bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Protein kinase Cδ-dependent and -independent signaling in genotoxic response to treatment of desferroxamine, a hypoxia-mimetic agent
Authors: Clavijo Carlos , Chen Jo-Lin , Kim Kwang-Jin , Reyland Mary E. , Ann David K.
Published: June 2007

Protein kinase C (PKC) plays a critical role in diseases such as cancer, stroke, and cardiac ischemia and participates in a variety of signal transduction pathways including apoptosis, cell proliferation, and tumor suppression. Here, we demonstrate that PKCδ is proteolytically cleaved and translocated to the nucleus in a time-dependent manner on treatment of desferroxamine (DFO), a hypoxia-mimetic agent. Specific knockdown of the endogenous PKCδ by RNAi (sh-PKCδ) or expression of the kinase-dead (Lys376Arg) mutant of PKCδ (PKCδKD) conferred modulation on the cellular adaptive responses to DFO treatment. Notably, the time-dependent accumulation of DFO-induced phosphorylation of Ser-139-H2AX (γ-H2AX), a hallmark for DNA damage, was altered by sh-PKCδ, and sh-PKCδ completely abrogated the activation of caspase-3 in DFO-treated cells. Expression of Lys376Arg-mutated PKCδ-enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP) appears to abrogate DFO/hypoxia-induced activation of endogenous PKCδ and caspase-3, suggesting that PKCδKD-EGFP serves a dominant-negative function. Additionally, DFO treatment also led to the activation of Chk1, p53, and Akt, where DFO-induced activation of p53, Chk1, and Akt occurred in both PKCδ-dependent and -independent manners. In summary, these findings suggest that the activation of a PKCδ-mediated signaling network is one of the critical contributing factors involved in fine-tuning of the DNA damage response to DFO treatment.
PECAM-1 isoform-specific regulation of kidney endothelial cell migration and capillary morphogenesis
Authors: Kondo Shuji , Scheef Elizabeth A. , Sheibani Nader , Sorenson Christine M.
Published: June 2007

Platelet endothelial cell adhesion molecule-1 (PECAM-1) has been implicated in angiogenesis through its involvement in endothelial cell-cell and cell-matrix interactions and signal transduction. Recent studies indicate that the cytoplasmic domain of PECAM-1 plays an important role in its cell adhesive and signaling properties. However, the role PECAM-1 isoforms play during angiogenic events such as cell adhesion and migration requires further delineation. To gain insight into the role PECAM-1 plays during vascular development and angiogenesis, we examined the expression pattern of PECAM-1 isoforms during kidney vascularization. We show that multiple isoforms of PECAM-1 are expressed during renal vascular development with different frequencies. The PECAM-1 that lacks exons 14 and 15 (Δ14&15) was the predominant isoform detected in the renal vasculature. To further study PECAM-1 isoform-specific functions we isolated kidney endothelial cells (EC) from wild-type and PECAM-1-deficient (PECAM-1−/−) mice with B4-lectin-coated magnetic beads. PECAM-1−/− kidney EC showed reduced migration, inability to undergo capillary morphogenesis in Matrigel, dense peripheral focal adhesions, and peripheral cortical actin distribution compared with wild-type cells. PECAM-1−/− kidney EC secreted increased amounts of fibronectin and decreased amounts of tenascin-C and thrombospondin-1. Reexpression of Δ14&15, but not full-length, PECAM-1 in PECAM-1−/− kidney EC restored cell migration and capillary morphogenesis defects. Thus PECAM-1 may regulate the adhesive and migratory properties of kidney EC in an isoform-specific fashion through modulation of integrin activity and extracellular matrix protein expression. Our results indicate that regulated expression of specific PECAM-1 isoforms may enable EC to accommodate the different stages of angiogenesis.
Brain-derived neurotrophic factor in the hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus increases energy expenditure by elevating metabolic rate
Authors: Wang ChuanFeng , Bomberg Eric , Billington Charles , Levine Allen , Kotz Catherine M.
Published: June 2007

Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) decreases food intake and body weight, but few central sites of action have been identified. The hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus (PVN) is important in energy metabolism regulation, and expresses both BDNF and its receptor. We tested three hypotheses: 1) PVN BDNF reduces feeding and increases energy expenditure (EE), 2) PVN BDNF-enhanced thermogenesis results from increased spontaneous physical activity (SPA) and resting metabolic rate (RMR), and 3) PVN BDNF thermogenic effects are mediated, in part, by uncoupling protein 1 (UCP1) in brown adipose tissue (BAT). BDNF (0.5 μg) was injected into the PVN of Sprague-Dawley rats; and oxygen consumption, carbon dioxide production, food intake, and SPA were measured for 24 h in an indirect calorimeter. SPA was also measured in open-field activity chambers for 48 h after BDNF injection. Animals were killed 6 or 24 h after BDNF injection, and BAT UCP1 gene expression was measured with quantitative real-time PCR. BDNF significantly decreased food intake and body weight gain 24 h after injection. Heat production and RMR were significantly elevated for 7 h immediately after BDNF injection. BDNF had no effect on SPA, but increased UCP1 gene expression in BAT at 6 h, but not 24 h after injection. In conclusion, PVN BDNF reduces body weight by decreasing food intake and increasing EE consequent to increased RMR, which may be due, in part, to BAT UCP1 activity. These data suggest that the PVN is an important site of BDNF action to influence energy balance.
Identification of cysteines in rat organic cation transporters rOCT1 (C322, C451) and rOCT2 (C451) critical for transport activity and substrate affinity
Authors: Sturm Alexander , Gorboulev Valentin , Gorbunov Dmitry , Keller Thorsten , Volk Christopher , Schmitt Bernhard M. , Schlachtbauer Peter , Ciarimboli Giuliano , Koepsell Hermann
Published: June 2007

Effects of the sulfhydryl reagent methylmethanethiosulfonate (MMTS) on functions of organic cation transporters (OCTs) were investigated. Currents induced by 10 mM choline [ Imax(choline)] in Xenopus laevis oocytes expressing rat OCT1 (rOCT1) were increased four- to ninefold after 30-s incubation with 5 mM MMTS whereas Imax(choline)by rat OCT2 was 70% decreased. MMTS activated the rOCT1 transporter within the plasma membrane without changing stoichiometry between translocated charge and cation. After modification of oocytes expressing rOCT1 or rOCT2 with MMTS, I0.5(choline)values for choline-induced currents were increased. For rOCT1 it was shown that MMTS increased I0.5values for different cations by different degrees. Mutagenesis of individual cysteine residues in rOCT1 revealed that modification of cysteine 322 in the large intracellular loop, and of cysteine 451 at the transition of the transmembrane α-helix (TMH) 10 to the short intracellular loop between the TMH 10 and 11 is responsible for the observed effects of MMTS. After replacement of cysteine 451 by methionine, the IC50(choline)for choline to inhibit MPP uptake by rOCT1 was increased whereas the I0.5(choline)value for choline-induced current remained unchanged. At variance, in double mutant Cys322Ser, Cys451Met, I0.5(choline)was increased compared with rOCT1 wild-type whereas in the single mutant Cys322Ser I0.5(choline)was not changed. The data suggest that modification of rOCT1 at cysteines 322 and 451 leads to an increase in turnover. They indicate that cysteine 451 in rOCT1 interacts with the large intracellular loop and that cysteine 451 in both rOCT1 and rOCT2 is critical for the affinity of choline.
Presynaptic Inhibition of GABAA Receptor-Mediated Unitary IPSPs by Cannabinoid Receptors at Synapses Between CCK-Positive Interneurons in Rat Hippocampus
Authors: Ali Afia B.
Published: June 2007

There is growing evidence to link cholecystokinin (CCK)-positive interneurons and anxiety disorders. Despite this, little is known about the physiology and pharmacology of synaptic interactions between CCK-positive interneurons. This study aims to investigate the local circuit connections among CCK-positive Schaffer collateral associated (SCA) interneurons in stratum radiatum (SR) and their modulatory interactions using paired whole cell recordings combined with biocytin and double immunofluorescence labeling in slices of rat hippocampus. The cell bodies of SCA interneurons were located in SR, and their sparsely spiny dendrites projected toward s. pyramidale (SP) and along SR. Their axons innervated SR, SP, and s. oriens (SO) with predominant ramification in SR. These cells were immunopositive for CCK and immunonegative for parvalbumin (PV). SCA interneurons often displayed an accommodating firing pattern with or without a “sag” in response to hyperpolarizing current injection. Pairs of these cells exhibited electrical coupling and reciprocal chemical connections in which inhibitory postsynaptic potentials (IPSPs) displayed powerful frequency-dependent facilitation and augmentation. The synaptic connections were modulated by the endogenous cannabinoid receptor (CB) agonist, anandamide and by depolarization-induced suppression of inhibition (DSI), both of which reduced the amplitude of unitary IPSPs to 50% of control and increased the number of apparent failures of transmission. These effects were blocked by the CB1 receptor antagonist, AM-251. I suggest that synaptic facilitation between CCK-positive SCA interneurons may modify the onset of CB1 receptor-mediated regulation of inhibition, thereby affecting spike timing, and that this process could influence the expression of anxiety.
Atherosclerosis and Obstructive Sleep Apnea in Patients with Ischemic Stroke
Authors: Dziewas Rainer , Ritter Martin , Usta Nesrin , Boentert Matthias , Hor Hyon , Dittrich Ralf , Schäbitz Wolf R. , Ringelstein E. Bernd , Young Peter
Published: June 2007

Background: Of late, obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) has been suggested to be a risk factor for atherosclerotic artery disease. In the present study, we analyzed the prevalence of atherosclerosis in stroke patients with and without OSA. Patients and Methods: Two hundred and fourteen consecutive patients with ischemic stroke were included in this study. Patients were screened for classical cerebrovascular risk factors. All patients received a cardiorespiratory polygraphy to determine the apnea-hypopnea index. Duplex ultrasonography was used to evaluate the carotid bulb and the internal carotid artery for the presence of atherosclerotic lesions, which were graded in ‘none’, ‘plaques with <50% stenosis’, ‘stenosis ≧50% to subtotal’, and ‘occlusion’. Results: Atherosclerotic lesions were identified in 42% of patients. These were significantly more prevalent in patients with OSA than in patients without. In multiple logistic regression analysis, this association was independent of other known vascular risk factors. Arterial hypertension, which was significantly related to atherosclerosis in univariate analysis, lost its statistical impact in multivariate analysis. Conclusion: This study confirms that OSA is an independent risk factor for atherosclerotic artery disease that may even outweigh the impact of arterial hypertension in selected patient collectives. To further elucidate this topic, treatment studies are needed that look for a possible improvement of markers and signs of atherosclerosis in patients with OSA.
Associations between Genetic Variants in the NOS1AP (CAPON) Gene and Cardiac Repolarization in the Old Order Amish
Authors: Post Wendy , Shen Haiqing , Damcott Coleen , Arking Dan E. , Kao W.H. Linda , Sack Paul A. , Ryan Kathleen A. , Chakravarti Aravinda , Mitchell Braxton D. , Shuldiner Alan R.
Published: June 2007

Background: Through a genome-wide association study, we discovered an association of the electrocardiographic QT interval with polymorphisms in the NOS1AP (CAPON) gene. The purpose of the current study was to replicate this association in the Old Order Amish. Methods: Four NOS1AP SNPs were selected that captured all major haplotypes in the region of interest (∼120 kb segment). Genotyping was completed in 763 subjects from the Heredity and Phenotype Intervention (HAPI) Heart Study. Association analyses were performed using a variance components methodology, accounting for relatedness of individuals. Results: Heritability of the QT interval was 0.50 ± 0.09 (p = 1.9 × 10–9). All four SNPs were common with a high degree of correlation between SNPs. Two of the four SNPs (pairwise r2 = 0.86) were significantly associated with variation in adjusted QT interval (rs1415262, p = 0.02 and rs10494366, p = 0.006, additive models for both). SNP rs10494366 explained 0.9% of QT interval variability, with an average genetic effect of 6.1 ms. Haplotypes that contained the minor allele for rs10494366 were associated with longer QT interval. Conclusions: This study provides further evidence that NOS1AP variants influence QT interval and further validates the utility of genome-wide association studies, a relatively new approach to gene discovery.
A Randomized Controlled Trial of the Group Reminiscence Approach in Patients with Vascular Dementia
Authors: Ito Tomoko , Meguro Kenichi , Akanuma Kyoko , Ishii Hiroshi , Mori Etsuro
Published: June 2007

Aim: To evaluate the beneficial effect of the group reminiscence approach (GRA) in patients with vascular dementia on the aspect of cognitive and observed behavioral parameters. Methods: Sixty patients who were diagnosed to have vascular dementia were randomly assigned to three arms: group reminiscence arm, social contact arm, and control arm. A 1-hour session of GRA and social contact was given once a week for 3 months to the group reminiscence and the social contact arm, respectively. Only supportive care was given in the control arm. Improvement in cognitive function and behavioral activities were defined as the primary outcome. Results: No significant improvements in the main outcome measures were demonstrated. Conclusion: These results do not support the hypothesis that GRA is beneficial to patients with vascular dementia.
Testing Genetic Linkage with Relative Pairs and Covariates by Quasi-Likelihood Score Statistics
Authors: Schaid Daniel J. , Sinnwell Jason P. , Thibodeau Stephen N.
Published: June 2007

Background/Aims: Genetic linkage analysis of common diseases is complicated by the heterogeneity of genetic and environmental factors that increase disease risk, and possibly interactions among them. Most linkage methods that account for covariates are restricted to sib pairs, with the exception of the conditional logistic regression model [1] implemented in LODPAL in the S.A.G.E. software [2]. Although this model can be applied to arbitrary pedigrees, at times it can be difficult to maximize the likelihood due to model constraints, and it does not account for the dependence among the different types of relative pairs in a pedigree. Methods: To overcome these limitations, we developed a new approach based on score statistics for quasi- likelihoods, implemented as weighted least squares. Our methods can be used to test three different hypotheses: (1) a test for linkage without covariates; (2) a test for linkage with covariates, and (3) a test for effects of covariates on identity by descent sharing (i.e., heterogeneity). Furthermore, our methods are robust because they account for the dependence among different relative pairs within a pedigree. Results and Conclusion: Although application of our methods to a prostate cancer linkage study did not find any critical covariates in our data, the results illustrate the utility and interpretation of our methods, and suggest, nonetheless, that our methods will be useful for a broad range of genetic linkage heterogeneity analyses.
Suppression of Central Sleep Apnea by Continuous Positive Airway Pressure and Transplant-Free Survival in Heart Failure
Authors: Arzt Michael , Floras John S. , Logan Alexander G. , Kimoff R. John , Series Frederic , Morrison Debra , Ferguson Kathleen , Belenkie Israel , Pfeifer Michael , Fleetham John , Hanly Patrick , Smilovitch Mark , Ryan Clodagh , Tomlinson George , Bradley T. Douglas
Published: June 2007

Background—

In the main analysis of the Canadian Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) for Patients with Central Sleep Apnea (CSA) and Heart Failure Trial (CANPAP), CPAP had no effect on heart transplant–free survival; however, CPAP only reduced the mean apnea-hypopnea index to 19 events per hour of sleep, which remained above the trial inclusion threshold of 15. This stratified analysis of CANPAP tested the hypothesis that suppression of CSA below this threshold by CPAP would improve left ventricular ejection fraction and heart transplant–free survival.

Methods and Results—

Of the 258 heart failure patients with CSA in CANPAP, 110 of the 130 randomized to the control group and 100 of the 128 randomized to CPAP had sleep studies 3 months later. CPAP patients were divided post hoc into those whose apnea-hypopnea index was or was not reduced below 15 at this time (CPAP-CSA suppressed, n=57, and CPAP-CSA unsuppressed, n=43, respectively). Their changes in left ventricular ejection fraction and heart transplant–free survival were compared with those in the control group. Despite similar CPAP pressure and hours of use in the 2 groups, CPAP-CSA–suppressed subjects experienced a greater increase in left ventricular ejection fraction at 3 months (
P
=0.001) and significantly better transplant-free survival (hazard ratio [95% confidence interval] 0.371 [0.142 to 0.967],
P
=0.043) than control subjects, whereas the CPAP-CSA–unsuppressed group did not (for left ventricular ejection fraction,
P
=0.984, and for transplant-free survival, hazard ratio 1.463 [95% confidence interval 0.751 to 2.850],
P
=0.260).

Conclusions—

These results suggest that in heart failure patients, CPAP might improve both left ventricular ejection fraction and heart transplant–free survival if CSA is suppressed soon after its initiation.
Mechanoelectrical Feedback as Novel Mechanism of Cardiac Electrical Remodeling
Authors: Jeyaraj Darwin , Wilson Lance D. , Zhong Jia , Flask Chris , Saffitz Jeffrey E. , Deschênes Isabelle , Yu Xin , Rosenbaum David S.
Published: June 2007

Background—

Altered electrical activation of the heart by pacing or disease induces profound ventricular electrical remodeling (VER), manifested electrocardiographically as T-wave memory and ultimately as deleterious mechanical remodeling from heterogeneous strain. Although T-wave memory is associated with altered expression of sarcolemmal ion channels, the biophysical mechanisms responsible for triggering remodeling of cardiac ion channels are unknown.

Methods and Results—

To test the hypothesis that mechanoelectrical feedback triggered by regional strain is a mechanism for VER, dogs (n=6) underwent 4 weeks of ventricular pacing to induce VER. Multisegment transmural optical action potential imaging of left ventricular wedges revealed profound and selective prolongation of action potential duration in late-activated (288±29 ms) compared with early-activated (250±9 ms) myocardial segments (
P
<0.05), providing the first experimental evidence that amplification of repolarization gradients between segments of left ventricle is the electrophysiological basis for T-wave memory. In vivo tagged magnetic resonance imaging revealed a 2-fold and preferential increase in circumferential strain in late-activated segments of myocardium, which exactly coincided with segments undergoing VER. VER could not be attributed to structural remodeling because it occurred without any histological evidence of cellular hypertrophy.

Conclusions—

The mechanism responsible for triggering remodeling of ion channel function in VER was locally enhanced circumferential strain. These data suggest a novel mechanoelectrical feedback mechanism for inducing physiological and potentially deleterious electrical heterogeneities in the heart.
Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Genotype Interacts With Systolic Blood Pressure to Determine Coronary Heart Disease Risk in Healthy Middle-Aged Men
Authors: Muthumala Amal , Montgomery Hugh , Palmen Jutta , Cooper Jackie A. , Humphries Steve E.
Published: June 2007

The impact of the
ACE
I/D polymorphism on coronary heart disease (CHD) risk is modest at most, however it may act as a modifier gene.
ACE
genotype was determined in 2711 healthy middle-aged men (mean age 56 years) followed for 15 years. No genotype-CHD risk association was found, but when analyzed by quartiles of systolic blood pressure (SBP), compared with II homozygotes, carriage of each additional D allele was protective at lower SBP, but in the highest quartile (SBP >150 mm Hg) conferred almost 1.5 times the risk for CHD (genotype interaction
P
=0.003). When SBP was analyzed as a continuous variable, again a highly significant association was seen, with the hazard ratio ([95% CI]) for a 1 SD increase in SBP being 0.90 [0.70 to 1.15] for IIs and 1.40 [1.21 to 1.61] for ID/DD (genotype SBP interaction
P
=0.002). The D allele was protective against CHD at lower SBP but would overtake the II risk at higher SBP. In hypertension, the proinflammatory or prohypertrophic properties of angiotensin II may explain this association. The
LPL
S447X polymorphism also impacts on CHD risk through interaction with hypertension, and there was an additive action of these 2 polymorphisms and SBP on CHD risk (hazard ratio for 1 SD increase in SBP for combined genotypes 1.78 [1.30 to 2.45]). Thus in the presence of hypertension, common variation in “modifier” genes confers significant CHD risk.
Generating Referring Expressions: Making Referents Easy to Identify
Authors: Paraboni Ivandré , van Deemter Kees , Masthoff Judith
Published: June 2007

It is often desirable that referring expressions be chosen in such a way that their referents are easy to identify. This article focuses on referring expressions in hierarchically structured domains, exploring the hypothesis that referring expressions can be improved by including logically redundant information in them if this leads to a significant reduction in the amount of search that is needed to identify the referent. Generation algorithms are presented that implement this idea by including logically redundant information into the generated expression, in certain well-circumscribed situations. To test our hypotheses, and to assess the performance of our algorithms, two controlled experiments with human subjects were conducted. The first experiment confirms that human judges have a preference for logically redundant expressions in the cases where our model predicts this to be the case. The second experiment suggests that readers benefit from the kind of logical redundancy that our algorithms produce, as measured in terms of the effort needed to identify the referent of the expression.
Reforming the World: George Soros, Global Capitalism and the Philanthropic Management of the Social Sciences1
Authors: Guilhot Nicolas
Published: June 2007

Philanthropic practices allow the dominant classes to generate knowledge about society and regulatory prescriptions, in particular by promoting the development of the social sciences. The 19th century industrialists had often invested their resources in the definition and treatment of relevant social issues, in order to institutionalize the new form of capitalism they represented. In the late 20th century, the new transnationalized social strata representing the hegemony of financial capital, whose power depends on their capacity to perpetuate the new socioeconomic order, used similar strategies. Philanthropy offers a privileged strategy for generating new forms of “policy knowledge” convergent with the interests of their promoters. Focusing on the Central European University founded by the financier George Soros, the paper argues that, far from seeking to curb the excesses of economic globalization, such efforts are actually institutionalizing it by laying the foundations of its own regulatory order.
A Lagrangian Trajectory View on Transport and Mixing Processes between the Eye, Eyewall, and Environment Using a High-Resolution Simulation of Hurricane Bonnie (1998)
Authors: Cram Thomas A. , Persing John , Montgomery Michael T. , Braun Scott A.
Published: June 2007

The transport and mixing characteristics of a large sample of air parcels within a mature and vertically sheared hurricane vortex are examined. Data from a high-resolution (2-km horizontal grid spacing) numerical simulation of real-case Hurricane Bonnie (1998) are used to calculate Lagrangian trajectories of air parcels in various subdomains of the hurricane (namely, the eye, eyewall, and near environment) to study the degree of interaction (transport and mixing) between these subdomains. It is found that 1) there is transport and mixing from the low-level eye to the eyewall that carries air possessing relatively high values of equivalent potential temperature (θe), which can enhance the efficiency of the hurricane heat engine; 2) a portion of the low-level inflow of the hurricane bypasses the eyewall to enter the eye, and this air both replaces the mass of the low-level eye and lingers for a sufficient time (order 1 h) to acquire enhanced entropy characteristics through interaction with the ocean beneath the eye; 3) air in the mid- to upper-level eye is exchanged with the eyewall such that more than half the air of the eye is exchanged in 5 h in this case of a sheared hurricane; and 4) that one-fifth of the mass in the eyewall at a height of 5 km has an origin in the mid- to upper-level environment where θe is much less than in the eyewall, which ventilates the ensemble average eyewall θe by about 1 K. Implications of these findings for the problem of hurricane intensity forecasting are briefly discussed.
The Local Structure of Atmospheric Turbulence and Its Effect on the Smagorinsky Model for Large Eddy Simulation
Authors: Chamecki Marcelo , Meneveau Charles , Parlange Marc B.
Published: June 2007

Phenomena such as large-scale shear, buoyancy, and the proximity to the ground surface significantly affect interactions among scales in atmospheric boundary layer turbulent flows. Hence, these phenomena impact parameters that enter subgrid-scale (SGS) parameterizations used in large eddy simulations (LES) of the atmospheric boundary layer. The effects of these phenomena upon SGS parameters have, to date, been studied mostly as functions of the global state of the flow. For instance, the Smagorinsky coefficient has been measured as a function of the mean shear and stability condition of the atmosphere as determined from the average surface heat and momentum fluxes. However, in LES the global average field values are often difficult to determine a priori and the SGS parameters ideally must be expressed as a function of local flow variables that characterize the instantaneous flow phenomena. With the goal of improving the Smagorinsky closure, in this study several dimensionless parameters characterizing the local structure and important dynamical characteristics of the flow are defined. These local parameters include enstrophy, vortex stretching, self-amplification of strain rate, and normalized temperature gradient and all are defined in such a way that they remain bounded under all circumstances. The dependence of the Smagorinsky coefficient on these local parameters is studied a priori from field data measured in the atmospheric surface layer and, as a reference point, from direct numerical simulation of neutrally buoyant, isotropic turbulence. To capture the local effects in a statistically meaningful fashion, conditional averaging is used. Results show various important and interrelated trends, such as significant increases of the coefficient in regions of large strain-rate self-amplification and vortex stretching. Results also show that the joint dependence on the parameters is rather complicated and cannot be described by products of functions that depend on single parameters. Dependence on locally defined parameters is expected to improve the SGS model by sensitizing it to local flow conditions and by enabling possible generalizations of the dynamic model based on conditional averaging.
Local Mass Conservation and Velocity Splitting in PV-Based Balanced Models. Part I: The Hyperbalance Equations
Authors: Mohebalhojeh Ali R. , McIntyre Michael E.
Published: June 2007

This paper considers stratified and shallow water non-Hamiltonian potential-vorticity-based balanced models (PBMs). These are constructed using the exact (Rossby or Rossby–Ertel) potential vorticity (PV). The most accurate known PBMs are those studied by McIntyre and Norton and by Mohebalhojeh and Dritschel. It is proved that, despite their astonishing accuracy, these PBMs all fail to conserve mass locally. Specifically, they exhibit velocity splitting in the sense of having two velocity fields, v and vm, the first to advect PV and the second to advect mass. The difference v − vm is nonzero in general, even if tiny. Unlike the different velocity splitting found in all Hamiltonian balanced models, the present splitting can be healed. The result is a previously unknown class of balanced models, here called “hyperbalance equations,” whose formal orders of accuracy can be made as high as those of any other PBM. The hyperbalance equations use a single velocity field v to advect mass as well as to advect and evaluate the exact PV.
Modal and Nonmodal Perturbations of Monochromatic High-Frequency Gravity Waves: Primary Nonlinear Dynamics
Authors: Achatz Ulrich
Published: June 2007

The primary nonlinear dynamics of high-frequency gravity waves (HGWs) perturbed by their most prominent normal modes (NMs) or singular vectors (SVs) in a rotating Boussinesq fluid have been studied by direct numerical simulations (DNSs), with wave scales and values of viscosity and diffusivity characteristic for the upper mesosphere. The DNS is 2.5D in that it has only two spatial dimensions, defined by the direction of propagation of the HGW and the direction of propagation of the perturbation in the plane orthogonal to the HGW phase direction, but describes a fully 3D velocity field. Many results of the more comprehensive fully 3D simulations in the literature are reproduced. So it is found that statically unstable HGWs are subject to wave breaking ending in a wave amplitude with respect to the overturning threshold near 0.3. It is shown that this is a result of a perturbation of the HGW by its leading transverse NM. For statically stable HGWs, a parallel NM has the strongest effect, quite in line with previous results on the predominantly 2D instability of such HGWs. This parallel mode is, however, not the leading NM but a larger-scale pattern, seemingly driven by resonant wave–wave interactions, leading eventually to energy transfer from the HGW into another gravity wave with steeper phase propagation. SVs turn out to be less effective in triggering HGW decay but they can produce turbulence of a strength that is (as that from the NMs) within the range of measured values, however with a more pronounced spatial confinement.
On the Use of Hot-Wire Anemometers for Turbulence Measurements in Clouds
Authors: Siebert Holger , Lehmann Katrin , Shaw Raymond A.
Published: June 2007

The use of a hot-wire anemometer for high-resolution turbulence measurements in a two-phase flow (e.g., atmospheric clouds) is discussed. Experiments in a small wind tunnel (diameter of 0.2 and 2 m in length) with a mean flow velocity in the range between 5 and 16 m s−1 are performed. In the wind tunnel a spray with a liquid water content of 0.5 and 2.5 g m−3 is generated. After applying a simple despiking algorithm, power spectral analysis shows the same results as spectra observed without spray under similar flow conditions. The flattening of the spectrum at higher frequencies due to impacting droplets could be reduced significantly. The time of the signal response of the hot wire to impacting droplets is theoretically estimated and compared with observations. Estimating the fraction of time during which the velocity signal is influenced by droplet spikes, it turns out that the product of liquid water content and mean flow velocity should be minimized. This implies that for turbulence measurements in atmospheric clouds, a slowly flying platform such as a balloon or helicopter is the appropriate instrumental carrier. Examples of hot-wire anemometer measurements with the helicopter-borne Airborne Cloud Turbulence Observation System (ACTOS) are presented.
Radiation Dry Bias of the Vaisala RS92 Humidity Sensor
Authors: Vömel H. , Selkirk H. , Miloshevich L. , Valverde-Canossa J. , Valdés J. , Kyrö E. , Kivi R. , Stolz W. , Peng G. , Diaz J. A.
Published: June 2007

The comparison of simultaneous humidity measurements by the Vaisala RS92 radiosonde and by the Cryogenic Frostpoint Hygrometer (CFH) launched at Alajuela, Costa Rica, during July 2005 reveals a large solar radiation dry bias of the Vaisala RS92 humidity sensor and a minor temperature-dependent calibration error. For soundings launched at solar zenith angles between 10° and 30°, the average dry bias is on the order of 9% at the surface and increases to 50% at 15 km. A simple pressure- and temperature-dependent correction based on the comparison with the CFH can reduce this error to less than 7% at all altitudes up to 15.2 km, which is 700 m below the tropical tropopause. The correction does not depend on relative humidity, but is able to reproduce the relative humidity distribution observed by the CFH.
Factors of Addiction
Authors: Wojtowicz James P. , Tongyin Liu  , Hedgpeth G. Wayne
Published: June 2007

Most state inmates incarcerated under the jurisdiction of the New Jersey Department of Corrections are driven to crimes by drug abuse. Understanding the factors contributing to addiction is the first step in developing strategies for successful inmate reintegration. This study presents an analysis of inmate addiction and factor association using multivariate analysis procedures on 2003 New Jersey male inmate addiction data to identify significant demographic and criminal justice factors and to quantify the relative proportion of risk of addiction likelihood via the odds ratio measure. Significant factors identified include age, race, county of offense, controlled dangerous substances possession, burglary, robbery, and other nonviolent offenses. Odds ratios are presented for significant single factors and among subclass groups of multilevel variables. A statistically interesting and socially important multifactor analysis is performed for insight into particular subgrouping factors. Black offenders in their 20s are further studied as an extension of the analysis.
Improving Comprehension of Capital Sentencing Instructions
Authors: Otto Charles W. , Applegate Brandon K. , Davis Robin King
Published: June 2007

Previous research has demonstrated that judicial instructions on the law are not well understood by jurors tasked with applying the law to the facts of a case. The past research has also shown that jurors are often confused by the instructions used in the sentencing phase of a capital trial. The current research tested the effectiveness of a “debunking” approach to improving juror misunderstanding associated with capital sentencing instructions. Participants were randomly assigned to hear either Florida's pattern instructions used in the penalty phase of a capital trial or the same instructions with additional statements that mentioned and refuted misconceptions thought to be associated with established areas of miscomprehension. After participants heard the judicial instructions, their understanding of the law on capital punishment decision making was assessed. The results revealed that comprehension was higher for participants exposed to the bias-refutation statements than for participants who were exposed to only the pattern instructions.
Social Correlates of Psychological Distress Among Adult African American Males
Authors: Gaines Jonathan S.
Published: June 2007

This cross-sectional research investigates social determinants of psychological distress among adult males, with a specific emphasis on African Americans. Despite a sizable body of literature indicating that members of the African American community hold less favorable attitudes toward criminal justice, including the police and court system, than do Caucasians, hardly any empirical examinations have investigated the psychological ramifications of this discontent. Utilizing a sample of 377 adult male respondents from the 1998 General Social Survey, results reveal that the effect of being an adult African American male conditions the impact of (1) socioeconomic status and (2) confidence in the courts and legal systems on psychological distress.
The Impact of Race, Physical Attractiveness, and Gender On Education Majors' and Teachers' Perceptions of Student Competence
Authors: Parks Felicia R. , Kennedy Janice H.
Published: June 2007

Stereotypical thinking and prejudgments from teachers have been found to hinder students' academic and social performance. The relationship between students' race, physical attractiveness, gender, and perceived academic and social competence by both undergraduate education majors and practicing teachers was investigated. Participants were 72 individuals (51 teachers, 21 undergraduate education majors) at a midsized university. Participants viewed eight scenarios (varying by race, gender, and physical attractiveness of target child) in which a child's picture was displayed. Participants then rated the child's social and academic competence on an eight-question, 5-point, Likert-type scale. A 4-way (Child Gender × Child Race × Child Physical Attractiveness × Rater Educational Level) mixed factorial design was used to test the hypotheses. Results showed that the lowest competency ratings were for Black, unattractive boys. No differences were found for ratings by teacher education level. These findings have implications for training of classroom teachers.
Any Four Black Men Will Do
Authors: Patton Tracey Owens , Snyder-Yuly Julie
Published: June 2007

This study examines the impact of false rape charges a former Iowa State University student brought against four Black males. Using textual analysis coupled with Barthes's theory of myth, the authors critically examine how the story took hold and the communicative impact of the falsified claims of rape that affected African American men, rape survivors, and women. Using previous scholarship on rape and race (macrocontext), the authors test the scholarly conclusions on the myth of rape and race in a microcontext case study. Thus, they are interested in how the false accusation revived the myth and how Iowa State University and the local community, the regional media, and the campus police perpetuated the myth. The authors argue that racism and sexism are allowed to continue in this situation because of the preservation of White hegemonic patriarchal power. This preservation of White patriarchal hegemony is echoed in macrocontext-level conclusions.
CSP-Based Verification for Web Service Orchestration and Choreography
Authors: Yeung W.L.
Published: June 2007

Service-oriented computing aspires to an unprecedented level of platform-independence and inter-operability of software components for intra- and inter-organizational business processes through standard protocols and languages for workflows and process-oriented applications. The Web Service Business Process Execution Language (WS-BPEL) and the Web Service Choreography Description Language (WS-CDL) are two major languages for modeling and implementing Web services-based business processes. A Web service can be modeled in WS-BPEL by an abstract process describing its external behavior in terms of message exchanges with other participants (Web services). The abstract process can then be refined with more details to become an executable process. On the other hand, WS-CDL serves as a behavioral modeling language for the collaboration between multiple participants (Web services) within the same business process from a global point of view. In this paper, we outline how Communicating Sequential Processes (CSP) can be used as a formal basis for verifying the behavioral consistency among abstract and executable processes together with choreographic descriptions.
Modeling the Measurements of QoS Requirements in Web Service Systems
Authors: Yu Weider D. , Radhakrishna Rachana B. , Pingali Sumana , Kolluri Vijaya
Published: June 2007

The new technology of Web services is beginning to impact the global business approaches and trends in which the services are being offered and consumed. The advancement of Web services and its wide spread use require that its quality of service (QoS) components to be highly dependable and robust. It is clear that one of the major inevitable challenges facing the business organizations today is to provide adequate QoS aspects for Web services. This paper gathers together the various techniques that can be used for measuring and optimizing the major QoS requirements for Web services proposed by the World Wide Consortium (W3C), while presenting a methodology to build QoS-aware Web services. A software model was designed and implemented to test a Web service and perform the experiments to quantitatively measure the QoS requirements involved in a Web service. Various modeling tests and experiments were designed and conducted to illustrate the proposed QoS measurement metrics. The techniques discussed in this paper can be incorporated into the planning, design, implementation, deployment, operational and maintenance phases during a Web service development lifecycle.
IRT Model Selection Methods for Dichotomous Items
Authors: Kang Taehoon , Cohen Allan S.
Published: June 2007

Fit of the model to the data is important if the benefits of item response theory (IRT) are to be obtained. In this study, the authors compared model selection results using the likelihood ratio test, two information-based criteria, and two Bayesian methods. An example illustrated the potential for inconsistency in model selection depending on which of the indices was used. Results from a simulation study indicated that the inconsistencies among the indices were common but that model selection was relatively accurate for longer tests administered to larger sample of examinees. The cross-validation log-likelihood (CVLL) appeared to work the best of the five models for the conditions simulated in this study.
Budget Rules and State Business Cycles
Authors: Krol Robert , Svorny Shirley
Published: June 2007

Levinson (1998) finds that large states with lenient balanced budget rules experience less cyclical variability. He concludes that state fiscal policy works. However, Levinson's finding is not robust to alternative methods of detrending the data. In addition, the 1984 Advisory Commission on Intergovernmental Relations (ACIR) analysis of state budget rules used by Levinson (and other researchers) is of questionable merit. Reestimation of Levinson's regressions using budget rule classifications in a U.S. General Accounting Office (GAO) study reverses his result. The results from this study suggest that existing empirical work using the ACIR index should be revisited.
Turnitin®
Authors: Dahl Stephan
Published: June 2007

Recently there has been an increasing interest in plagiarism detection systems, such as the web-based Turnitin system. However, no study has so far tried to look at how students react towards those systems being used. This exploratory study examines the attitudes of students on a postgraduate module after using Turnitin as their standard way of submitting work and getting feedback. Overall, students reacted positively towards the system. However, the study also found evidence of a group of students who were less positive, which seemed to be a result of their insecurity about how to quote correctly.
Nuclear CD40 interacts with c-Rel and enhances proliferation in aggressive B-cell lymphoma
Authors: Zhou Hai-Jun , Pham Lan V. , Tamayo Archito T. , Lin-Lee Yen-Chiu , Fu Lingchen , Yoshimura Linda C. , Ford Richard J.
Published: June 2007

CD40 is an integral plasma membrane–associated member of the TNF receptor family that has recently been shown to also reside in the nucleus of both normal B cells and large B-cell lymphoma (LBCL) cells. However, the physiological function of CD40 in the B-cell nucleus has not been examined. In this study, we demonstrate that nuclear CD40 interacts with the NF-κB protein c-Rel, but not p65, in LBCL cells. Nuclear CD40 forms complexes with c-Rel on the promoters of NF-κB target genes, CD154, BLyS/BAFF, and Bfl-1/A1, in various LBCL cell lines. Wild-type CD40, but not NLS-mutated CD40, further enhances c-Rel–mediated Blys promoter activation as well as proliferation in LBCL cells. Studies in normal B cells and LBCL patient cells further support a nuclear transcriptional function for CD40 and c-Rel. Cooperation between nuclear CD40 and c-Rel appears to be important in regulating cell growth and survival genes involved in lymphoma cell proliferation and survival mechanisms. Modulating the nuclear function of CD40 and c-Rel could reveal new mechanisms in LBCL pathophysiology and provide potential new targets for lymphoma therapy.
Genomic analysis of the secretion stress response in the enzyme-producing cell factory Aspergillus niger
Authors: Guillemette Thomas , van Peij Noël NME , Goosen Theo , Lanthaler Karin , Robson Geoffrey D , van den Hondel Cees AMJJ , Stam Hein , Archer David B
Published: June 2007

Background

Filamentous fungi such as Aspergillus niger have a high capacity secretory system and are therefore widely exploited for the industrial production of native and heterologous proteins. However, in most cases the yields of non-fungal proteins are significantly lower than those obtained for fungal proteins. One well-studied bottleneck appears to be the result of mis-folding of heterologous proteins in the ER during early stages of secretion, with related stress responses in the host, including the unfolded protein response (UPR). This study aims at uncovering transcriptional and translational responses occurring in A. niger exposed to secretion stress.

Results

A genome-wide transcriptional analysis of protein secretion-related stress responses was determined using Affymetrix DNA GeneChips and independent verification for selected genes. Endoplasmic reticulum (ER)-associated stress was induced either by chemical treatment of the wild-type cells with dithiothreitol (DTT) or tunicamycin, or by expressing a human protein, tissue plasminogen activator (t-PA). All of these treatments triggered the UPR, as shown by the expression levels of several well-known UPR target genes. The predicted proteins encoded by most of the up-regulated genes function as part of the secretory system including chaperones, foldases, glycosylation enzymes, vesicle transport proteins, and ER-associated degradation proteins. Several genes were down-regulated under stress conditions and these included several genes that encode secreted enzymes. Moreover, translational regulation under ER stress was investigated by polysomal fractionation. This analysis confirmed the post-transcriptional control of hacA expression and highlighted that differential translation also occurs during ER stress, in particular for some genes encoding secreted proteins or proteins involved in ribosomal biogenesis and assembly.

Conclusion

This is first genome-wide analysis of both transcriptional and translational events following protein secretion stress. Insight has been gained into the molecular basis of protein secretion and secretion-related stress in an effective protein-secreting fungus, and provides an opportunity to identify target genes for manipulation in strain improvement strategies.