bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
DIFFUSIVE TRANSPORT THROUGH A NONTWIST BARRIER IN TOKAMAKS
Authors: PORTELA J. S. E. , CALDAS I. L. , VIANA R. L. , MORRISON P. J.
Published: August 2007

The magnetic field line structure of tokamaks with reversed magnetic shear is analyzed by means of a nontwist map model that takes into account non-integrable perturbations that describe ergodic magnetic limiters. The map studied possess behavior expected of the standard nontwist map, a well-studied map, despite the different symmetries and the existence of coupled perturbations. A distinguising feature of nontwist maps is the presence of good surfaces in the reveresed shear region, and consequently the appearance of a transport barrier inside the plasma. Such barriers are observed in the present model and are seen to be very robust. Very strong perturbations are required to destroy them, and even after breaking, the transport turns out to be diffusive. Poloidal diffusion is found to be two orders of magnitude higher than radial diffusion.
CELLULAR NEURAL NETWORKS FOR VIDEO COMPRESSION: AN OBJECT-ORIENTED APPROACH
Authors: GRASSI GIUSEPPE , VECCHIO PIETRO , GRIECO LUIGI A. , DI SCIASCIO EUGENIO
Published: August 2007

Video compression technologies have recently become an integral part of the way we create, communicate and consume visual information. The aim of this Letter is to show that the Cellular Neural Network (CNN) paradigm can be exploited for obtaining accurate video compression. In particular, the Letter presents an architecture that combines CNN algorithms and H.264 codec. The compression capabilities of the devised coding system are analyzed in detail using some benchmark video sequences, and comparisons are carried out between the CNN-based approach and the H.264 codec working alone. The outcome of the analysis is that the CNN-based coding approach outperforms the H.264 codec working alone, allowing to perceive the capabilities of the CNN paradigm.
A CMOS REACTION–DIFFUSION DEVICE USING MINORITY-CARRIER DIFFUSION IN SEMICONDUCTORS
Authors: TAKAHASHI MOTOYOSHI , ASAI TETSUYA , HIROSE TETSUYA , AMEMIYA YOSHIHITO
Published: August 2007

We propose a CMOS device that is analogous to the reaction–diffusion system, a chemical complex system that produces various dynamic phenomena in the natural world. This electrical reaction–diffusion device consists of an array of pn junctions that are operated by CMOS reaction circuits and interact with each other through minority-carrier diffusion. Computer simulations reveal that the device can produce animated spatiotemporal carrier concentration patterns, e.g. expanding circular patterns and rotating spiral patterns that correspond to the dissipative structures produced by chemical reaction–diffusion systems.
CHAOS SYNCHRONIZATION VIA MULTIVARIABLE PID CONTROL
Authors: WEN GUILIN , WANG QING-GUO , LIN CHONG , LI GUANGYAO , HAN XU
Published: August 2007

Synchronization via multivariable PID control is studied. Based on the descriptor approach, the problem of PID controller design is transformed to that of static output feedback (SOF) controller design. The improvement of the solvability of the Linear Matrix Inequality (LMI) is achieved, in comparison with the existing literature on designing PID controller based on the LMI technique. With the aid of the free-weighting matrix approach and the S-procedure, the synchronization criterion for a general Lur'e system is established based on the LMI technique. The feasibility of the methodology is illustrated by the well-known Chua's circuit.
A GALLERY OF CHUA ATTRACTORS PART V
Authors: BILOTTA ELEONORA , DI BLASI GIANPIERO , STRANGES FAUSTO , PANTANO PIETRO
Published: August 2007

Chua Oscillator and its generalizations display a variety of chaotic behaviors, whose most startling manifestation is the presence of strange attractors. These come in many different shapes and sizes yet share a special kind of beauty. In the work reported in this paper, we explored the universe of these attractors — much of which is still virgin territory. We then recorded the most interesting and significant in a "Gallery of Chua attractors". In papers, published in previous issues of this journal, we showed how different versions of the Oscillator follow different "routes to chaos". Parts II–IV of the Gallery describe the attractors generated by the dimensional and dimensionless forms of the Oscillator as well as attractors generated by circuits with a cubic equation for the characteristic function of the Chua diode. Here, we provide a detailed discussion of single scroll Chua systems and present 248 attractors generated by such systems. For each attractor, we provide a three-dimensional image, time series and FFTs. We go on to describe the techniques used to create the Gallery and the main characteristics of the attractors it includes. We use techniques such as PCA to represent the gallery in parameter space. The same techniques allow us to manipulate the shape of the attractors by enlarging them along their main axes of development. We use Hausdorff distances to compare shapes, and exploit the results to create landscapes in parameter space. Finally, we present experimental data from a single scroll attractor, using inertial ellipsoids and Hausdorff distances to show how the shape of the attractor evolves.
Chapter 4 The Central Basin
Authors: Harland W. Brian , Kelly Simon R. A. , Geddes Isobel , Doubleday Paul A.
Published: August 2007

Svalbard rocks conveniently divide into younger and older rocks at about the initial 'Carboniferous' boundary. There are, however, latest Devonian strata in places continuous with Carboniferous sedimentation. The older rocks are tectonically as well as stratigraphically complex. Beginning with the sub-Carboniferous (peneplane) unconformity resting variously on Devonian and pre-Devonian strata, it expressly excludes any older rocks.

The term basin as in Central Basin applied here is used in a structural sense for what amounts to a broad brachysyncline. The accumulated strata were also formed in sedimentary basins with shifting depocentres. The most obvious is the Paleogene sedimentary and structural basin commonly referred to as the Tertiary Basin. The Central Basin excludes the western and southwestern areas (Chapters 9 and 10) where older and younger rocks are caught up in the Paleogene West Spitsbergen Orogeny. It also excludes the areas, mainly in the islands in the east, where subsidence was less marked at first and tectonic platform conditions prevailed. The younger succession, Tournaisian through Paleogene (a span of about 330 million years) has suffered only minor diastrophism in contrast to earlier events. Central Basin thus refers to the whole post Devonian cover or platform sequence in this study area.

Most mineral prospects of economic interest in Svalbard belong to these younger rocks, from the many coal deposits of which Early Carboniferous and especially Early Paleogene horizons have been exploited. Furthermore, in the search for petroleum, source rocks of Late Carboniferous Early Permian, Early to Mid-Triassic and Jurassic age have been identified
Chapter 7 Northeastern Spitsbergen
Authors: Harland W. Brian
Published: August 2007

The land (area) considered here is bounded on the west by Wijdefjorden and on the east by Hinlopenstretet and Storfjorden. The southern boundary is somewhat indefinite. For descriptive convenience Carboniferous through Triassic stratigraphy is treated in Chapters 4 and 5 and Devonian strata to the northwest in Chapter 8. It makes geological sense for these chapter areas to overlap where they meet.

Ny Friesland was the name for most of the area under consideration. However, after the accession of the Norwegian King Olav V in 1957 his name was given to what had previously been a somewhat indefinite territory, mostly ice covered (the Terre Glacee Russe of some older maps) to the south east of Ny Friesland. Olav V Land was defined to take in some of what had been referred to as Ny Friesland and early accounts should be read with this in mind (Miloslavskiy et al. 1993, map D8G). This chapter thus concerns Ny Friesland and north western Olav V Land and for descriptive economy Ny Friesland will be used for the area where most of the older rocks crop out.

Much of the interior is covered by highland ice rather than an ice cap, meaning that the ice is not thick enough for the surface to be independent of the underlying relief. Indeed the ice cover is broken here and there by rocky cliffs of submerged valley glaciers. The three largest areas of continuous ice are Lomonosovfonna, Asgardfonna and Valhallfonna. The inland ice flows out along valley
Chemical Complexity and the Genetics of Aging
Authors: Pletcher Scott D. , Kabil Hadise , Partridge Linda
Published: August 2007

We examine how aging is influenced by various chemical challenges that organisms face and by the molecular mechanisms that have evolved to modulate life span in response to them. For example, environmental information, which is detected and processed through sensory systems, can modulate life span by providing information about the presence and quality of food as well as presence and density of conspecifics and predators. In addition, the diverse forms of molecular damage that result from constant exposure to toxic chemicals that are generated from the environment and from metabolism pose an informatic and energetic challenge for detoxification systems, which are important in ensuring longevity. Finally, systems of innate immunity are vital for recognizing and combating pathogens but are also increasingly seen as of importance in causing the aging process. Integrating ideas of molecular mechanism with context derived from evolutionary considerations will lead to exciting new insights into the evolution of aging.
My Passion and Passages with Red Blood Cells
Authors: Hoffman Joseph F.
Published: August 2007

This article mainly presents, in sequential panels of time, an overview of my professional involvements and laboratory experiences. I became smitten with red blood cells early on, and this passion remains with me to this day. I highlight certain studies, together with those who performed the work, recognizing that it was necessary to limit the details and the topics chosen for discussion. I am uncertain of the interest a personal account has for others, but at least it's here for the record.
Local delivery of PKCε-activating peptide mimics ischemic preconditioning in aged hearts through GSK-3β but not F1-ATPase inactivation
Authors: Korzick Donna H. , Kostyak John C. , Hunter J. Craig , Saupe Kurt W.
Published: August 2007

In adult heart, selective PKCε activation limits ischemia (I)-reperfusion (R) damage and mimics the protection associated with ischemic preconditioning. We sought to determine whether local delivery of PKCε activator peptide ψε-receptor for activated C-kinase (ψε-RACK) is sufficient to produce a similarly protected phenotype in aged hearts. Langendorff-perfused hearts isolated from adult (5 mo; n = 9) and aged (24 mo; n = 9) male Fisher 344 rats were perfused with ψε-RACK conjugated to Tat (500 nM) or Tat only (500 nM) for 10 min before global 31-min ischemia. Western blotting was used to measure mitochondrial targeting of PKCε, PKCδ, phospho (p)-GSK-3β (Ser9) and GSK-3β in hearts snap-frozen during I. Recovery of left ventricular developed pressure was significantly improved by ψε-RACK ( P < 0.01) and infarct size reduced in 24-mo rats vs. age-matched controls (60% vs. 34%; P < 0.01). Mitochondrial PKCε levels were 30% greater during I with ψε-RACK in aged vs. control rats ( P < 0.01). Interestingly, mitochondrial GSK-3β levels were threefold greater in aged vs. adult rats during I, and ψε-RACK prevented this increase ( P < 0.01). Mitochondrial p-GSK-3β levels were also greater in aged rats after ψε-RACK ( P < 0.01), and subsequent inhibition of GSK-3β with SB-216763 (3 μM) before I/R elicited protection similar to that of ψε-RACK ( n = 3/group). Mitochondrial proteomic analysis further identified group differences in the F1-ATPase β-subunit, and coimmunoprecipitation studies revealed a novel interaction with PKCε. F1-ATPase-PKCε association was affected by ψε-RACK in adult but not aged rats. Our results provide evidence, for the first time, for PKCε-mediated protection in aged rat heart after I/R and suggest a central role for mitochondrial GSK-3β but not F1-ATPase as a potential target of PKCε to limit I/R damage with aging.
Lentiviral vector-mediated expression of GFP or Kir2.1 alters the electrophysiology of neonatal rat ventricular myocytes without inducing cytotoxicity
Authors: Sekar Rajesh B. , Kizana Eddy , Smith Rachel R. , Barth Andreas S. , Zhang Yibing , Marbán Eduardo , Tung Leslie
Published: August 2007

Recombinant lentiviral vectors (LVs) are capable of transducing neonatal rat ventricular myocytes (NRVMs) and providing stable, long-term transgene expression. The goal of the present study was to comprehensively test whether transduction of NRVMs by LVs results in cytotoxicity and to examine the electrophysiological consequences of gene modification of NRVM monolayers by two vectors: one encoding a putatively inert enhanced green fluorescent protein (eGFP) and the other a major ion channel protein, inward rectifier K+channel (Kir) 2.1. Freshly isolated NRVMs were transduced and cultured in monolayers. Immunohistochemistry, Trypan blue exclusion, annexin V binding followed by flow cytometry (FCM), and terminal transferase dUTP nick-end labeling assays were performed to assess for cytotoxicity. Optical mapping studies of action potential propagation in NRVM monolayers were performed to characterize the electrophysiological alterations following transduction. The cytotoxicity assays revealed that transduction had no adverse effects on NRVM cultures. However, eGFP-transduced monolayers exhibited a decrease in conduction velocity (CV) and action potential duration (APD) compared with monolayers transduced with LVs encoding LacZ or devoid of a transgene. In addition, small interfering RNA-mediated knockdown of eGFP expression corrected this phenotype. In contrast, Kir2.1 gene-modified monolayers showed an increase in CV and a predictable decrease in APD. This study demonstrates that LVs transduce NRVMs without cytotoxic effects. However, eGFP has a significant effect on APD and CV in this experimental system and calls into question the widely held belief that GFP is physiologically inert. In addition, LV-mediated overexpression of Kir2.1 opens up the prospect of studying the functional role of inward rectifier K+current in cardiac arrhythmias.
Postnatal development has a marked effect on ventricular repolarization in mice
Authors: Grandy Scott A. , Trépanier-Boulay Véronique , Fiset Céline
Published: August 2007

To better understand the mechanisms that underlie cardiac repolarization abnormalities in the immature heart, this study characterized and compared K+currents in mouse ventricular myocytes from day 1, day 7, day 20, and adult CD1 mice to determine the effects of postnatal development on ventricular repolarization. Current- and patch-clamp techniques were used to examine action potentials and the K+currents underlying repolarization in isolated myocytes. RT-PCR was used to quantify mRNA expression for the K+channels of interest. This study found that action potential duration (APD) decreased as age increased, with the shortest APDs observed in adult myocytes. This study also showed that K+currents and the mRNA relative abundance for the various K+channels were significantly greater in adult myocytes compared with day 1 myocytes. Examination of the individual components of total K+current revealed that the inward rectifier K+current ( IK1) developed by day 7, both the Ca2+-independent transient outward current ( Ito) and the steady-state outward K+current ( Iss) developed by day 20, and the ultrarapid delayed rectifier K+current ( IKur) did not fully develop until the mouse reached maturity. Interestingly, the increase in IKurwas not associated with a decrease in APD. Comparison of atrial and ventricular K+currents showed that Itoand IKurdensity were significantly greater in day 7, day 20, and adult myocytes compared with age-matched atrial cells. Overall, it appears that, in mouse ventricle, developmental changes in APD are likely attributable to increases in Ito, Iss, and IK1, whereas the role of IKurduring postnatal development appears to be less critical to APD.
HSP60 in heart failure: abnormal distribution and role in cardiac myocyte apoptosis
Authors: Lin Li , Kim S. C. , Wang Yin , Gupta S. , Davis B. , Simon S. I. , Torre-Amione G. , Knowlton A. A.
Published: August 2007

Heat shock protein (HSP) 60 is a mitochondrial and cytosolic protein. Previously, we reported that HSP60 doubled in end-stage heart failure, even though levels of the protective HSP72 were unchanged. Furthermore, we observed that acute injury in adult cardiac myocytes resulted in movement of HSP60 to the plasma membrane. We hypothesized that the inflammatory state of heart failure would cause translocation of HSP60 to the plasma membrane and that this would provide a pathway for cardiac injury. Two models were used to test this hypothesis: 1) a rat model of heart failure and 2) human explanted failing hearts. We found that HSP60 localized to the plasma membrane and was also found in the plasma early in heart failure. Plasma membrane HSP60 localized to lipid rafts and was detectable on the cell surface with the use of both flow cytometry and confocal microscopy. Localization of HSP60 to the cell surface correlated with increased apoptosis. In heart failure, HSP60 is in the plasma membrane fraction, on the cell surface, and in the plasma. Membrane HSP60 correlated with increased apoptosis. Release of HSP60 may activate the innate immune system, promoting a proinflammatory state, including an increase in TNF-α. Thus abnormal trafficking of HSP60 to the cell surface may be an early trigger for myocyte loss and the progression of heart failure.
Tryptophan hydroxylase 1 knockout and tryptophan hydroxylase 2 polymorphism: effects on hypoxic pulmonary hypertension in mice
Authors: Izikki M. , Hanoun N. , Marcos E. , Savale L. , Barlier-Mur A. M. , Saurini F. , Eddahibi S. , Hamon M. , Adnot S.
Published: August 2007

Serotonin [5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT)] biosynthesis depends on two rate-limiting tryptophan hydroxylases (Tph): Tph1, which is expressed in peripheral organs, and Tph2, which is expressed in neurons. Because 5-HT is involved in pulmonary hypertension (PH), we investigated whether genetic variations in Tph1 and/or Tph2 affected PH development in mice. To examine the functional impact of peripheral Tph1 deficiency on hypoxic PH, we used Tph1−/− mice characterized by very low 5-HT synthesis rates and contents in the gut and lung and increased 5-HT synthesis in the forebrain. With chronic hypoxia, 5-HT synthesis in the forebrain increased further. Hypoxic PH, right ventricular hypertrophy, and distal pulmonary artery muscularization were less severe ( P < 0.001) than in wild-type controls. The Tph inhibitor p-chlorophenylalanine (100 mg·kg−1·day−1) further improved these parameters. We then investigated whether mouse strains harboring the C1473G polymorphism of the Tph2 gene showed different PH phenotypes during hypoxia. Forebrain Tph activity was greater and hypoxic PH was more severe in C57Bl/6 and 129X1/SvJ mice homozygous for the 1473C allele than in DBA/2 and BALB/cJ mice homozygous for the 1473G allele. p-Chlorophenylalanine reduced PH in all groups and abolished the difference in PH severity across mouse strains. Hypoxia increased 5-hydroxytryptophan accumulation but decreased 5-HT contents in the forebrain and lung, suggesting accelerated 5-HT turnover during hypoxia. These results provide evidence that dysregulation of 5-HT synthesis is closely linked to the hypoxic PH phenotype in mice and that Tph1 and Tph2 may contribute to PH development.
Role of nitric oxide synthase/arginase balance in bronchial reactivity in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
Authors: Tadié Jean-Marc , Henno Priscilla , Leroy Ingrid , Danel Claire , Naline Emmanuel , Faisy Christophe , Riquet Marc , Levy Marilyne , Israël-Biet Dominique , Delclaux Christophe
Published: August 2007

Competition between nitric oxide synthases (NOSs) and arginases for their common substrate l-arginine could be involved in the regulation of cholinergic airway reactivity and subsequent airway remodeling. The aims of this study were to evaluate the relationships between the expression of this enzymatic balance and the effects of NOS and arginase inhibition on bronchoconstrictive response to acetylcholine of patients without and with early chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Twenty-two human bronchi [15 COPD (9 GOLD-0, 6 GOLD-1, -2-A), 7 nonsmokers] were investigated for immunohistochemistry and modulation of acetylcholine-induced airway constriction. Significantly increased expression of NOS2 in immunoblots of bronchial tissue and staining in smooth muscle cells was evidenced in patients with COPD compared with control subjects, whereas no modification of arginase expression was evidenced. Forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1) and NOS2 expression were negatively correlated (ρ = −0.54, P = 0.027). Pharmacological experiments demonstrated that resting tension was elevated in COPD compared with control subjects (2,243 ± 154 vs. 1,574 ± 218 mg, P = 0.03) and was positively correlated with the expression of NOS2 (ρ = 0.61, P = 0.044), whereas constrictor response to acetylcholine was similar [active tension, sensitivity (−logEC10), and reactivity (slope)]. The sole effect of the specific arginase inhibitor Nω-hydroxy-nor-l-arginine (1 μM) was to decrease sensitivity in COPD patients, whereas 1 mM NG-nitro-l-arginine methyl ester unexpectedly decreased resting tension because of a non-cGMP-dependent effect. In conclusion, an upregulation of NOS2 expression in COPD patients is involved in airway tone regulation and functional airflow limitation, whereas increased arginase activity is involved in airway sensitivity.
A Low-Noise, Microprocessor-Controlled, Internally Digitizing Rotating-Vane Electric Field Mill for Airborne Platforms
Authors: Bateman M. G. , Stewart M. F. , Podgorny S. J. , Christian H. J. , Mach D. M. , Blakeslee R. J. , Bailey J. C. , Daskar D.
Published: August 2007

This paper reports on a new generation of aircraft-based rotating-vane-style electric field mills designed and built at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center. The mills have individual microprocessors that digitize the electric field signal at the mill and respond to commands from the data system computer. The mills are very sensitive (1 V m−1 bit−1), have a wide dynamic range (115 dB), and are very low noise (±1 LSB). Mounted on an aircraft, these mills can measure fields from ±1 V m−1 to ±500 kV m−1. Once-per-second commanding from the data collection computer to each mill allows for precise timing and synchronization. The mills can also be commanded to execute a self-calibration in flight, which is done periodically to monitor the status and health of each mill.
Absence of a Pharmacokinetic Interaction Between Entecavir and Adefovir
Authors: Bifano Marc , Yan Jing‐He , Smith Robert A. , Zhang Duxi , Grasela Dennis M. , LaCreta Frank
Published: August 2007

This study evaluated the effect of entecavir on the pharmacokinetics of adefovir and the effect of adefovir on the pharmacokinetics of entecavir using a fixed‐sequence crossover design in healthy adult subjects. Subjects received 10 mg of adefovir once daily on days 1 to 4, 1 mg of entecavir on days 5 to 14, and 1 mg of entecavir plus 10 mg of adefovir on days 15 to 24. Pharmacokinetic assessments were performed on days 4 and 24 for adefovir and on days 14 and 24 for entecavir. The geometric mean ratios (90% confidence interval) for area under the plasma concentration—time curve in 1 dosing interval, peak plasma concentration, and 24‐hour postdose plasma concentration of entecavir when coadministered with adefovir and of adefovir when coadministered with entecavir were within the prespecified 0.80 to 1.25 no‐effect range. Entecavir and adefovir were well tolerated when administered in combination. Therefore, the pharmacokinetic data generated in this study indicate that entecavir and adefovir can be coadministered without the need for dosage adjustment.
Marital Quality in Interracial Relationships
Authors: Forry Nicole D. , Leslie Leigh A. , Letiecq Bethany L.
Published: August 2007

African American/White interracial couples are a rapidly growing segment of the population. However, little is known about factors related to marital quality for these couples. The authors examine the relationships between sex role ideology, perception of relationship unfairness, and marital quality among a sample of 76 married African American/White interracial couples from the mid-Atlantic region. The results indicate that interracial couples are similar to same-race couples in some ways. In particular, women, regardless of race, report their marriages to be more unfair to them than do men. Unique experiences in interracial marriages based on one's race or race/gender combination are also identified. African Americans experience more ambivalence about their relationship than their White partners. Furthermore, sex role ideology has a moderating effect on perceived unfairness and marital quality for African American men. Similarities and differences among interracial and same-race marriages are discussed, with recommendations for future research.
Providing Dementia-Specific Services to Family Caregivers: North Carolina's Project C.A.R.E. Program
Authors: Kelly Christopher M. , Williams Ishan Canty
Published: August 2007

Although options for family caregivers in the United States have expanded, many families are not reached by support services because of geographical and cultural isolation. North Carolina, one of 38 states participating in the Alzheimer's Disease Demonstration Grants to the States program, targets underserved rural and minority caregivers through Project C.A.R.E. (Caregiver Alternatives to Running on Empty). Under this program, families can receive up to $2,000 annually for services ranging from community-based respite to more comprehensive care (in-home and overnight respite, training, and emotional support). Services are coordinated by a family consultant (FC) at each of the program's three sites (Asheville, Charlotte, and Winston-Salem). Since the program's inception in 2001, the FCs have successfully developed a network of support services where none previously existed. Project C.A.R.E. serves as a model to other states in delivering dementia-specific services to vulnerable populations.
Patients' Health Literacy and Experience With Instructions
Authors: Morrow Daniel G. , Weiner Michael , Steinley Douglas , Young James , Murray Michael D.
Published: August 2007

Objective: We developed a pharmacist-based patient education intervention to improve older adults' adherence to chronic heart failure (CHF) medications, which included written patient-centered instructions. The study evaluated these instructions by examining whether patients preferred them to standard pharmacy instructions. Method: Elders diagnosed with CHF participated in the randomized controlled trial (83 in the intervention; 153 in usual care control group). Instruction preferences were collected after 6 months of participation. Results: Patient-centered instructions were preferred for learning about adherence information (e.g., schedule) and standard instructions for learning about drug interactions. Preference for the patient-centered instructions was greater for intervention versus control participants and for participants with lower health literacy. Literacy no longer predicted preferences with patients' cognitive abilities controlled, suggesting literacy reflected more fundamental cognitive mechanisms. Discussion: The finding that preferences varied with patients' experience using the instructions and cognitive abilities suggests instructions should accommodate diverse patient needs and abilities.
'Over what crinoline should these charming jupons be worn?': Thomson's Survival Strategy During the Decline of Crinoline
Authors: Windle Lucy-Clare
Published: August 2007

Crinolines were arguably the first industrial fashion, mass-produced in factories and using the latest steel-making techniques. This article hypothesises on the strategies of leading manufacturer W. S. Thomson, particularly as the crinoline subsided out of fashion during 1866–74. Thomson attracted women with new products such as the batswing skirt, and sold them a narrowed crinoline as an integral part of the look. Thomson advertised regularly in The Englishwoman's Domestic Magazine during this time, and was frequently recommended in the editorial columns. This article constructs a narrative of events based on a single primary source, and poses the questions raised by that source.
The 'pair of straight bodies' and 'a pair of drawers' dating from 1603 which Clothe the Effigy of Queen Elizabeth I in Westminster Abbey
Authors: Arnold Janet
Published: August 2007

Janet Arnold left this paper virtually complete at her death in 1998. It is an important piece of work to which she had given a substantial amount of time, but it does not fit with her plans for the forthcoming volume of Patterns of Fashion: The Cut and Construction of Linen Clothes for Men and Women. However, because of the rarity of the 'pair of straight bodies' and the need to make the fruits of her research available to others, it was decided to follow Janet's own practice with one-off items of importance and to submit the article to Costume.

Janet's full-scale pattern of the 'pair of straight bodies' has been scaled down to fit the page size of Costume, otherwise all the descriptions and queries are Janet's own, as are the drawings and photographs chosen to illustrate her text.

She continued to work on the project after she had written the first draft text; consequently two references have been added to clarify the role of John Colte, and to illustrate the silk materials used to cover the 'bodies' made for the queen by William Jones.
The Merchant Taylors' Company of London under Elizabeth I: Tailors' Guild or Company of Merchants?
Authors: Sleigh-Johnson Nigel
Published: August 2007

Probably the most neglected aspect of the history of the guilds and livery companies of early modern London is the ubiquitous subordinate organisation known as the 'yeomanry' or 'bachelors' company'. Many narrative histories of individual companies make only passing reference to the existence of a yeomanry, and dismiss the organisations as generally transient and insignificant. Per contra, the yeomanry of at least one of the major City livery companies represented to an extraordinary degree a company within a company in the later sixteenth century.

By the time Elizabeth ascended the throne, the yeomanry body of the Merchant Taylors' Company had acquired effective responsibility for the vast majority of the Company's membership. To most contemporary and modern observers, the dazzling wealth, magnificent ceremonies and eminent members — entitled to wear the prestigious livery gown of the Company, and generally drawn from the mercantile and civic élite — were the most intriguing aspects of the history of the Merchant Taylors' Company. To the poor freemen below the livery these matters were of less significance.

Part I of this article examines briefly the origins, nature and functions of the sub-company. Part II explores the degree to which this body represented the continuation of the traditions of the medieval guild of London tailors and continued to embody the aspirations and interests of its artisan members.
The Dress Must Be White, and Perfectly Plain and Simple: Confirmation and First Communion Dress, 1850–2000
Authors: Jarvis Anthea
Published: August 2007

The basis for this article was a paper given at the Annual Symposium of the Costume Society in Norwich in 1998, on the theme of religious dress. It has been expanded with further research.

This article traces the history and development of special dress worn for the sacraments of confirmation and first communion in the Church of England and the Roman Catholic Church. Before the 1850s no special dress was required; the growth of the fashion for increasingly elaborate white dresses and veils post-1850 seems to have been fostered by the growing affluence of the middle classes and by the fashion press. Special dress for Anglican confirmation declined in popularity in the later twentieth century, while dress for Catholic first communion, in contrast, has become, like dress for weddings, an occasion for an orgy of consumerism.
'A clinging Liberty tea-gown instead of a magenta satin': The Colour Red in ArtisticDress by Liberty & Co.
Authors: Buruma Anna
Published: August 2007

This article addresses questions about the use of strong colours, particularly red, in aesthetic fashions of the late nineteenth century. Contrary to our perception of the Aesthetic Movement, there are actually images, surviving textile patterns and literature which show that strong reds were used in dress, despite the fact that there appear to be no surviving Liberty garments in these colours. Rather than because of a disdain for cheap dyes, it is due rather to practical matters: ideas about the unhealthy aspects of certain dyes and the unreliability of their colour fastness seem stronger than class-bound feelings of contempt.
Modern Fashions for Modern Women: The Evolution of New York Sportswear in the 1930s
Authors: Arnold Rebecca
Published: August 2007

This article aims to establish the significance and diversity of sportswear styles designed and manufactured in New York during the 1930s. It will assert that the 1930s was a crucial period in New York sportswear's evolution. This decade tends to be overlooked by fashion historians, who either make generalisations about American fashion in the 1930s or focus on developments in the 1940s. This article will demonstrate that the Depression era was central to sportswear's emergence as a key form of affordable, mass-produced clothing, which comprised simple, interchangeable garments that could be worn in a variety of settings.

This article will establish the importance of the 1930s as a period when New York sportswear was crystallised as a design and marketing ideal. This was due to both the economic pressures of the 1930s, which made cheaper mass-produced clothing more appealing, and to shifts within the fashion industry, which saw more co-ordinated attempts to promote indigenous design.

Sportswear will be discussed in terms of three key categories: active sportswear, town and country wear and resort wear. Surviving dress from American and British collections will be analysed to demonstrate the importance of these categories, and the ways in which they came to form an ideal of Americanness through their design aesthetic, as well as the way they were advertised.

Garments by manufacturers such as Davidow, and designers such as Clare Potter, will be contrasted with examples from London and Paris to show how New York was gradually to evolve its own distinct styles, which would in the following decade be characterised by the term the 'American Look'. The clean lines and machine aesthetic of this style were mythologised as an expression of American national identity — as practical, rational and authentic.

As the 1930s wore on, New York sportswear was increasingly linked to modern lifestyles, and thus was portrayed as ideal for women who were active, whether as college girls, housewives, career women, or through travel. The notion of femininity that it evoked linked to white, middle-class ideals, and existing assumptions about American fashion's 'democratic' approach that eschewed the élitism of European fashion therefore need to be questioned.
Chained Melody, or Putting Paco Rabanne in his Place
Authors: Harden Rosemary
Published: August 2007

This paper focuses on one facet of the career of the French designer, Paco Rabanne, the dresses made from plastic links joined together with small links of chain. The author questions whether these dresses were closer to jewellery than to high fashion and seeks answers by comparing Paco Rabanne to his contemporaries and by looking at the cultural context of the mid-1960s when he was making these creations.
Nonstochastic pairing of immunoglobulin heavy and light chains expressed by chronic lymphocytic leukemia B cells is predicated on the heavy chain CDR3
Authors: Widhopf George F. , Goldberg Craig J. , Toy Traci L. , Rassenti Laura Z. , Wierda William G. , Byrd John C. , Keating Michael J. , Gribben John G. , Rai Kanti R. , Kipps Thomas J.
Published: August 2007

We analyzed the immunoglobulin (Ig) variable heavy (IGHV) and variable light chain genes used by leukemia cells of 258 unrelated patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) found to express unmutated Ig heavy chains (IgH) encoded by a 51p1 allele of IGHV1-69 among 1846 CLL patients examined. We found each had at least 98% homology to an identified germline IGKV or IGLV gene. Within the 258 IgH, we identified heavy chain CDR3 (HCDR3) motifs encoded by certain unmutated IGHD and IGHJ genes with restricted reading frames. Frequent and restricted use of particular IGKV and IGLV genes revealed nonstochastic pairing of disparate Ig light chains (IgL) with IgH that had restricted HCDR3 motifs designated CLL69A, -B, -C, and -D. Eighty-six percent (19/22) of CLL cases that expressed motif CLL69B encoded by IGHD2-2/IGHJ6 had distinctive IgL encoded by IGKV1-39. Similarly, 83% (5/6) of samples with motif CLL69D encoded by IGHD2-2/IGHJ6 expressed IGKV3-11, 100% (25/25) with motif CLL69A encoded by IGHD3-16/IGHJ3 used IGKV3-20, and 77% (10/13) with motif CLL69C encoded by IGHD3-3/IGHJ6 expressed IGLV3-9. This study reveals nonstochastic pairing of IgH with particular IgL that is predicated upon Ig HCDR3 structure, providing compelling evidence for selection of antibodies expressed in CLL by conventional antigens.
Mouse lysocardiolipin acyltransferase controls the development of hematopoietic and endothelial lineages during in vitro embryonic stem-cell differentiation
Authors: Wang Chengyan , Faloon Patrick W. , Tan Zhijia , Lv Yaxin , Zhang Pengbo , Ge Yu , Deng Hongkui , Xiong Jing-Wei
Published: August 2007

The blast colony-forming cell (BL-CFC) was identified as an equivalent to the hemangioblast during in vitro embryonic stem (ES) cell differentiation. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying the generation of the BL-CFC remain largely unknown. Here we report the isolation of mouse lysocardiolipin acyltransferase (Lycat) based on homology to zebrafish lycat, a candidate gene for the cloche locus. Mouse Lycat is expressed in hematopoietic organs and is enriched in the Lin−C-Kit+Sca-1+ hematopoietic stem cells in bone marrow and in the Flk1+/hCD4+(Scl+) hemangioblast population in embryoid bodies. The forced Lycat transgene leads to increased messenger RNA expression of hematopoietic and endothelial genes as well as increased blast colonies and their progenies, endothelial and hematopoietic lineages. The Lycat small interfering RNA transgene leads to a decrease expression of hematopoietic and endothelial genes. An unbiased genomewide microarray analysis further substantiates that the forced Lycat transgene specifically up-regulates a set of genes related to hemangioblasts and hematopoietic and endothelial lineages. Therefore, mouse Lycat plays an important role in the early specification of hematopoietic and endothelial cells, probably acting at the level of the hemangioblast.
Bayesian hierarchical model for transcriptional module discovery by jointly modeling gene expression and ChIP-chip data
Authors: Liu Xiangdong , Jessen Walter J , Sivaganesan Siva , Aronow Bruce J , Medvedovic Mario
Published: August 2007

Background

Transcriptional modules (TM) consist of groups of co-regulated genes and transcription factors (TF) regulating their expression. Two high-throughput (HT) experimental technologies, gene expression microarrays and Chromatin Immuno-Precipitation on Chip (ChIP-chip), are capable of producing data informative about expression regulatory mechanism on a genome scale. The optimal approach to joint modeling of data generated by these two complementary biological assays, with the goal of identifying and characterizing TMs, is an important open problem in computational biomedicine.

Results

We developed and validated a novel probabilistic model and related computational procedure for identifying TMs by jointly modeling gene expression and ChIP-chip binding data. We demonstrate an improved functional coherence of the TMs produced by the new method when compared to either analyzing expression or ChIP-chip data separately or to alternative approaches for joint analysis. We also demonstrate the ability of the new algorithm to identify novel regulatory relationships not revealed by ChIP-chip data alone. The new computational procedure can be used in more or less the same way as one would use simple hierarchical clustering without performing any special transformation of data prior to the analysis. The R and C-source code for implementing our algorithm is incorporated within the R package gimmR which is freely available at http://eh3.uc.edu/gimm.

Conclusion

Our results indicate that, whenever available, ChIP-chip and expression data should be analyzed within the unified probabilistic modeling framework, which will likely result in improved clusters of co-regulated genes and improved ability to detect meaningful regulatory relationships. Given the good statistical properties and the ease of use, the new computational procedure offers a worthy new tool for reconstructing transcriptional regulatory networks.
Exploring inconsistencies in genome-wide protein function annotations: a machine learning approach
Authors: Andorf Carson , Dobbs Drena , Honavar Vasant
Published: August 2007

Background

Incorrectly annotated sequence data are becoming more commonplace as databases increasingly rely on automated techniques for annotation. Hence, there is an urgent need for computational methods for checking consistency of such annotations against independent sources of evidence and detecting potential annotation errors. We show how a machine learning approach designed to automatically predict a protein's Gene Ontology (GO) functional class can be employed to identify potential gene annotation errors.

Results

In a set of 211 previously annotated mouse protein kinases, we found that 201 of the GO annotations returned by AmiGO appear to be inconsistent with the UniProt functions assigned to their human counterparts. In contrast, 97% of the predicted annotations generated using a machine learning approach were consistent with the UniProt annotations of the human counterparts, as well as with available annotations for these mouse protein kinases in the Mouse Kinome database.

Conclusion

We conjecture that most of our predicted annotations are, therefore, correct and suggest that the machine learning approach developed here could be routinely used to detect potential errors in GO annotations generated by high-throughput gene annotation projects.

Editors Note : Authors from the original publication (Okazaki et al.: Nature 2002, 420:563–73) have provided their response to Andorf et al, directly following the correspondence.
miRAS: a data processing system for miRNA expression profiling study
Authors: Tian Feng , Zhang Huayue , Zhang Xinyu , Song Chi , Xia Yongjing , Wu Yiqing , Liu Xiangjun
Published: August 2007

Background

The study of microRNAs (miRNAs) is attracting great considerations. Recent studies revealed that miRNAs play as important regulators of gene expression and some even as cancer players or inhibitors. Many studies try to discover new miRNAs and reveal the miRNA expression profile in cancer using a SAGE-based total RNA clone method. However, the data processing of this method is labor-intensive with several different biological databases and more than ten data processing steps involved.

Results

With miRAS, miRNAs and possible miRNA candidates contained in the submitted sequencing data were obtained together with their expression profile. The functions of known and predicted miRNAs were then analyzed by miRNA target prediction followed by target gene annotations. Finally, to extract the biological significance of the miRNAs in the samples, further annotations of the known miRNA and target genes were performed by collecting the public expression datasets of miRNA and target genes in normal and cancer tissues.

Conclusion

We introduce a web-based analysis platform called miRNA Analysis System (miRAS), for processing and analyzing of the sequence data obtained from the total RNA clone method. The system was built on generalizing the study of a liver cancer cell line total RNA sequencing project. miRAS is freely available on the web.
Host-derived RANKL is responsible for osteolysis in a C4-2 human prostate cancer xenograft model of experimental bone metastases
Authors: Morrissey Colm , Kostenuik Paul L , Brown Lisha G , Vessella Robert L , Corey Eva
Published: August 2007

Background

C4-2 prostate cancer (CaP) cells grown in mouse tibiae cause a mixed osteoblastic/osteolytic response with increases in osteoclast numbers and bone resorption. Administration of osteoprotegerin (OPG) blocks these increases, indicating the critical role of RANKL in osteolysis in this model. The objective of our study was to investigate whether RANKL expressed by tumor cells (human origin) directly stimulates osteolysis associated with the growth of these cells in bone or whether the increased osteolysis is caused by RANKL expressed by the host environment cells (murine origin). The relative contribution of tumor-vs. host-derived RANKL has been difficult to establish, even with human xenografts, because murine and human RANKL are both capable of stimulating osteolysis in mice, and the RANKL inhibitors used to date (OPG and RANK-Fc) inhibit human and murine RANKL.

Methods

To address this question we used a neutralizing, antibody (huRANKL MAb), which specifically neutralizes the biological activities of human RANKL and thereby the contribution of C4-2 derived RANKL in this tibial injection model of experimental bone metastases.

Results

Administration of huRANKL MAb did not inhibit the osteolytic response of the bone to these cells, or affect the establishment and growth of the C4-2 tumors in this environment.

Conclusion

In conclusion, our results suggest that in this model, murine RANKL and not the tumor-derived human RANKL is the mediator of the osteolytic reaction associated with C4-2 growth in bone. We hypothesize that C4-2 cells express other factor/s inducing host production of RANKL, thereby driving tumor-associated osteolysis.
Factors associated with a measles outbreak in children admitted at Mahosot Hospital, Vientiane, Laos
Authors: Mayxay Mayfong , Khomthilat Tiengthong , Souvannasing Phoutthalavanh , Phounesavath Khamphouvanh , Vorasane Banlieng , Keomany Sommay , Douangdala Phouvieng , Philavong Khamseng , Srour Leila , Newton Paul N
Published: August 2007

Background

In 2002 and 2003 there were large outbreaks of measles in many provinces of Laos, including in Vientiane. We therefore conducted a study to determine risk factors associated with measles amongst children admitted at Mahosot Hospital, Vientiane.

Methods

A retrospective case-control study was conducted in 50 children with clinical measles who were matched by age and sex with 50 healthy children (who had never had a febrile rash) living in the same villages as the cases.

Results

The proportion of children with complete immunizations was significantly lower in the group with clinical measles compared to the controls [13/50 (26%) vs 34/50 (68%),P< 0.001). The percentage of children who had received measles vaccine at 9–23 months of age was significantly lower in the group with clinical measles compared to the healthy controls [12/50 (24%) vs 24/50 (48%),P= 0.01). The family educational and socio-economic status did not differ significantly (P> 0.05) between cases and controls.

Conclusion

These results emphasize the importance of intensification of measles immunization coverage in Laos. The strengthening of campaigns with large, widespread high second dose coverage is likely to be a key measure to prevent further measles outbreaks in Laos (192 words).