bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Linear Azo Polymer Containing Conjugated 5,5′‐Azodisalicylic Acid Segments in the Main Chain: Synthesis, Characterization, and Degradation
Authors: Lai Junying , Wang Li‐Qun , Tu Kehua , Zhao Changsheng , Sun Weilin
Published: September 2005

Summary: Copolymers of poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) and 5,5′‐azodisalicylic acid (Olsalazine, OLZ) were synthesized and evaluated by hydrolysis and in‐vitro biodegradation with azoreductase. It was found that changing the molecular weight of the PEO blocks affected the loading ratio of OLZ, and resulted in significant differences in the hydration and degradability of the copolymers. These novel azo‐containing copolymers can be used in colon‐specific drug delivery.

Release of 5‐ASA from OLZ and PEO‐OLZ copolymers incubated with rat cecum content in the presence of benzyl viologen and α‐D‐glucose.

magnified image

Release of 5‐ASA from OLZ and PEO‐OLZ copolymers incubated with rat cecum content in the presence of benzyl viologen and α‐D‐glucose.
Sensory timing cues improve akinesia of grasping movements in Parkinson's disease: A comparison to the effects of subthalamic nucleus stimulation
Authors: Nowak Dennis A. , Tisch Stephen , Hariz Marwan , Limousin Patricia , Topka Helge , Rothwell John C.
Published: September 2005

Five parkinsonian subjects with chronic bilateral stimulation of the subthalamic nucleus and five sex‐ and age‐matched healthy controls grasped, lifted, and held an instrumented object. The grip–lift task was either performed at self‐determined speed or in response to an auditory cuing signal. Parkinsonian subjects performed the task with subthalamic nucleus stimulation switched ON and OFF. In Parkinson's disease, stimulation of the subthalamic nucleus and the presentation of auditory timing cues improved akinesia of both the grasp and lift components of the task. The finding that auditory timing cues improve akinesia in the absence of subthalamic nucleus stimulation suggests that the basal ganglia are less involved in the control of movements made in response to environmental cues. However, subthalamic nucleus stimulation caused parkinsonian subjects to apply excessive grip forces, regardless of whether the movement was made under self‐determined or externally guided speed conditions. This implies that subthalamic nucleus stimulation produces a generalized upregulation in the gain of all components of a movement without the subtlety of focused control that is required to normalize performance. © 2005 Movement Disorder Society
Comorbid conditions associated with Parkinson's disease: A population‐based study
Authors: Leibson Cynthia L. , Maraganore Demetrius M. , Bower James H. , Ransom Jeanine E. , O'Brien Peter C. , Rocca Walter A.
Published: September 2005

The burden of comorbidity in Parkinson's disease (PD) remains unclear. All Olmsted County, Minnesota, residents with incident PD in 1976–1995 (n = 197) plus one age‐ and sex‐matched non‐PD referent subject per case were followed for all clinical diagnoses from 5 years before through 15 years after index (i.e., year of PD onset for each case and same year for the referent subject). Both members of a case–referent pair were censored at death or emigration of either member to ensure equivalent follow‐up. Cases and referent subjects were compared for summary comorbidity (Charlson index) and for the likelihood of having one or more diagnoses within each International Classification of Diseases chapter/subchapter. Before index, the groups were similar for all comparisons. After index, cases had a higher likelihood of diagnoses within the chapters “Mental Disorders” and “Diseases of the Genitourinary System,” and within the subchapters “Organic Psychotic Conditions,” “Other Psychoses,” “Neurotic/Personality/Other Nonpsychotic Disorders,” “Hereditary/Degenerative Diseases of Central Nervous System,” “Symptoms,” “Other Diseases of Digestive System,” “Other Diseases of Urinary System,” “Diseases of Veins/Lymphatics/Other Circulatory System Diseases,” “Fractures of Lower Limb,” “Other Diseases of Skin/Subcutaneous Tissue,” “Osteopathies/Chrondropathies/Acquired Musculoskeletal Deformities,” and “Pneumonia and Influenza.” The excess morbidity and mortality observed for persons with PD are consistent with recognized PD sequelae. © 2005 Movement Disorder Society
Age‐related influences on the clinical characteristics of new‐onset hallucinations in Parkinson's disease patients
Authors: Goetz Christopher G. , Wuu Joanne , Curgian Linda , Leurgans Sue
Published: September 2005

The objective of this study was to determine the demographic influences on the sensory characteristics (pure visual vs. nonvisual or mixed visual/nonvisual) of new‐onset hallucinations in Parkinson's disease (PD). We utilized 6‐year longitudinal interview data from 60 PD patients who had never hallucinated at baseline and reinterviewed them at 6, 18, 48, and 72 months to assess the presence and type of hallucination that developed as the first form of hallucination. We analyzed data by Generalized Estimating Equations methods and by nonparametric tests. Over 6 years, 37 of 60 patients developed hallucinations, and the first hallucinations were pure visual in 18, pure nonvisual in 9, and mixed visual/nonvisual in 10. At the time of first onset of hallucinations, patients whose hallucinations were nonvisual or mixed were significantly older than those with purely visual hallucinations (mean age, 69.8 ± 8.3 vs. 61.9 ± 10.6; P = 0.031). PD duration in the two groups, however, was statistically comparable (9.6 ± 4.4 vs. 12.9 ± 8.6 years). Though classically described as visual, hallucinations in PD frequently involve other sensory modalities. Age‐related disinhibition may facilitate wider cortical activation in PD and potentiate aberrant signaling that invokes other types of hallucinations besides the classic visual forms. © 2005 Movement Disorder Society
The role of a language scale for infant and preschool assessment
Authors: Zimmerman Irla Lee , Castilleja Nancy Flores
Published: September 2005

The PLS‐4 (Preschool Language Scale, 4th edition) is a psychometrically sound instrument constructed to assess language skills in children from birth to 6 years 11 months. It is a useful diagnostic and research tool that can be used to identify current comprehension and expressive language skills and can measure changes in language skills over time. The test is individually administered and includes tasks that assess skills in the areas of preverbal behaviors, as well as linguistic skills in the areas of semantics, morphology, syntax, integrative language skills, and preliteracy skills. Extensive reliability and validity evidence are presented. The test has been used extensively in research examining language development of young children from different home environments, children with identified medical conditions, and children participating in a variety of habilitation and intervention programs. Both the previous edition (PLS‐3) and the new PLS‐4 English and Spanish editions are used extensively in clinical, medical, and research settings to examine developmental language patterns of infants, toddlers, and preschoolers. © 2005 Wiley‐Liss, Inc. MRDD Research Reviews 2005;11:238–246.
Neurodevelopmental assessment of the young child: The state of the art
Authors: Allen Marilee C.
Published: September 2005

A wide variety of tests are available to assess the central nervous system (CNS) function of the toddler and preschool‐aged child. These tests vary as to function; qualities and abilities tapped; facility with which they can be learned, administered, and scored; availability of test materials and manuals or training videos; and strength of standardization and validation data. Some were developed to screen development of large numbers of children. Others were developed to evaluate a child for diagnosis of disability or delineation of a child's strengths and weaknesses. Some broadly screen or assess multiple aspects of development, while some focus on specific abilities. A limitation of all these tests is that they tap only a small portion of a child's abilities at a given point in time. Administration of a variety of different tests provides a more complete evaluation of a child's abilities. Tests that can follow a child's development over time tap into the continuum of human development. The ability to measure various aspects of CNS functional development is a first step in addressing our greatest challenge, how to promote and support a child's development. © 2005 Wiley‐Liss, Inc. MRDD Research Reviews 2005;11:274–275.
Allocation of resources of modular sizes with an application to Internet Protocol (IP) address allocation
Authors: Luss Hanan
Published: September 2005

We consider a resource allocation problem, where resources of different capacities must satisfy multiple demands. The demand sizes and the resource capacities are limited to sizes that are power‐of‐two integers (i.e., 1, 2, 4, 8, …). The cost of the resources exhibit economies‐of‐scale savings, i.e., the cost per capacity unit is smaller for resources with larger capacity. The problem is to select the minimum‐cost set of resources that satisfies the demands, while each of the demands must be assigned to a single resource and the number of selected resources does not exceed a specified upper bound. We present algorithms that take advantage of the special structure of the problem and provide optimal solutions in a negligible computing effort. This problem is important for the allocation of blocks of Internet Protocol (IP) addresses, referred to as subnets. In typical IP networks, subnets are allocated at a large number of nodes. An effective allocation attempts to balance the volume of excess addresses that are not used versus fragmentation of addresses at nodes to too many subnets with a discontinuous range of addresses. Due to the efficiency of the algorithms, they can readily be used as valuable modules in IP address management systems. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Naval Research Logistics, 2005.
Déjà Vu all over again: Charter reform fails in St. Louis
Authors: Cropf Robert A. , Swanstrom Todd
Published: September 2005

Editor's note: There is a lively ongoing debate in this country over the forms of organization and the distribution of powers within local government, especially when it comes to the critical question of mayoral leadership. The following essay is an account of a failed attempt to change St. Louis's city charter. Because the National Civic League's Community Services program played a role in facilitating the discussion leading up to the proposal of charter amendments, we would like to emphasize that as with most essays and reports published in this journal, the analysis and conclusions herein represent the perspectives of the authors, or in some cases the participants they interviewed, and not necessarily those of National Civic League staff. We hope this essay will stimulate further discussion and debate on these critical issues of concern.
Mutation screen and association study of EZH2 as a susceptibility gene for aggressive prostate cancer
Authors: Bachmann Natascha , Hoegel Josef , Haeusler Juergen , Kuefer Rainer , Herkommer Kathleen , Paiss Thomas , Vogel Walther , Maier Christiane
Published: September 2005

BACKGROUND

Several linkage studies have provided evidence for a prostate cancer aggressiveness gene on chromosome 7q. This report details the results of the first mutation screen and association study of EZH2 (located at 7q35) as a potential candidate gene for the development of aggressive prostate cancer.

METHODS

In 10 families with linkage of chromosome 7q31‐33 to aggressive prostate cancer, we sequenced the promoter region and all 20 exons of EZH2. We genotyped 11 variants in 287 prostate cancer probands and 96 controls. Association between the disease and the variants/haplotypes was evaluated taking into account clinical data and disease recurrence.

RESULTS

The individual variation sites did not show significant differences in the allele frequencies between cases and controls. In contrast, one haplotype had a higher frequency in controls, and another haplotype was significantly more frequent in cases with low grade tumors (GI/II) and progression free survival (NED).

CONCLUSION

We have possibly identified haplotypes which mark alleles that have a beneficial effect on the development of prostate cancer. Moreover, our results suggest that genetic variations of the EZH2 gene are not responsible for the linkage of 7q to aggressive prostate cancer. Prostate. © 2005 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Modulation of Jejunal Contractions by Extract of Carica papaya L. Seeds
Authors: Adebiyi Adebowale , Adaikan P. Ganesan
Published: September 2005

Carica papaya L. (papaya) seed preparations are used in traditional medicine to expel intestinal worms in human and ruminants. In the present study, an ethanol extract of papaya seeds (EEPS; 0.1–6.4 mg/mL) caused concentration‐dependent inhibition of jejunal contractions in contrast to corresponding concentrations of DMSO (solvent control). The inhibitory effect of EEPS on jejunal contractions was significantly irreversible. Previous studies have indicated that benzyl isothiocyanate (BITC) is the main bioactive compound responsible for the anthelmintic activity of papaya seeds. In the present study, standard BITC (0.01–0.64 mmol/L) also caused significant irreversible inhibition of jejunal contractions. Recovery of jejunal contractions after BITC‐induced inhibition was weaker than recovery after EEPS‐induced inhibition (BITC versus EEPS: 19 ± 7% vs 38 ± 13%). Cryosections of the jejunum showed marked morphological damage of the segments treated with BITC in contrast to DMSO‐treated segments. EEPS‐induced jejunal damage was, however, less marked. These results indicate that papaya seed extract and BITC, its principal bioactive constituent are capable of weakening the contractile capability of rabbit isolated jejunum. It is thus envisaged that at the toxic level that will be needed to kill and expel intestinal worms in vivo, BITC may also cause impairment of intestinal functions. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Reducing the expression of glutathione transferase D mRNA in Drosophila melanogaster exposed to phenol and aniline
Authors: Ding K. , Chien Y. , Chien C.
Published: September 2005

Phenol and aniline are toxic to animals. The purpose of the present study was to examine the expression of glutathione transferase D mRNA in fruit flies altered by long‐term exposure to phenol and aniline. Changes in the amount of mRNA were measured by a semiquantitative reverse‐transcription polymerase chain reaction assay. The level of each glutathione transferase D mRNA expressed in the phenol‐treated and aniline‐treated strains of adult fruit flies differed after chemical treatment. Aniline was more potent than phenol in suppressing the expression of cytosolic glutathione transferase D mRNA. Aniline reduced the level of glutathione transferase mRNA expressed in the aniline‐treated strain to less than a 0.5 fraction as compared to that measured in the wild‐type strain. But phenol was only able to suppress the GstD7 and GstD4 mRNAs expressed in the phenol‐treated strain. Neither aniline nor phenol reduced the expression of microsomal glutathione transferase mRNA in fruit flies. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Environ Toxicol 20: 507–512, 2005.
Road trauma prevention: Perspectives
Authors: Trinca Gordon W.
Published: September 2005

Road trauma is a major public health problem in all motorized societies. Doctors who treat casualties must commit themselves not only to providing optimum care but to becoming equally involved in the epidemiological and sociological aspects of road trauma prevention. The prevention of trauma requires a threefold approach prevent the crash, prevent injury in the crash, and prevent injury aggravation after the crash. Strategies and program options to implement them have been formulated to reduce traffic injury. These strategies are exposure control, crash prevention, injury control, behavior modification and post‐crash trauma management. The combined experience of war injuries and road trauma has lead to major advances in investigation technology and management procedures and far less costly efforts directed at road trauma prevention. The balance between prevention on the one hand and investigation and procedure on the other needs to be addressed. Productive research adequately funded is essential if prevention initiatives are to succeed in reducing the incidence of highway death and injury.
Electrocoagulation for adenocarcinoma of the low rectum
Authors: Eisenstat Theodore E. , Oliver Gregory C.
Published: September 2005

Cancers of the distal rectum (<7.5 cm from the anal verge) that are freely mobile, moderately well or well differentiated, <4 cm in size, limited to the bowel wall, and without evidence of metastasis should be considered candidates for treatment with electrocoagulation for cure. Tumor cell ploidy and evaluation with intrarectal ultrasound may in the future add additional useful information with regard to patient selection. Electrocoagulation and laser ablation of tumors may also be useful modalities for palliation of patients with metastatic disease or who are not candidates for curative surgery.
Adequate distal margin of resection for adenocarcinoma of the rectum
Authors: Phillips Robin K. S.
Published: September 2005

There are two questions in the surgical treatment of rectal cancer: (1) How far below a palpable rectal cancer should a surgeon cut in order to avoid cutting through cancer and, (2) Given that the surgeon has not cut through cancer, could the chance of subsequent recurrent rectal cancer have been reduced if an even greater length of bowel had been removed. For mobile tumors that are not poorly differentiated the answer to the first question is far enough in order to get a right‐angled clamp on below the tumor that will not slip; the answer to the second question is no.
The polycomb group gene product Mel‐18 interacts with cyclin D2 and modulates its activity
Authors: Chun Taehoon , Rho Seung Bae , Byun Hyun-Jung , Lee Jung-Yeon , Kong Gu
Published: September 2005

Considerable evidence supports the view that D‐type cyclins play a role in G1‐S progression. We found that cyclin D2 directly interacts with Mel‐18, one of the polycomb group gene products in a yeast two hybrid screen. Further, we have determined the binding domains that are required for interaction between cyclin D2 and Mel‐18. The proline/serine‐rich domain (P/S domain) of Mel‐18 is required to interact with cyclin D2, and the N‐terminal region of cyclin D2 is necessary to interact with Mel‐18. A co‐localization study shows that cyclin D2 and Mel‐18 interact within the nucleus. To determine whether Mel‐18 affects cyclin D2 activity, we blocked Mel‐18 expression using an anti‐sense strand system in cyclin D2 over‐expressing cells. The results indicate that cells with reduced Mel‐18 expression levels show more proliferative activity than the controls. These findings are the first report that Mel‐18 directly interacts with cyclin D2 and may inhibit cyclin D2 activity.
Sphingosine kinase 1 is required for migration, proliferation and survival of MCF‐7 human breast cancer cells
Authors: Sarkar Sukumar , Maceyka Michael , Hait Nitai C. , Paugh Steven W. , Sankala Heidi , Milstien Sheldon , Spiegel Sarah
Published: September 2005

Sphingosine‐1‐phosphate (S1P) is a potent lysolipid involved in a variety of biological responses important for cancer progression. Therefore, we investigated the role of sphingosine kinase type 1 (SphK1), the enzyme that makes S1P, in the motility, growth, and chemoresistance of MCF‐7 breast cancer cells. Epidermal growth factor (EGF), an important growth factor for breast cancer progression, activated and translocated SphK1 to plasma membrane. SphK1 was required for EGF‐directed motility. Downregulation of SphK1 in MCF‐7 cells reduced EGF‐ and serum‐stimulated growth and enhanced sensitivity to doxorubicin, a potent chemotherapeutic agent. These results suggest that SphK1 may be critical for growth, metastasis and chemoresistance of human breast cancers.
Evidence for high-frequency late Glacial to mid-Holocene (16,800 to 5500 cal yr B.P.) climate variability from oxygen isotope values of Lough Inchiquin, Ireland
Authors: Diefendorf Aaron F. , Patterson William P. , Mullins Henry T. , Tibert Neil , Martini Anna
Published: September 2005

A 7.6-m core recovered from Lough Inchiquin, western Ireland provides evidence for rapid and long-term climate change from the Late Glacial period to the Mid-Holocene. We determined percentage of carbonate, total organic matter, mineralogy, and δ18Ocalcite values to provide the first high-resolution record of climate variability for this period in Ireland. Following deglaciation, rapid climate amelioration preceded large increases in GISP2 δ18Oice values by ∼2300 yr. The Oldest Dryas (15,100 to 14,500 cal yr B.P.) Late Glacial event is documented in this record as a decrease in δ18Ocalcite values. Brief warming at ∼12,700 cal yr B.P. was followed by characteristic Younger Dryas cold and dry climate conditions. A rapid increase in δ18Ocalcite values at ∼10,500 cal yr B.P. marked the onset of Boreal warming in western Ireland. The 8200 cal yr B.P. event is represented by a brief cooling in our record. Prior to general warming, a larger and previously undescribed climate anomaly between 7300 and 6700 cal yr B.P. is characterized by low δ18Ocalcite values with high-frequency variability.
Organotypic slice cultures from rat brain tissue: a new approach forNaegleria fowleriCNS infectionin vitro
Authors: GIANINAZZI C. , SCHILD M. , MÜLLER N. , LEIB S. L. , SIMON F. , NUÑEZ S. , JOSS P. , GOTTSTEIN B.
Published: September 2005

The free-living amoebaNaegleria fowleriis the aetiological agent of primary amoebic meningoencephalitis (PAM), a disease leading to death in the vast majority of cases. In patients suffering from PAM, and in corresponding animal models, the brain undergoes a massive inflammatory response, followed by haemorrhage and severe tissue necrosis. Both,in vivoandin vitromodels are currently being used to study PAM infection. However, animal models may pose ethical issues, are dependent upon availability of specific infrastructural facilities, and are time-consuming and costly. Conversely, cell cultures lack the complex organ-specific morphology foundin vivo, and thus, findings obtainedin vitrodo not necessarily reflect the situationin vivo. The present study reports infection of organotypic slice cultures from rat brain withN. fowleriand compares the findings in this culture system within vivoinfection in a rat model of PAM, that proved complementary to that of mice. We found that brain morphology, as presentin vivo, is well retained in organotypic slice cultures, and that infection time-course including tissue damage parallels the observationsin vivoin the rat. Therefore, organotypic slice cultures from rat brain offer a newin vitroapproach to studyN. fowleriinfection in the context of PAM.
The impact of cognitions on the development of panic and somatoform disorders: a prospective study in patients with vestibular neuritis
Authors: GODEMANN F. , SCHABOWSKA A. , NAETEBUSCH B. , HEINZ A. , STRÖHLE A.
Published: September 2005

Background. There is a high incidence of panic and somatoform disorders after vestibular neuritis. However, the occurrence of psychiatric disorders has been shown to be unrelated to persistent functional vestibular impairment. The aim of the present study was to examine the role played by cognitions in the development of panic and somatoform disorders.

Method. In a 2-year prospective study, cognitions were recorded at various stages using the Agoraphobic Cognitions Questionnaire and Body Sensations Questionnaire. Our analysis focused on whether body-related anxiety or panic-related thoughts can predict the development of a panic or somatoform disorder.

Results. Fear arising on the first day of an acute vestibular episode did not predict the development of panic or somatoform disorders. One week after the dysfunction, however, the fear of vertigo was a significant predictor, explaining 20% of the variance in the development of either disorder. After 6 weeks, persistent fear of vertigo or vomiting predicted approximately 30% of the variance, and after 6 months panic-related thoughts predicted 40% of the variance and, with the inclusion of body-related fears, as much as 60% of the variance in the development of panic or somatoform disorders.

Conclusion. Our data confirm prospectively a number of fundamental assumptions of cognitive theory concerning the development of anxiety disorders. Subjects who experience vertigo as particularly alarming focus more intensely than other patients on the negative symptoms they perceive as being related to the disorder. Patients with panic-related cognitions were prone to develop panic or somatoform disorders.
Type-based confinement
Authors: ZHAO TIAN , PALSBERG JENS , VITEK JAN
Published: September 2005

Confinement properties impose a structure on object graphs which can be used to enforce encapsulation properties. From a practical point of view, encapsulation is essential for building secure object-oriented systems as security requires that the interface between trusted and untrusted components of a system be clearly delineated and restricted to the smallest possible set of operations and data structures. This paper investigates the notion of package-level confinement and proposes a type system that enforces this notion for a call-by-value object calculus as well as a generic extension thereof. We give a proof of soundness of this type system, and establish links between this work and related research in language-based security.
do confidence, formal training or years of experience influence the accuracy of electronic portal image review by radiation therapists?
Authors: rybovic m. , halkett g. k. b. , williams m. t.
Published: September 2005

background: verification of radiation therapy treatment using electronic portal images (epi) involves the correlation between a reference image and a treatment epi. this paper investigates the accuracy and confidence in reference anatomy outlining and anatomy matching components of epi review, when performed by radiation therapists with varying experience in epi analysis.

methods: thirty radiation therapists performed reference anatomy contouring and anatomy matching of seven pairs of reference and treatment images belonging to five previous patients. accuracy was determined by the discrepancy (mm) between the anatomy contouring and matching of the subjects and the original parameters completed by an experienced senior radiation therapist, with formal training in epi analysis. confidence was recorded on a 10cm visual-analogue scale (vas).

results: no significant differences were found in the accuracy of anatomy contouring or anatomy matching between subjects with and without formal epi training nor between subjects with less than or greater than five or more years of radiation therapy experience (p > 0.18). significantly different confidence scores were found in subjects with formal training in epi (p < 0.00006)

conclusions: accuracy of anatomy contouring and matching was not significantly influenced by the years of radiation therapy experience and formal epi training, although these factors did affect subjects' confidence in performing epi review tasks. frequent exposure to portal image analysis may be as or more important to the technical skills required in epi review, than formal training or years of experience.
prostate brachytherapy: a review of current practice
Authors: bownes peter , flynn anthony
Published: September 2005

there is currently great interest in the treatment of prostate cancer due to its increasing profile in the older male population. in recent years brachytherapy has become a viable treatment option. low dose rate implants using permanently implanted radioactive seeds and high dose rate treatments using afterloading machines are two methods regularly used for the treatment of this disease. both techniques require close integration between imaging and the placement of the radioactive sources. future developments in imaging will lead to improved targeting of the radiation to diseased areas of the prostate and interactive treatment planning. this review paper describes the current status of the treatment of prostate cancer by brachytherapy, references current published results and examines radiation protection issues.
axillary artery injury following a closed fracture of the proximal humerus
Authors: lam f. , kurta i. , hussain s.
Published: September 2005

a rare case of axillary artery injury following a displaced surgical neck of humerus fracture is presented. the epidemiology and pathoanatomy of the condition are described. a literature review is presented emphasising the need for prompt diagnosis and treatment.
transitional mri characteristics of vertebral osteomyelitis in the cervical spine
Authors: ido k. , yoshida n. i. , urushidani i.-l.
Published: September 2005

a 49-year-old man with cervical osteomyelitis and right hemiparesis treated surgically was presented. mri at 2 weeks after the onset revealed a disc bulging at c5/6, whereas those at 4 weeks showed spinal cord compression and surrounding abscess formation. drastic destructive features progressed between 2 and 4 weeks after the onset. repeated mri investigation using fat suppression technique or gadolinium enhancement will be necessary for a difficult diagnostic vertebral osteomyelitis.
Leaky wave excitation on three‐dimensional via‐fed printed interconnects
Authors: Hanson George W. , Yakovlev Alexander B. , Hutchcraft W. Elliott
Published: September 2005

Leaky wave excitation on three‐dimensional, via‐fed single and coupled microstrip interconnects is studied. Closed‐form asymptotic expressions for the fields associated with the interconnect are derived and are applied in the traveling/standing wave and leaky wave regimes, both of which lead to radiation. The leaky wave beam angle is found to correspond to the usual two‐dimensional ray optics leakage angle for long interconnects, as expected, and depends on interconnect length, spacing, and excitation for shorter interconnects. Comparisons with full‐wave results are shown for the case of via‐fed coupled interconnects.
A global 0.05° maximum albedo dataset of snow‐covered land based on MODIS observations
Authors: Barlage Michael , Zeng Xubin , Wei Helin , Mitchell Kenneth E.
Published: September 2005

A new global 0.05° maximum albedo for snow‐covered land is developed from BRDF/Albedo, reflectance and land cover measured from the MODIS sensor on board the Terra and Aqua satellites. The dataset is similar to previous maximum snow albedo datasets, but is available at higher resolution. The dataset displays: (1) high albedo at very high latitudes with tundra and open shrub land cover; (2) a local minimum (0.35) in zonally‐averaged albedo at 56–60°N due to boreal forest cover; and (3) a local maximum (0.70) in zonally‐averaged albedo at 42–45°N due to crop and grassland. The dataset is tested in the Noah land model at 0.125° resolution as used in the North American Land Data Assimilation System. Compared with the original data, the new dataset increases the spatial heterogeneity in the Noah model during winter and produces surface energy component differences of 10 W/m2 during the snowmelt period.
Gravity waves above Andes detected from GPS radio occultation temperature profiles: Mountain forcing?
Authors: de la Torre A. , Alexander P.
Published: September 2005

A significant wave activity in the upper troposphere and lower stratosphere at midlatitudes (30–40S) above the Andes Range was recently detected from Global Positioning System Radio Occultation (GPS RO) temperature profiles, retrieved from SAC‐C (Satélite de Aplicaciones Cientficas‐C) and CHAMP (CHAllenging Minisatellite Payload) satellites. Previously, large amplitude, long vertical wavelength structures have been reported in this region, as detected from other limb‐sounding devices and have been identified as mountain waves (MWs). The capability of GPS RO observations to detect typical MWs with horizontal wavelengths shorter than 150 km, as well as the proper association of the observed wave activity to mountain forcing is put in doubt. Other three possible sources are discussed. In particular, the generation of inertio‐gravity waves by geostrophic adjustment near to a permanent jet situated above the mountains, may constitute another important mechanism in this region. These waves may possess longer horizontal and perhaps shorter vertical wavelengths than those typically expected in MWs and could be more easily detected from limb‐sounding profiles. The “jet” mechanism will be discussed in a second paper.
Aerosol optical depth over land: Comparing AERONET, AVHRR and MODIS
Authors: Hauser A. , Oesch D. , Foppa N.
Published: September 2005

Data from NOAA‐16 AVHRR have been used to retrieve the spatial distribution of aerosol optical depth for central Europe. At eight AERONET sites, monthly mean values based on daily AVHRR aerosol maps are calculated and compared to monthly mean values from TERRA‐MODIS, AQUA‐MODIS and AERONET. Additionally, seasonal mean maps for 2002 are presented. To estimate the performance of this algorithm, the winter and summer season maps are compared to TERRA‐MODIS seasonal maps created from the daily global aerosol product. In general, the AVHRR and MODIS aerosol maps show the same features: Lower values with increasing altitude, higher values in heavily industrialized areas and overall reasonable mean values. AVHRR maps are spatially more homogeneous than MODIS, which seem to contain an imprint of the surface cover type. The maps clearly demonstrate the potential of the retrieval method to produce a climatology based on AVHRR aerosol optical depth data over land.
Interannual variability of the South China Sea in a data assimilation model
Authors: Wu Chau‐Ron , Chang C.‐W. June
Published: September 2005

Sea surface height (SSH) variations in the South China Sea are examined using results from a data assimilation model. After the SSH data have had the annual cycle removed, principal component analysis illustrates two distinct anomaly patterns. The first mode, strongest off Vietnam, would affect the basin‐wide gyre intensity. The second mode consists of a meridional dipole feature with a nodal line around 12°N and is related to the development of the eastward jet and upwelling off Vietnam. Both EOF modes have significant interannual variations and are highly correlated to the ENSO events. The leading phase of mode 2 coefficient provides preliminary evidence for the air‐sea interaction and the Pacific‐East Asian teleconnection. An innovative mechanism is proposed to describe a weakened upwelling off Luzon in winter 1998. An extra‐strong basin‐wide warming in summer 1998 persists into fall and winter, preventing the formation of winter upwelling off Luzon in that year.
Dissipative-Hamiltonian decomposition of smooth vector fields based on symmetries
Authors: Palacián Jesús F.
Published: September 2005

We propose a method to decompose a smooth vector field into conservative and dissipative components. The procedure is based on the identification of the kernel of a linear operator associated with a given Hamiltonian combined with the use of Lie transformations for vector fields. Moreover, under certain conditions the nonconservative part of the splitting can be dropped at a given order of the transformation, obtaining after truncation, a Hamilton vector field. The technique is illustrated through the application to the motion of a particle subject to the potential of a champagne bottle plus a small friction.
Control and analysis of ion species in inductively coupled nitration plasma using a grid system
Authors: Bai K. H. , Chang H. Y.
Published: September 2005

We control the ion density ratio of [N+]∕[N2+] with the voltage-biased grid system in inductively coupled nitration plasma. The ion density ratio is controlled from 0.39 to 0.04 with decreasing grid-biased voltage. We try to analyze the variation of the ion density ratio using the measured plasma parameters and particle balance equation. The important factor determining the ion ratio is the plasma potential difference between the source region—where plasma is generated—and the diffusion region—where the electron temperature is controlled. When the plasma potential is higher in the source region than in diffusion region, the ion density ratio is determined by the electron temperature in Region I. Inversely, the ion density ratio is determined by the electron temperature in Region II, when the plasma potential is higher in Region II than in Region I.
Use of the cone calorimeter to detect seasonal differences in selected combustion characteristics of ornamental vegetation
Authors: Weise David R. , White Robert H. , Beall Frank C. , Etlinger Matt
Published: September 2005

The flammability of living vegetation is influenced by a variety of factors, including moisture content, physical structure and chemical composition. The relative flammability of ornamental vegetation is of interest to homeowners seeking to make their homes ‘fire safe’. The relative importance of the factors influencing fire behaviour characteristics, such as flammability, is unknown. In the present study, oxygen consumption calorimetry was used to obtain selected combustion characteristics of ornamental vegetation. Peak heat release rate, mass loss rate, time to ignition and effective heat of combustion of 100 × 100-mm samples of foliage and small branches were measured using a bench-scale cone calorimeter. Green and oven-dry samples of 10 species were collected and tested seasonally for a period of 1 year. Similar measurements were made on whole shrubs in an intermediate-scale calorimeter. The range of cone calorimeter peak heat release rates for green and oven-dry samples was 1–176 and 49–331 kW m−2, respectively. Moisture content significantly reduced heat release rates and increased time to ignition. Peak heat release rates for Olea europea and Adenostoma fasciculatum were consistently highest over the year of testing; Aloe sp. consistently had the lowest heat release rate. The correlation of peak heat release rates measured by the cone calorimeter and an intermediate-scale calorimeter was statistically significant yet low (0.51). The use of the cone calorimeter as a tool to establish the relative flammability rating for landscape vegetation requires additional investigation.
Validation of the Haines Index predicted from real-time high-resolution MM5 forecasts using rawinsonde observations over the eastern half of the USA
Authors: In Hee-Jin , Zhong Shiyuan
Published: September 2005

The accuracy of the predicted Haines Index using the MM5 model is evaluated using rawinsonde observations. The evaluation compared predicted and observed Haines Indices during a 5-month period from 1 June to 31 October 2003 at 29 upper-air sounding sites within the modeling domain over much of the eastern half of the USA. Despite a consistent cold bias of 1–3°C in the lower to mid troposphere and a dry bias at the 850-mb and 700-mb levels in the MM5 results, little bias is found in the predicted Haines Index. This is because the temperature bias is largely cancelled in the calculation of the vertical temperature gradients used to derive the Haines Index and the dry bias is compensated by the slightly weaker instability in the model predictions. The predicted Haines Index captured the observed spatial and temporal variations of the observed index values resulting from changes in synoptic conditions. Of the 4184 total available soundings for the comparison, 45% had an exact match between the predicted and observed Haines Index categories and another 43% had a good match with the predicted and observed index differing by only one category. The rest of the 12% were cases where the predicted index fell under a category that was substantially different from the observed category, significantly raising or lowering the risk level for potentially dangerous fire behavior. Despite the general success, serious limitations exist when using the Haines Index derived from MM5 results for predicting high-risk conditions. This is because the prediction failed more than 50% of the time to capture the observed extreme cases when the observed index reached its highest possible value of 6. Although such extreme cases are rare, they represent conditions that are most conducive to dangerous and erratic fire behaviors and failure to predict these conditions may lead to serious consequences.
Lethal soil temperatures during burning of masticated forest residues
Authors: Busse Matt D. , Hubbert Ken R. , Fiddler Gary O. , Shestak Carol J. , Powers Robert F.
Published: September 2005

Mastication of woody shrubs is used increasingly as a management option to reduce fire risk at the wildland–urban interface. Whether the resulting mulch layer leads to extreme soil heating, if burned, is unknown. We measured temperature profiles in a clay loam soil during burning of Arctostaphylos residues. Four mulch depths were burned (0, 2.5, 7.5 and 12.5 cm), spanning typical conditions at forested sites in northern California with dense pre-mastication shrub cover. Two soil moisture contents were compared at each fuel depth to simulate spring prescribed burning (moist soil) and late-season wildfire (dry soil). Maximum temperatures reached 600°C on the surface of dry soils and were 100–200°C lower for moist soil. Heating was extensive in dry soil for the two deepest mulch depths, exceeding the lethal threshold for plants (60°C) for a minimum of 7 h throughout the 10-cm soil profile. Minimal heat pulse was found with less mulch. Moist soil also dampened heat penetration; peak temperatures exceeded 60°C only to 2.5 cm in the soil profile for all but the deepest mulch layer. No adverse effects of burning on water repellency were found in dry or moist soil. The potential for biological damage from soil heating during fire exists following mastication, particularly in dry soil with a mulch depth of 7.5 cm or greater. Field projections indicate that up to one-fourth of treated areas with dense pre-mastication vegetation would surpass lethal soil temperatures during a surface wildfire.
Statistical methods for identifying yeast cell cycle transcription factors
Authors: Tsai Huai-Kuang , Lu Henry Horng-Shing , Li Wen-Hsiung
Published: September 2005

Knowing transcription factors (TFs) involved in the yeast cell cycle is helpful for understanding the regulation of yeast cell cycle genes. We therefore developed two methods for predicting (
i
) individual cell cycle TFs and (
ii
) synergistic TF pairs. The essential idea is that genes regulated by a cell cycle TF should have higher (lower, if it is a repressor) expression levels than genes not regulated by it during one or more phases of the cell cycle. This idea can also be used to identify synergistic interactions of TFs. Applying our methods to chromatin immunoprecipitation data and microarray data, we predict 50 cell cycle TFs and 80 synergistic TF pairs, including most known cell cycle TFs and synergistic TF pairs. Using these and published results, we describe the behaviors of 50 known or inferred cell cycle TFs in each cell cycle phase in terms of activation/repression and potential positive/negative interactions between TFs. In addition to the cell cycle, our methods are also applicable to other functions.
Use of RNA interference inDrosophilaS2 cells to identify host pathways controlling compartmentalization of an intracellular pathogen
Authors: Cheng Luisa W. , Viala Julie P. M. , Stuurman Nico , Wiedemann Ursula , Vale Ronald D. , Portnoy Daniel A.
Published: September 2005

Three genome-wide RNA interference screens were performed inDrosophilaS2 cells to dissect the contribution of host processes toListeria monocytogenesentry, vacuolar escape, and intracellular growth. Among the 116 genes identified, several host pathways previously unrecognized as playing a role in listerial pathogenesis were identified: knockdowns affecting vacuolar trafficking to and from the multivesicular body bypassed the requirement for the essential pore-forming toxin listeriolysin O in mediating escape from phagocytic vacuoles and knockdowns affecting either subunit of serine palmitoyltransferase, a key enzyme in ceramide and sphingolipid biosynthesis, enhanced the toxicity of listeriolysin O expressed in the host cell cytosol, leading to lack of appropriate toxin activity compartmentalization and host cell death. Genome-wide RNA interference screens usingDrosophilaS2 cells proved to be a powerful approach to dissect host-pathogen interactions.
Modulation of CaV1.2 Channels by Mg2+ Acting at an EF-hand Motif in the COOH-terminal Domain
Authors: Brunet Sylvain , Scheuer Todd , Klevit Rachel , Catterall William A.
Published: September 2005

Magnesium levels in cardiac myocytes change in cardiovascular diseases. Intracellular free magnesium (Mgi) inhibits L-type Ca2+ currents through CaV1.2 channels in cardiac myocytes, but the mechanism of this effect is unknown. We hypothesized that Mgi acts through the COOH-terminal EF-hand of CaV1.2. EF-hand mutants were engineered to have either decreased (D1546A/N/S/K) or increased (K1543D and K1539D) Mg2+ affinity. In whole-cell patch clamp experiments, increased Mgi reduced both Ba2+ and Ca2+ currents conducted by wild type (WT) CaV1.2 channels expressed in tsA-201 cells with similar affinity. Exposure of WT CaV1.2 to lower Mgi (0.26 mM) increased the amplitudes of Ba2+ currents 2.6 ± 0.4–fold without effects on the voltage dependence of activation and inactivation. In contrast, increasing Mgi to 2.4 or 7.2 mM reduced current amplitude to 0.5 ± 0.1 and 0.26 ± 0.05 of the control level at 0.8 mM Mgi. The effects of Mgi on peak Ba2+ currents were approximately fit by a single binding site model with an apparent Kd of 0.65 mM. The apparent Kd for this effect of Mgi was shifted ∼3.3- to 16.5-fold to higher concentration in D1546A/N/S mutants, with only small effects on the voltage dependence of activation and inactivation. Moreover, mutant D1546K was insensitive to Mgi up to 7.2 mM. In contrast to these results, peak Ba2+ currents through the K1543D mutant were inhibited by lower concentrations of Mgi compared with WT, consistent with approximately fourfold reduction in apparent Kd for Mgi, and inhibition of mutant K1539D by Mgi was also increased comparably. In addition to these effects, voltage-dependent inactivation of K1543D and K1539D was incomplete at positive membrane potentials when Mgi was reduced to 0.26 or 0.1 mM, respectively. These results support a novel mechanism linking the COOH-terminal EF-hand with modulation of CaV1.2 channels by Mgi. Our findings expand the repertoire of modulatory interactions taking place at the COOH terminus of CaV1.2 channels, and reveal a potentially important role of Mgi binding to the COOH-terminal EF-hand in regulating Ca2+ influx in physiological and pathophysiological states.