bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Ascorbic Acid and the Oxidative Processes in Pea Root Cell Wall Isolates: Characterization by Fluorescence and EPR Spectroscopy
Authors: VELJOVIĆ‐JOVANOVIĆ SONJA , KUKAVICA BILJANA , CVETIĆ TIJANA , MOJOVIĆ MILOŠ , VUČINIĆ ŽELJKO
Published: September 2005

Abstract: A comparative fluorescence and oxygen radical‐sensitive spin trap EPR spectroscopic study of isolated cell walls (with proteins or deproteinated), in the presence and absence of ascorbate and H2O2 is presented. Fluorescence spectra indicate the presence of at least two fluorophores, one degraded and the other synthesized after reduction or oxidation, indicating phenol/di/polymerization. DEPMPO spin trap measurements show that isolated cell walls are capable of oxygen‐dependent hydroxyl radical generation in the absence of NADH or other reductants, ascorbate addition, or deproteination of the cell wall abolishing the signal due to hydroxyl radicals.
Molecular Pathogenesis of Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma
Authors: Lossos Izidore S.
Published: September 2005

Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) is a heterogeneous clinicopathologic entity accounting for 30% of non-Hodgkin's lymphomas. The pathogenesis of DLBCL is complex and heterogeneous. Recent studies using analysis of global gene expression with DNA microarrays and the classical molecular approaches demonstrate presence of several DLBCL subtypes characterized by different cells of origin, cytogenetic and molecular aberrations, and distinct pathogenesis. This review summarizes the progress in understanding of DLBCL biology and presents a state-of-the-art overview of DLBCL molecular pathogenesis.
State-of-the-Art Therapeutics: Hodgkin's Lymphoma
Authors: Connors Joseph M.
Published: September 2005

Presently Hodgkin's lymphoma can be cured in at least 80% of patients. The major challenge to the clinician in 2005 is how to cure the disease while inducing the least irreversible toxicity. This review focuses on clinical trials and institutional experiences to identify the best choice of treatment, individualized to the stage of the lymphoma permitting minimization of late toxicity such as infertility, premature menopause, cardiac disease, and most importantly, risk of second neoplasms. More than 90% of patients with limited Hodgkin's lymphoma can be cured with either short-course chemotherapy alone or even briefer chemotherapy followed by involved-field radiation. Accumulating evidence suggests that chemotherapy alone is suitable for the large majority of patients with limited disease. For the 80% of patients with advanced disease but without a large number of adverse prognostic factors, standard multi-agent chemotherapy with the well-established ABVD regimen (doxorubicin, bleomycin, vinblastine, and dacarbazine) provides the best balance of effectiveness and minimization of toxicity. More intensified regimens currently under investigation are appropriate for the 20% with numerous adverse prognostic factors. In 2005 it is insufficient to focus solely on cure of Hodgkin's lymphoma. The treatment program must maximize chance of cure and minimize late toxicity. Fortunately, brief chemotherapy alone or with radiation for patients with limited disease and standard ABVD chemotherapy for patients with advanced disease offer the appropriate balance of these two requirements. Patients with advanced disease plus multiple indicators of a poor prognosis and patients with disease that persists despite optimized primary treatment require specially intensified treatment.
Molecular Pathogenesis and a Consequent Classification of Multiple Myeloma
Authors: Bergsagel P. Leif , Kuehl W. Michael
Published: September 2005

There appear to be two pathways involved in the pathogenesis of premalignant non-immunoglobulin M (IgM) monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (MGUS) and multiple myeloma (MM). Nearly half of tumors are nonhyperdiploid, and mostly have one of five recurrent IgH translocations: 16% 11q13 (CCN D1), 3% 6p21 (CCN D3), 5% 16q23 (MAF), 2% 20q12 (MAFB), and 15% 4p16 (FGFR3 and MMSET). The remaining hyperdiploid tumors have multiple trisomies involving chromosomes 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, 15, 19, and 21, and infrequently one of these five translocations. Although cyclin D1 is not expressed by healthy lymphoid cells, it is bi-allelically dysregulated in a majority of hyperdiploid tumors. Virtually all MM and MGUS tumors have dysregulated and/or increased expression of cyclin D1, D2, or D3, providing an apparent early, unifying event in pathogenesis. The patterns of translocations and cyclin D expression (TC) define a novel classification that includes eight groups: 11q; 6p; MAF; 4p; D1 (34%); D1+D2 (6%); D2 (17%); and none (2%). The hyperdiploid D1 group is virtually absent in extramedullary MM and MM cell lines, suggesting a particularly strong dependence on interaction with the bone marrow microenvironment. Despite shared progression events (RAS mutations, MYC dysregulation, p53 mutations, and additional disruption of the retinoblastoma pathway), the phenotypes of MGUS and MM tumors in the eight TC groups is determined mainly by early oncogenic events. Similar to acute lymphocytic leukemia, MM seems to include several diseases (groups) that have differences in early or initiating events, global gene expression patterns, bone marrow dependence, clinical features, prognosis, and response to therapy.
Prognostic and Therapeutic Significance of Myeloma Genetics and Gene Expression Profiling
Authors: Stewart A. Keith , Fonseca Rafael
Published: September 2005

Molecular diagnostic tools and novel therapeutics now offer the potential for accurate prognostic and personalized treatment road maps for patients with multiple myeloma (MM). We will review the evidence and provide specific recommendations for routine clinical molecular genetic testing and use of such information to guide therapeutic decision making. In particular, the negative prognostic impact of specific IgH translocations such as the t(4;14), t(14;16), chromosome 13 deletion by conventional cytogenetics and loss of 17p13 by interphase fluorescence in situ hybridization are now established. Preliminary gene expression profiling studies have also demonstrated that individual genes (CSK1-B) or groups of genes can define prognosis with greater accuracy than conventional genetic markers and can provide pharmacogenomic and biologic insight into the pathophysiology, therapeutics, and future targets of myeloma. Importantly, we recommend that all clinical trials now adopt routine genetic testing and risk stratification.
Identification and Validation of Novel Therapeutic Targets for Multiple Myeloma
Authors: Hideshima Teru , Chauhan Dharminder , Richardson Paul , Anderson Kenneth C.
Published: September 2005

In vitro and in vivo models have been developed that have allowed for delineation of mechanisms of multiple myeloma (MM) cell homing to bone marrow (BM); tumor cell adhesion to extracellular matrix proteins and BM stromal cells; and cytokine-mediated growth, survival, drug resistance, and migration within the BM milieu. Delineation of the signaling cascades mediating these sequelae has identified multiple novel therapeutic targets in the tumor cell and its BM microenvironment. Importantly, novel therapies targeting the tumor cell and the BM, as well as those targeting the tumor cell or BM alone, can overcome the growth, survival, conventional drug resistance, and migration of MM cells bound to BM using both in vitro and in vivo severe combined immunodeficiency mouse models of human MM. These studies have translated rapidly from the bench to the bedside in derived clinical trials, and have already led to the United States Food and Drug Administration approval of the novel proteasome inhibitor bortezomib for treatment of relapsed/refractory MM. Novel agents will need to be combined to enhance cytotoxicity, avoid development of drug resistance, and allow for use of lower doses in combination therapies. Genomics, proteomics, and cell signaling studies have helped to identify in vivo mechanisms of sensitivity versus resistance to novel therapies, as well as aiding in the rational application of combination therapies. These studies have therefore provided the framework for a new treatment paradigm targeting the MM cell in its BM milieu to overcome drug resistance and improve patient outcome in MM.
Presence of a Truncated Form of the Vitamin D Receptor (VDR) in a Strain of VDR-Knockout Mice
Authors: Bula Craig M. , Huhtakangas Johanna , Olivera Christopher , Bishop June E. , Norman Anthony W. , Henry Helen L.
Published: September 2005

As part of our studies on the membrane-initiated actions of 1α,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 [1α,25(OH)2D3] and its localization in caveolae membrane fractions, we used a vitamin D receptor (VDR)-knockout (KO) mouse model to study the binding of [3H]-1α,25(OH)2D3 in the presumed absence of the VDR. In this mouse model, known as the Tokyo strain, the second exon of the VDR gene, which encodes the first of the two zinc fingers responsible for DNA binding, was removed, and the resulting animals have been considered to be VDR-null mice. To our surprise, several tissues in these KO mice showed significant (5–50% of that seen in wild-type animals) specific binding of [3H]-1α,25(OH)2D3 in nuclear and caveolae membrane fractions. The dissociation constants of this binding in samples from VDR-KO and wild-type mice were indistinguishable. RT-PCR analysis of intestinal mRNA from the VDR-KO animals revealed an mRNA that lacks exon 2 but contains exons 3–9 plus two 5′-untranslated exons. Western analysis of intestinal extracts from VDR-KO mice showed a protein of a size consistent with the use of Met52 as the translational start site. Transfection of a plasmid construct containing the sequence encoding the human analog of this truncated form of the receptor, VDR(52-C), into Cos-1 cells showed that this truncated form of the receptor retains full [3H]-1α,25(OH)2D3 binding ability. This same construct was inactive in transactivation assays using the osteocalcin promoter in CV1 cells. Thus, we have determined that this widely used strain of the VDR-KO mouse can express a form of the VDR that can bind ligand but not activate gene transcription.
Dehydroepiandrosterone Restoration of Growth Hormone Gene Expression in Aging Female Rats, in Vivo and in Vitro: Evidence for Actions via Estrogen Receptors
Authors: Iruthayanathan Mary , Zhou Yi-Hong , Childs Gwen V.
Published: September 2005

A decline in dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) and GH levels with aging may be associated with frailty and morbidity. Little is known about the direct effects of DHEA on somatotropes. We recently reported that 17β-estradiol (E2), a DHEA metabolite, stimulates the expression of GH in vitro in young female rats. To test the hypothesis that DHEA restores function in aging somatotropes, dispersed anterior pituitary (AP) cells from middle-aged (12–14 months) or young (3–4 months) female rats were cultured in vitro with or without DHEA or E2 and fixed for immunolabeling or in situ hybridization. E2 increased the percentage of AP cells with GH protein or mRNA in the aged rats to young levels. DHEA increased the percentages of somatotropes (detected by GH protein or mRNA) from 14–16 ± 2% to 29–31 ± 3% (P ≤ 0.05) and of GH mRNA (detected by quantitative RT-PCR) only in aging rats. To test DHEA’s in vivo effects, 18-month-old female rats were injected with DHEA or vehicle for 2.5 d, followed by a bolus of GHRH 1 h before death. DHEA treatment increased serum GH 1.8-fold (7 ± 0.5 to 12 ± 1.3 ng/ml; P = 0.02, by RIA) along with a similar increase (P = 0.02) in GH immunolabel. GHRH target cells also increased from 11 ± 1% to 19 ± 2% (P = 0.03). Neither GH nor GHRH receptor mRNAs levels were changed. To test the mechanisms behind DHEA’s actions, AP cells from aging rats were treated with DHEA with or without inhibitors of DHEA metabolism. Trilostane, aminogluthemide, or ICI 182,780 completely blocked the stimulatory effects of DHEA, suggesting that DHEA metabolites may stimulate aging somatotropes via estrogen receptors.
Minireview: Aquaporin 2 Trafficking
Authors: Valenti Giovanna , Procino Giuseppe , Tamma Grazia , Carmosino Monica , Svelto Maria
Published: September 2005

In the kidney aquaporin-2 (AQP2) provides a target for hormonal regulation of water transport by vasopressin. Short-term control of water permeability occurs via vesicular trafficking of AQP2 and long-term control through changes in the abundance of AQP2 and AQP3 water channels. Defective AQP2 trafficking causes nephrogenic diabetes insipidus, a condition characterized by the kidney inability to produce concentrated urine because of the insensitivity of the distal nephron to vasopressin. AQP2 is redistributed to the apical membrane of collecting duct cells through activation of a cAMP signaling cascade initiated by the binding of vasopressin to its V2-receptor. Protein kinase A-mediated phosphorylation of AQP2 has been proposed to be essential in regulating AQP2-containing vesicle exocytosis. Cessation of the stimulus is followed by endocytosis of the AQP2 proteins exposed on the plasma membrane and their recycling to the original stores, in which they are retained. Soluble N-ethylmaleimide sensitive fusion factor attachment protein receptors (SNARE) and actin cytoskeleton organization regulated by small GTPase of the Rho family were also proved to be essential for AQP2 trafficking. Data for functional involvement of the SNARE vesicle-associated membrane protein 2 in AQP2 targeting has recently been provided. Changes in AQP2 expression/trafficking are of particular importance in pathological conditions characterized by both dilutional and concentrating defects. One of these conditions, hypercalciuria, has shown to be associated with alteration of AQP2 urinary excretion. More precisely, recent data support the hypothesis that, in vivo external calcium, through activation of calcium-sensing receptors, modulates the expression/trafficking of AQP2. Together these findings underscore the importance of AQP2 in kidney pathophysiology.
A Mouse Model Demonstrates a Multigenic Origin of Congenital Hypothyroidism
Authors: Amendola Elena , De Luca Pasquale , Macchia Paolo Emidio , Terracciano Daniela , Rosica Annamaria , Chiappetta Gennaro , Kimura Shioko , Mansouri Ahmed , Affuso Andrea , Arra Claudio , Macchia Vincenzo , Di Lauro Roberto , De Felice Mario
Published: September 2005

Congenital hypothyroidism with thyroid dysgenesis (TD) is a frequent human condition characterized by elevated levels of TSH in response to reduced thyroid hormone levels. Congenital hypothyroidism is a genetically heterogeneous disease. In the majority of cases studied, no causative mutations have been identified and very often the disease does not show a Mendelian transmission. However, in approximately 5% of cases, it can be a consequence of mutations in genes encoding the TSH receptor or the transcription factors TITF1, FOXE1, or PAX8. We report here that in mouse models, the combination of partial deficiencies in the Titf1 and Pax8 genes results in an overt TD phenotype that is absent in either of the singly deficient, heterozygous mice. The disease is characterized by a small thyroid gland, elevated levels of TSH, reduced thyroglobulin biosynthesis, and high occurrence of hemiagenesis. The observed phenotype is strain specific, and the pattern of transmission indicates that at least two other genes, in addition to Titf1 and Pax8, are necessary to generate the condition. These results show that TD can be of multigenic origin in mice and strongly suggest that a similar pathogenic mechanism may be observed in humans.
Minireview: Regulation of Epithelial Na+ Channel Trafficking
Authors: Snyder Peter M.
Published: September 2005

The epithelial Na+ channel (ENaC) is a pathway for Na+ transport across epithelia, including the kidney collecting duct, lung, and distal colon. ENaC is critical for Na+ homeostasis and blood pressure control; defects in ENaC function and regulation are responsible for inherited forms of hypertension and hypotension and may contribute to the pathogenesis of cystic fibrosis and other lung diseases. An emerging theme is that epithelial Na+ transport is regulated in large part through trafficking mechanisms that control ENaC expression at the cell surface. ENaC trafficking is regulated at multiple steps. Delivery of channels to the cell surface is regulated by aldosterone (and corticosteroids) and vasopressin, which increase ENaC synthesis and exocytosis, respectively. Conversely, endocytosis and degradation is controlled by a sequence located in the C terminus of α, β, and γENaC (PPPXYXXL). This sequence functions as an endocytosis motif and as a binding site for Nedd4-2, an E3 ubiquitin protein ligase that targets ENaC for degradation. Mutations that delete or disrupt this motif cause accumulation of channels at the cell surface, resulting in Liddle’s syndrome, an inherited form of hypertension. Nedd4-2 is a central convergence point for ENaC regulation by aldosterone and vasopressin; both induce phosphorylation of a common set of three Nedd4-2 residues, which blocks Nedd4-2 binding to ENaC. Thus, aldosterone and vasopressin regulate epithelial Na+ transport in part by altering ENaC trafficking to and from the cell surface.
Cardiac and CNS defects in a mouse with targeted disruption of suppressor of fused
Authors: Cooper Ayanna F. , Yu Kuan Ping , Brueckner Martina , Brailey Lisa L. , Johnson Linda , McGrath James M. , Bale Allen E.
Published: September 2005

The hedgehog (Hh) pathway is conserved from Drosophila to humans and plays a key role in embryonic development. In addition, activation of the pathway in somatic cells contributes to cancer development in several tissues. Suppressor of fused is a negative regulator of Hh signaling. Targeted disruption of the murine suppressor of fused gene (Sufu) led to a phenotype that included neural tube defects and lethality at mid-gestation(9.0-10.5 dpc). This phenotype resembled that caused by loss of patched(Ptch1), another negative regulator of the Hh pathway. Consistent with this finding, Ptch1 and Sufu mutants displayed excess Hh signaling and resultant altered dorsoventral patterning of the neural tube. Sufu mutants also had abnormal cardiac looping, indicating a defect in the determination of left-right asymmetry. Marked expansion of nodal expression in 7.5 dpc embryos and variable degrees of node dysmorphology in 7.75 dpc embryos suggested that the pathogenesis of the cardiac developmental abnormalities was related to node development. Other mutants of the Hh pathway, such as Shh, Smo and Shh/Ihhcompound mutants, also have laterality defects. In contrast to Ptch1heterozygous mice, Sufu heterozygotes had no developmental defects and no apparent tumor predisposition. The resemblance of Sufuhomozygotes to Ptch1 homozygotes is consistent with mouse Sufu being a conserved negative modulator of Hh signaling.
Systems biology in the cell nucleus
Authors: Gorski Stanislaw , Misteli Tom
Published: September 2005

The mammalian nucleus is arguably the most complex cellular organelle. It houses the vast majority of an organism's genetic material and is the site of all major genome regulatory processes. Reductionist approaches have been spectacularly successful at dissecting at the molecular level many of the key processes that occur within the nucleus, particularly gene expression. At the same time, the limitations of analyzing single nuclear processes in spatial and temporal isolation and the validity of generalizing observations of single gene loci are becoming evident. The next level of understanding of genome function is to integrate our knowledge of their sequences and the molecular mechanisms involved in nuclear processes with our insights into the spatial and temporal organization of the nucleus and to elucidate the interplay between protein and gene networks in regulatory circuits. To do so, catalogues of genomes and proteomes as well as a precise understanding of the behavior of molecules in living cells are required. Converging technological developments in genomics, proteomics, dynamics and computation are now leading towards such an integrated biological understanding of genome biology and nuclear function.
Sensitivity of the anterior lateral line to natural stimuli in the oyster toadfish,Opsanus tau(Linnaeus)
Authors: Palmer Lucy M. , Deffenbaugh Max , Mensinger Allen F.
Published: September 2005

Inductive neural telemetry was used to record from microwire electrodes chronically implanted into the anterior lateral line nerve of the oyster toadfish, Opsanus tau (L.). The lateral lines of free-ranging toadfish were stimulated by the swimming movements of a prey fish(Fundulus heteroclitus), and the corresponding neural activity was quantified. Both spontaneously active and silent afferent fibers experienced an increase in neural firing as the prey approached the lateral line. Activity was evoked when the prey fish approached to within 8-12 cm of the neuromast,with increases in nerve firing rates directly correlated with diminishing distance. Thus, adult toadfish (28 cm standard length; 33 cm total length)were only able to detect mobile prey that approached within approximately 40%of their body length. Both spontaneously active and silent afferent fibers also experienced a dramatic increase in firing during predatory strikes,indicating that the fibers were not inhibited during rapid body movement. This study investigates, for the first time, the neural response of the anterior lateral line to prey stimuli in free-ranging fish.
Adaptive bone formation in acellular vertebrae of sea bass(Dicentrarchus labrax L.)
Authors: Kranenbarg Sander , van Cleynenbreugel Tim , Schipper Henk , van Leeuwen Johan
Published: September 2005

Mammalian bone is an active tissue in which osteoblasts and osteoclasts balance bone mass. This process of adaptive modelling and remodelling is probably regulated by strain-sensing osteocytes. Bone of advanced teleosts is acellular yet, despite the lack of osteocytes, it is capable of an adaptive response to physical stimuli. Strenuous exercise is known to induce lordosis. Lordosis is a ventrad curvature of the vertebral column, and the affected vertebrae show an increase in bone formation.

The effects of lordosis on the strain distribution in sea bass(Dicentrarchus labrax L.) vertebrae are assessed using finite element modelling. The response of the local tissue is analyzed spatially and ontogenetically in terms of bone volume.

Lordotic vertebrae show a significantly increased strain energy due to the increased load compared with normal vertebrae when loaded in compression. High strain regions are found in the vertebral centrum and parasagittal ridges. The increase in strain energy is attenuated by a change in architecture due to the increased bone formation. The increased bone formation is seen mainly at the articular surfaces of the vertebrae, although some extra bone is formed in the vertebral centrum.

Regions in which the highest strains are found do not spatially correlate with regions in which the most extensive bone apposition occurs in lordotic vertebrae of sea bass. Mammalian-like strain-regulated bone modelling is probably not the guiding mechanism in adaptive bone modelling of acellular sea bass vertebrae. Chondroidal ossification is found at the articular surfaces where it mediates a rapid adaptive response, potentially attenuating high stresses on the dorsal zygapophyses.
On the estimation of swimming and flying forces from wake measurements
Authors: Dabiri John O.
Published: September 2005

The transfer of momentum from an animal to fluid in its wake is fundamental to many swimming and flying modes of locomotion. Hence, properties of the wake are commonly studied in experiments to infer the magnitude and direction of locomotive forces. The determination of which wake properties are necessary and sufficient to empirically deduce swimming and flying forces is currently made ad hoc. This paper systematically addresses the question of the minimum number of wake properties whose combination is sufficient to determine swimming and flying forces from wake measurements. In particular, it is confirmed that the spatial velocity distribution (i.e. the velocity field) in the wake is by itself insufficient to determine swimming and flying forces,and must be combined with the fluid pressure distribution. Importantly, it is also shown that the spatial distribution of rotation and shear (i.e. the vorticity field) in the wake is by itself insufficient to determine swimming and flying forces, and must be combined with a parameter that is analogous to the fluid pressure. The measurement of this parameter in the wake is shown to be identical to a calculation of the added-mass contribution from fluid surrounding vortices in the wake, and proceeds identically to a measurement of the added-mass traditionally associated with fluid surrounding solid bodies. It is demonstrated that the velocity/pressure perspective is equivalent to the vorticity/vortex-added-mass approach in the equations of motion. A model is developed to approximate the contribution of wake vortex added-mass to locomotive forces, given a combination of velocity and vorticity field measurements in the wake. A dimensionless parameter, the wake vortex ratio(denoted Wa), is introduced to predict the types of wake flows for which the contribution of forces due to wake vortex added-mass will become non-negligible. Previous wake analyses are re-examined in light of this parameter to infer the existence and importance of wake vortex added-mass in those cases. In the process, it is demonstrated that the commonly used time-averaged force estimates based on wake measurements are not sufficient to prove that an animal is generating the locomotive forces necessary to sustain flight or maintain neutral buoyancy.
Synthesis of the First Dihydroxyl Adduct of Gd@C82
Authors: Zhang Yazhou , Xiang Junfeng , Zhuang Junpeng , Li Yuliang , Xin Bin , Liu Fen , Hou Keyue , Tang Yalin
Published: September 2005

A new metallofullerene derivative, dihydroxy endohedral Gd metallofullerene, Gd@C82(OH)2 has been synthesized by a reaction of Gd@C82 with H2O2, which is confirmed by matrix-assisted laser-desorption ionization time-of-flight (MALDI-TOF) mass spectrometry and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS).
Preparation and Characterization of Amorphous Ce1−xZrxW2O8 Fine Particles for Environmental-friendly Yellow Pigments
Authors: Masui Toshiyuki , Furukawa Shinya , Imanaka Nobuhito
Published: September 2005

New inorganic pigments based on amorphous cerium tungstate have been synthesized with the goal of preparing ecologically and environmental-friendly specific pigments. These pigments consist of all non-toxic elements and show brilliant yellow color. The reason for the color change was attributed to the modification of the O2p–Ce4f and the O2p–W5d double charge transfer transitions with the Zr doping.
One-step Hydrothermal Method to Synthesize Self-encapsulated ZnS Micron Core-shell Spheres on a Large Scale
Authors: Chai Lanlan , Zhu Yongchun , Du Jin , Zou Goufu , Xiong Kan , Qian Yitai
Published: September 2005

Uniform self-encapsulated ZnS micron core-shell spheres have been synthesized on a large scale using metallic zinc powder and NaHSO3 as starting reagents in distilled water at 200 °C for 50 h. The as-prepared samples are characterized with XRD, FE-SEM, TEM, and PL. A possible formation mechanism is briefly discussed.
Transformation of Double Hydrogen-bonding Motifs of TTF–Uracil System by Redox Change
Authors: Miyazaki Eigo , Morita Yasushi , Umemoto Yoshikazu , Fukui Kozo , Nakasuji Kazuhiro
Published: September 2005

A TTF derivative with an N1-tert-butyluracil moiety, TtbU, was prepared as a new electron-donor molecule capable of multiple hydrogen-bondings. Formation of the two different types of double hydrogen-bonding motifs, Watson–Crick and reverse Watson–Crick types, was demonstrated for the first time between TtbU and its I3− salt in the crystalline states.
Stereoselective Intramolecular O–H Insertion of Rhodium Carbenoid Controlled by the 2,4-Pentanediol Tether
Authors: Im Chun Young , Okuyama Tadashi , Sugimura Takashi
Published: September 2005

Intramolecular O–H insertion of acetodiazoacetate esters gave cyclic ethers of up to 86% diastereomer excess when 2,4-pentanediol was employed as a chiral tether. The selectivity of the reaction was suggested to be determined at the later stage of the reaction after dissociation of the catalyst.
Novel Phosphate–Phosphate Bond Formation Mediated upon Cobalt(III) Complex Systems
Authors: Funahashi Yasuhiro , Yoneda Atsuro , Taki Chiyoe , Kosuge Miwa , Ozawa Tomohiro , Jitsukawa Koichiro , Masuda Hideki
Published: September 2005

In an aqueous solution (pH 3) containing active charcoal as a solid phase, reaction of [CoIII(tpa)(CO3)]+(1) (tpa = tris(2-pyridylmethyl)amine) and 2 equiv. of an active phosphate ester, disodium 4-nitrophenylphosphate (NPP), at 60 °C gave [CoIII(tpa)(PO4)] (2) (8% yield) and [{CoIII(tpa)}2(μ-P2O7)]2+ (3) (51% yield) as isolated products. The X-ray crystal structure of main product 3 revealed that an NPP-derived diphosphate bridged to the dinuclear Co(III) centers. The diphosphate formation was not detected without active charcoal or under neutral pH condition.
An Effective Method for the Synthesis of Carboxamides by Using Tetrakis(pyridine-2-yloxy)silane as a Mild Coupling Reagent
Authors: Tozawa Takashi , Yamane Yoshinobu , Mukaiyama Teruaki
Published: September 2005

Tetrakis(pyridin-2-yloxy)silane [Si(OPy)4] is easily prepared by trans-silylation between silicon tetrachloride and trimethyl(pyridin-2-yloxy)silane in the molar ratio of 1:4. This novel reagent is effectively employed as a mild dehydrating reagent in forming various carboxamides from the corresponding carboxylic acids and amines that involve secondary or tertiary alkyl substituted ones in good to high yields without using any basic promoters such as tertiary amines or 4-(dimethylamino)pyridine.
Electrochemical Potential Control of Stretched Length of Au Nanowire in Solution
Authors: Kiguchi Manabu , Konishi Tatsuya , Murakoshi Kei
Published: September 2005

Gold nanowire was mechanically fabricated in 0.1 M Na2SO4 solution under electrochemical potential control. Stretched length of the gold nanowire was evaluated from the length of the last conductance plateau showing a unit conductance quantum, 1G0 = 2e2/h. Estimated wire length changed reversibly with the electrochemical potential. We have shown that the stability of the gold atomic wire could be controlled by the electrochemical potential.
Reading Comprehension and Its Relation to the Quality of Functional Hearing: Evidence From Readers With Different Functional Hearing Abilities
Authors: Miller Paul
Published: September 2005

Three groups of students—19 hard of hearing, 20 deaf, and a control group of 36 typically developing hearing readers—were compared on their ability to process written words at the lexical level and on their comprehension of words within the structure of a sentence. Findings generally suggested that severe prelingual hearing loss does not prevent the development of word processing strategies adequate for efficient processing of written words at the lexical level, although such hearing loss seems to put individuals at risk of failure in internalizing syntactic knowledge crucial for proper processing of words at the sentence level. Evidence further indicated that neither the amount of functional hearing (deaf vs. hard of hearing), the hearing status of their parents (hearing impaired vs. hearing), nor the use of sign language as a primary communication mode was a direct cause in this regard.
Discrete Mathematics in Deaf Education: A Survey of Teachers' Knowledge and Uses
Authors: Pagliaro Claudia M , Kritzer Karen L
Published: September 2005

The study documents what deaf education teachers know about discrete mathematics topics and determines if these topics are present in the mathematics curriculum. Survey data were collected from 290 mathematics teachers at center and public school programs serving a minimum of 120 students with hearing loss, grades K–8 or K–12, in the United States. Findings indicate that deaf education teachers are familiar with many discrete mathematics topics but do not include them in instruction because they consider the concepts too complicated for their students. Also, regardless of familiarity level, deaf education teachers are not familiar with discrete mathematics terminology; nor is their mathematics teaching structured to provide opportunities to apply the real-world–oriented activities used in discrete mathematics instruction. Findings emphasize the need for higher expectations of students with hearing loss, and for reform in mathematics curriculum and instruction within deaf education.
Interviews With Deaf Children About Their Experiences Using Cochlear Implants
Authors: Preisler Gunilla , Tvingstedt Anna-Lena , Ahlstrom Margareta
Published: September 2005

Within the framework of a longitudinal study of deaf children with cochlear implants, 11 children with implants were interviewed. The objective was to shed light on what it is like for a child to use a cochlear implant, based on these children's own experience with implants, which ranged from 5.0 to 7.5 years. Six of the children were in schools for the deaf, five in regular classes. All but one used an implant daily. The children appreciated that an implant enabled them to perceive sounds in the environment. Some of the children in regular classes could take part in one-to-one conversations with teachers but had difficulty following teaching and discussions. This observation was consistent with what the children's parents and teachers had maintained. Peer interaction was said to be best when other children had the use of at least some signs.
Characteristics of the Population of Deaf and Hard of Hearing Students With Emotional Disturbance in Illinois
Authors: Sinnott Cheri L , Jones Thomas W
Published: September 2005

The study summarizes a database for the years 1994–1999 on deaf and hard of hearing students in Illinois with a diagnosis of emotional disturbance (N = 115). Data are reported on the group's demographic, domestic, etiologic, communication-related, and intervention-related characteristics. These dually diagnosed students differed from Illinois's general population of deaf and hard of hearing students in many ways, including higher incidences of prematurity, prenatal trauma, and perinatal trauma. They were more likely to have had a later onset of hearing loss, to live in single-parent homes, to belong to an ethnic minority, to live in an urban or suburban area, and to qualify for low-income health care. Many had histories of abuse, 50% were regularly medicated, and 15% were assigned to surrogate parents.
Obstacles Faced by Deaf People in the Criminal Justice System
Authors: Vernon McCay , Miller Katrina R
Published: September 2005

Deaf people, especially those who are not well educated, are at risk for serious injustices when they enter the criminal justice system. The present study describes these risks at all stages of the legal process, including arrest, trial, probation, prison, and parole. These dangers are greatest for those who are poorly educated, read at a fourth-grade level or lower, have poor communication skills (American Sign Language and English), and lack awareness of their legal rights. Primitive personality disorder (PPD) is the term mental health professionals use to describe this set of characteristics. The risks that the segment of the deaf population with PPD faces when its members run afoul of the law are described, a case history provided, and some relevant legal and interpreting issues are discussed. A case is made for applying the concept of linguistic incompetence to deaf individuals with PPD.
The Effectiveness of International Development Assistance From American Organizations to Deaf Communities in Jamaica
Authors: Wilson Amy T
Published: September 2005

American organizations bringing assistance to deaf people in developing countries unintentionally create relationships of dependency or oppression rather than relationships of support. Using qualitative methods, the author examined the effectiveness of development assistance provided to the Jamaican Deaf community by two American churches, one American nongovernmental organization, and one U.S. federal agency. Documents were reviewed and observations were made. Interviews were conducted with more than 60 deaf and hearing people involved with the American organizations, the Jamaican organizations, and deaf Jamaican beneficiaries. The author concludes that the Jamaican Deaf community was often excluded in planning, designing, or evaluating programs, and was unsatisfied with the American assistance it received. Results also indicate that the American organizations were poorly prepared to work with the Deaf community. Suggestions for American organizations wishing to strengthen and empower deaf people through development assistance in developing countries are proposed.
How Physical Education Teacher Education Majors Should Be Prepared to Teach Students With Hearing Loss: A National Needs Assessment
Authors: Zaccagnini Kathleen J
Published: September 2005

A national needs assessment survey is described that gathered information on current practices in physical education in both center-based schools for the deaf and mainstream programs serving deaf and hard of hearing students, grades K–12. The manner in which deaf and hard of hearing students are being served in physical education programs, the depth and breadth of curricula, and the credentials needed to teach are described. The study compares similarities and differences among physical education programs in center-based deaf institutions and mainstream schools. In summary, the study identifies areas of concentration needed in curriculum, and methods of teaching appropriate for student teacher candidates. This information has value for physical education programs that are considering revising their curricula to prepare teacher candidates who wish to work with deaf students.
House Church Movements and Religious Freedom in China
Authors: Cheng May M. C
Published: September 2005

The Chinese government has implemented legislative sanctions to regulate religious activity by requiring all collective religious activities to be conducted at registered venues. This paper studies the "non-registered" Protestant house churches with reference to their historical roots and current sociopolitical context. The case study of a house church in Guangzhou identifies the facilitating and constraining factors in terms of its leadership, organisation, resources, recruitment strategies, negotiation strategies and future prospects. As a non-compromising but non-confronting religious movement, the church has enjoyed a high degree of autonomy and ample room for expansion, though it is under close surveillance by local authorities and without legal status.
Remaking the Communist Party-State: The Cadre Responsibility System at the Local Level in China
Authors: Edin Maria
Published: September 2005

The Chinese party-state is restructuring its governing institutions, and is reinventing itself in the process. China is not only remaking its public management, but it is also restructuring its party-state organisation. This project applies a local perspective to study state transformation and the focus is on the introduction of the cadre responsibility system at the local level. It is suggested that part of the radical reform proposals of the 1980s have in fact been carried out at the local level. Findings show that the CCP is ridding itself of some functions to enable it to become more efficient in carrying out others. Neither decentralisation nor re-centralisation is a linear process.
China's Government Debt: How Serious?
Authors: Lin Shuanglin
Published: September 2005

This paper analyses China's foreign and domestic debt. Foreign debt poses no threat to China. Although China ranks high in terms of total foreign debt, the relative size of its foreign debt to GDP is small, and all its risk exposures are low. Also, China's foreign exchange reserves are much higher than total foreign debt outstanding. As for its domestic government debt, the figure is large but manageable. There are four major types: explicit fiscal debt which is the result of expansionary fiscal policy, unreported local government debt caused by the 1994 tax reform, state banks' bad loans resulting from fiscal and SOE reforms and which may become the largest fiscal liability, and finally, fiscal subsidies made to social security pension funds. Despite its debts, the Chinese government still has massive assets.
National Image Building and Chinese Foreign Policy
Authors: Wang Hongying
Published: September 2005

This paper studies national image building as part of Chinese foreign policy, a subject hitherto neglected by scholars of China. First, it traces the various images the PRC government has tried to project of China, revealing both changes and continuities from the Maoist period to the present time. It then compares China's projected national images with others' perceptions of China, explaining the convergence and divergence of images and perceptions. Finally, this article explores whether the projected national images affect Chinese foreign policy behaviour, and if so, how? It draws on both neo-liberal institutionalism and constructivism in international relations theory to provide an answer.
NF-κB contributes to transcription of placenta growth factor and interacts with metal responsive transcription factor-1 in hypoxic human cells
Authors: Cramer Mirjam , Nagy Ivana , Murphy Brian J. , Gassmann Max , Hottiger Michael O. , Georgiev Oleg , Schaffner Walter
Published: September 2005

Placenta growth factor (PlGF) is a member of the vascular endothelial growth factor family of cytokines that control vascular and lymphatic endothelium development. It has been implicated in promoting angiogenesis in pathological conditions via signaling to vascular endothelial growth factor receptor-1. PlGF expression is induced by hypoxia and proinflammatory stimuli. Metal responsive transcription factor 1 (MTF-1) was shown to take part in the hypoxic induction of PlGF in Ras-transformed mouse embryonic fibroblasts. Here we report that PlGF expression is also controlled by NF-κB. We identified several putative binding sites for NF-κB in the PlGF promoter/enhancer region by sequence analyses, and show binding and transcriptional activity of NF-κB p65 at these sites. Expression of NF-κB p65 from a plasmid vector in HEK293 cells caused a substantial increase of PlGF transcript levels. Furthermore, we found that hypoxic conditions induce nuclear translocation and interaction of MTF-1 and NF-κB p65 proteins, suggesting a role for this complex in hypoxia-induced transcription of PlGF.
Role of the N-terminal region and of β-sheet residue Thr29 on the activity of the ω2 global regulator from the broad-host range Streptococcus pyogenes plasmid pSM19035
Authors: Welfle Karin , Pratto Florencia , Misselwitz Rolf , Behlke Joachim , Alonso Juan C. , Welfle Heinz
Published: September 2005

The dimeric regulatory protein wild-type ω (wt ω
Inhibition of cathepsin B reduces β-amyloid production in regulated secretory vesicles of neuronal chromaffin cells: evidence for cathepsin B as a candidate β-secretase of Alzheimer's disease
Authors: Hook Vivian , Toneff Thomas , Bogyo Matthew , Greenbaum Doron , Medzihradszky Katalin F. , Neveu John , Lane William , Hook Gregory , Reisine Terry
Published: September 2005

The regulated secretory pathway of neurons is the major source of extracellular Aβ that accumulates in Alzheimer's disease (AD). Extracellular Aβ secreted from that pathway is generated by β-secretase processing of amyloid precursor protein (APP). Previously, cysteine protease activity was demonstrated as the major β-secretase activity in regulated secretory vesicles of neuronal chromaffin cells. In this study, the representative cysteine protease activity in these secretory vesicles was purified and identified as cathepsin B by peptide sequencing. Immunoelectron microscopy demonstrated colocalization of cathepsin B with Aβ in these vesicles. The selective cathepsin B inhibitor, CA074, blocked the conversion of endogenous APP to Aβ in isolated regulated secretory vesicles. In chromaffin cells, CA074Me (a cell permeable form of CA074) reduced by about 50% the extracellular Aβ released by the regulated secretory pathway, but CA074Me had no effect on Aβ released by the constitutive pathway. Furthermore, CA074Me inhibited processing of APP into the COOH-terminal β-secretase-like cleavage product. These results provide evidence for cathepsin B as a candidate β-secretase in regulated secretory vesicles of neuronal chromaffin cells. These findings implicate cathepsin B as β-secretase in the regulated secretory pathway of brain neurons, suggesting that inhibitors of cathepsin B may be considered as therapeutic agents to reduce Aβ in AD.
Tibet and Its Neighbors: Moving toward a New Chinese Strategy in the Himalayan Region
Authors: Mathou Thierry
Published: September 2005

This article focuses on what Chinese authorities intend to accomplish politically and diplomatically in the Himalayan region through “development in a peaceful environment” and on how this policy could create ties between the Tibetan Autonomous Region and other Himalayan states and regions. It analyzes the Tibetan Autonomous Region's strategic position and its potential implications for Tibet, Tibetans, and their Himalayan neighbors.
Landscape as Music, Landscape as Truth: Schubert and the Burden of Repetition
Authors: Burnham Scott
Published: September 2005

Adorno's essay on Schubert opens by invoking a fraught move across the threshold that separates the death of Beethoven from the death of Schubert. He goes on to read Schubert's music through a series of dichotomies whose opposite terms are distinctly Beethovenian: Schubert's themes are self-possessed apparitions of truth rather than inchoate ideas that require temporal evolution; his repetitive, fragmentary forms are inorganic rather than organic, crystalline rather than plantlike. Above all, Adorno develops the idea that Schubert's music offers the repeatable truth of a landscape rather than the processive trajectory of a teleological history. Schubert's themes, like landscapes, are forms of permanence that cannot be fundamentally altered but can only be revisited.

With special emphasis on Schubert's G-Major String Quartet, this article inflects Adorno's view of Schubert's landscapes by considering how these "truths" also present themselves as illusory and inward (e.g., how some of Schubert's thematic areas can be heard to project a visionary interior space in the way that they suddenly introduce a markedly different realm or the way that they obliquely inhabit their tonal centers). It is then argued that Schubert's music is thus steeped in an existential consciousness for which subjectivity is the only knowable truth. And this truth bears repeating, in the double sense that it can be repeated and it must be repeated.