forms the good binding site for the anions.
Highly Syndiospecific Living Polymerization of Propylene Using a Titanium Complex Having Two Phenoxy-Imine Chelate Ligands
Authors: Saito Junji , Mitani Makoto , Mohri Jun-ichi , Ishii Sei-ichi , Yoshida Yasunori , Matsugi Tomoaki , Kojoh Shin-ichi , Kashiwa Norio , Fujita Terunori
Published: January 2003

A titanium complex having fluorine-containing phenoxy-imine chelate ligands, when activated with methylalumoxane (MAO), promotes a highly stereospecific living polymerization of propylene at room temperature to produce syndiotactic polypropylene (rr = 87%, Tm = 137 °C) having extremely narrow polydispersity (Mw/Mn = 1.11).
Is the Gulf Stream responsible for Europe's mild winters?
Authors: Seager R. , Battisti D. S. , Yin J. , Gordon N. , Naik N. , Clement A. C. , Cane M. A.
Published: January 2003

Is the transport of heat northward by the Gulf Stream and North Atlantic Drift, and its subsequent release into the midlatitude westerlies, the reason why Europe's winters are so much milder than those of eastern North America and other places at the same latitude? Here, it is shown that the principal cause of this temperature difference is advection by the mean winds. South‐westerlies bring warm maritime air into Europe and north‐westerlies bring frigid continental air into north‐eastern North America. Further, analysis of the ocean surface heat budget shows that the majority of the heat released during winter from the ocean to the atmosphere is accounted for by the seasonal release of heat previously absorbed and not by ocean heat‐flux convergence. Therefore, the existence of the winter temperature contrast between western Europe and eastern North America does not require a dynamical ocean. Two experiments with an atmospheric general‐circulation model coupled to an ocean mixed layer confirm this conclusion. The difference in winter temperatures across the North Atlantic, and the difference between western Europe and western North America, is essentially the same in these models whether or not the movement of heat by the ocean is accounted for. In an additional experiment with no mountains, the flow across the ocean is more zonal, western Europe is cooled, the trough east of the Rockies is weakened and the cold of north‐eastern North America is ameliorated. In all experiments the west coast of Europe is warmer than the west coast of North America at the same latitude whether or not ocean heat transport is accounted for. In summary the deviations from zonal symmetry of winter temperatures in the northern hemisphere are fundamentally caused by the atmospheric circulation interacting with the oceanic mixed layer. Copyright © 2002 Royal Meteorological Society.
Entrainment in stratocumulus‐topped mixed layers
Authors: Stevens Bjorn
Published: January 2003

Mixed‐layer theory is used to synthesize and evaluate recently proposed entrainment parametrizations (rules) for the stratocumulus‐topped boundary layer. The results illustrate that recently proposed entrainment rules exhibit marked differences. Significant differences are found between rules derived from a single set of simulations and rules derived from different sets of simulations. Such differences imply steady‐state boundary layers that can differ by as much as a factor of two in climatologically important properties such as vertically integrated liquid water and boundary‐layer depth. In addition, surface fluxes depend significantly on entrainment, as do different measures for the limits of applicability of the mixed‐layer theory. Moreover, differences among proposed entrainment rules yield steady states with different equilibrium sensitivities; models closed with some rules are more sensitive to divergence while others are more sensitive to variations in the sea surface temperature. Overall we expect that these differences should be evident in the climatology and climate sensitivity of stratocumulus derived from models which use these rules. This degree of sensitivity encourages attempts to bound entrainment rules observationally, by requiring consistency with the observed stratocumulus climatology. The analysis also encourages the use of somewhat simpler strategies for the parametrization of the stratocumulus‐topped boundary layer in large‐scale models. Copyright © 2002 Royal Meteorological Society.