bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Measurements and empirical model of the acoustic properties of reticulated vitreous carbon
Authors: Muehleisen Ralph T. , Beamer C. Walter , Tinianov Brandon D.
Published: January 2005

Reticulated vitreous carbon (RVC) is a highly porous, rigid, open cell carbon foam structure with a high melting point, good chemical inertness, and low bulk thermal conductivity. For the proper design of acoustic devices such as acoustic absorbers and thermoacoustic stacks and regenerators utilizing RVC, the acoustic properties of RVC must be known. From knowledge of the complex characteristic impedance and wave number most other acoustic properties can be computed. In this investigation, the four-microphone transfer matrix measurement method is used to measure the complex characteristic impedance and wave number for 60 to 300 pore-per-inch RVC foams with flow resistivities from 1759 to 10 782 Pa s m−2 in the frequency range of 330 Hz–2 kHz. The data are found to be poorly predicted by the fibrous material empirical model developed by Delany and Bazley, the open cell plastic foam empirical model developed by Qunli, or the Johnson–Allard microstructural model. A new empirical power law model is developed and is shown to provide good predictions of the acoustic properties over the frequency range of measurement. Uncertainty estimates for the constants of the model are also computed.
Nonlinear vibrations of buried landmines
Authors: Donskoy Dimitri , Reznik Alexander , Zagrai Andrei , Ekimov Alexander
Published: January 2005

The seismo-acoustic method is one of the most promising emerging techniques for the detection of landmines. Numerous field tests have demonstrated that buried landmines manifest themselves at the surface through linear and nonlinear responses to acoustic/seismic excitation. The present paper describes modeling of the nonlinear response in the framework of the mass–spring model of the soil–mine system. The perturbation method used in the model allows for the derivation of an analytical solution describing both quadratic and cubic acoustic interactions at the soil–mine interface. This solution has been compared with actual field measurements to obtain nonlinear parameters of the buried mines. These parameters have been analyzed with respect to mine types and burial depths. It was found that the cubic nonlinearity could be a significant contributor to the nonlinear response. This effect has led to the development of a new intermodulation detection algorithm based on dual-frequency excitation. Both quadratic and intermodulation nonlinear algorithms were evaluated at the U.S. Army outdoor testing facilities. The algorithms appear to complement each other in improving the overall detection performance.
The effect of a periodic absorptive strip arrangement on an interior sound field in a room
Authors: Park Joo-Bae , Grosh Karl , Kim Yang-Hann
Published: January 2005

In this paper we study the effect of periodically arranged sound absorptive strips on the mean acoustic potential energy density distribution of a room. The strips are assumed to be attached on the room’s surface of interest. In order to determine their effect, the mean acoustic potential energy density variation is evaluated as the function of a ratio of the strip’s arrangement period to wavelength. The evaluation demonstrates that the mean acoustic potential energy density tends to converge. In addition, a comparison with a case in which absorptive materials completely cover the selected absorptive plane shows that a periodic arrangement that uses only half of the absorptive material can be more efficient than a total covering, unless the frequency of interest does not coincide with the room’s resonant frequencies. Consequently, the results prove that the ratio of the arrangement period to the wavelength plays an important role in the effectiveness of a periodic absorptive strip arrangement to minimize a room’s mean acoustic potential energy density.
Low-Valent Titanocene Products from Attempted Syntheses of Titanocene Bearing Dimethyl(3,3,3-trifluoropropyl)silyl Groups
Authors: Lukešová Lenka , Horáček Michal , Gyepes Róbert , Císařová Ivana , Štěpnička Petr , Kubišta Jiří , Mach Karel
Published: February 2005

Reduction of silyl-substituted titanocene dichloride [TiCl2{η5-C5Me4(SiMe2CH2CH2CF3)}2] (1) with one molar equivalent of magnesium afforded a mixture of products, thus precluding the isolation of the possibly formed titanocene [Ti{(η5-C5Me4(SiMe2CH2CH2CF3)}2]. The presence of isolable monochloride [TiCl{η5-C5Me4(SiMe2CH2CH2CF3)}2] (2) in the mixture indicates that the mangnesium is consumed in concurrent reactions, that produce various titanocene compounds of which some were obtained by the reduction of 1 with excess magnesium. Those include the trinuclear TiIII-MgII-TiIII hydride-bridged complex [Ti{η5-C5Me4- (SiMe2CH2CH2CF3)}2(μ-H)2]2Mg (3) and a dimeric dinuclear Ti-Mg complex 4 containing the [TiIII(μ-H)2Mg(μ-X)]2 core where, however, the nature of the bridging moiety X remains unknown. The reduction of 1 with excess magnesium in the presence of bis(trimethylsilyl)ethyne afforded the product of C-H activation [Ti{η5-C5Me4(SiMe2CH2CH2CF3)}- {η5:η1-C5Me3(CH2)(SiMe2CH2CH2CF3)}] (5) in 47% yield. This compound reacted rapidly with tert-butylethyne to give the TiIII-acetylide complex [Ti(η1-C≡CCMe3){η5-C5Me4- (SiMe2CH2CH2CF3)}2] (6). All the reductions of 1 at molar ratios Mg:Ti ≥ 1 gave mixtures, where a good deal of the reduction products remained in the mother liquors unidentified. The structures of 1, 2, 3, 5, and 6 were determined by X-ray diffraction analysis and, for 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6, further corroborated by ESR spectra.
Cyclization of 1-{[(4-Methyl-4H-1,2,4-triazol-3-yl)sulfanyl]acetyl}thiosemicarbazides to 1,2,4-Triazole and 1,3,4-Thiadiazole Derivatives and Their Pharmacological Properties
Authors: Maliszewska-Guz Alicja , Wujec Monika , Pitucha Monika , Dobosz Maria , Chodkowska Anna , Jagiełło-Wójtowicz Ewa , Mazur Liliana , Kozioł Anna E.
Published: February 2005

By the reaction of 4-methyl-4H-1,2,4-triazole-3-thiol with ethyl bromoacetate, ethyl [(4-methyl-4H-1,2,4-triazol-3-yl)sulfanyl]acetate (1) was obtained. This compound was converted to [(4-methyl-4H-1,2,4-triazol-3-yl)sulfanyl]acetohydrazide (2). In the reaction of 2 with isothiocyanates, new thiosemicarbazides 3a-3g were obtained. The cyclization of 3a-3g in 2% aqueous solution of sodium hydroxide led to the formation of 4H-1,2,4-triazole-3(2H)-thione derivatives 4a-4g, whereas the cyclization in acid media led to the formation of 2-amino-1,3,4-thiadiazole derivatives 5a-5g. Molecular structure was confirmed by X-ray structure analysis of 3a, 4g, 5a and 5g. Compounds 4a, 4b and 4g were investigated pharmacologically to determine their effect on the central nervous system (CNS) in mice.
Synthesis of β-D-Glucopyranosides of 6-Substituted 2-(Indol-3-yl)benzothiazoles
Authors: Humeník Martin , Kutschy Peter , Valková Katarína , Horváth Branislav , Kováčik Vladimír , Bekešová Slávka
Published: February 2005

A linear synthesis of substituted 1-(β-D-glucopyranosyl)benzocamalexins starting from indoline and penta-O-acetyl-β-D-glucopyranose was elaborated. Jacobson cyclization of corresponding 4-substituted peracetylated β-D-glucopyranosylindole-3-carbothioanilides employing potassium ferricyanide under basic conditions was a key synthetic step.
Crystallization and Preliminary X-ray Diffraction Analysis of Cold-Active β-Galactosidase from Arthrobacter sp. C2-2
Authors: Petroková Hana , Vondráčková Eva , Skálová Tereza , Dohnálek Jan , Lipovová Petra , Spiwok Vojtěch , Strnad Hynek , Králová Blanka , Hašek Jindřich
Published: February 2005

β-Galactosidase from psychrotrophic bacteria strainArthrobactersp. C2-2 catalyzes cleavage of β-D-galactosyl moieties from β-D-galactosides and is interesting for its activity at low temperatures. Various types of crystals with dimensions of up to 0.8 mm were obtained and X-ray diffraction data up to 1.9 Å were collected. The crystals belong to the monoclinic space groupP21with unit-cell parametersa= 140.1 Å,b= 205.7 Å,c= 140.5 Å and β = 102.3°. The enzyme (molecular weight of a monomer is 111 kDa) forms hexamers in the crystal structure (one hexamer per asymmetric unit). The phase problem was solved by molecular replacement. Structure refinement is in progress.
ZERO SURFACE GRAVITY BLACK HOLES AND THE FAILURE OF SEMICLASSICAL ANALYSIS
Authors: ALVARENGA F. G. , BATISTA A. B. , FABRIS J. C. , MARQUES G. T.
Published: February 2005

The extreme Reissner–Nordström black holes have zero surface gravity. However, a semiclassical analysis seems to be ill-defined for these objects and apparently no notion of temperature exists for them. It is conjectured that these properties may be shared for all kind of black holes whose surface gravity is zero. Two examples are worked out explicitly: the scalar–tensor cold black holes and extreme black holes resulting from a gravity system coupled to a generalized Maxwell field in higher dimensions. The reasons for this anomolous behavior are discussed as well as its thermodynamics implications.
PROFIT-SHARING IN TRANSACTIONS GOVERNED BY A SUBADDITIVE CAPITALIZATION FUNCTION
Authors: RAMBAUD SALVADOR CRUZ , MARTÍNEZ MARÍA DEL CARMEN VALLS
Published: February 2005

This paper proposes that there exist situations when two or more investors who want to invest equal amounts in different, but successive periods, would be better off to "collude" and invest for the whole period to take advantage of an upward slopping yield curve. The goal of this paper is to propose a "rational" way to distribute the additional return resulting from the collusion strategy.
GLOBAL AND LOCAL NOISE ON DIFFUSIVELY COUPLED NEURAL NETWORKS
Authors: LORENZO M. NIEVES , MONTEJO NOELIA , PÉREZ-MUÑUZURI VICENTE , PÉREZ-VILLAR VICENTE
Published: January 2005

In this paper the effect of noise on activity of a neural network of diffusively coupled excitatory-inhibitory cells with time delay is analyzed. We distinguish between global and local noise studying the different types of spatiotemporal behaviors observed when a space-time correlated noise is applied to the system. The results show a synchronization of the network in aperiodic behavior with the help of tiny noisy perturbations on the external signal depending on the spatial correlation of noise and the coupling coefficients.
LANGEVIN'S APPROACH TO NON-GAUSSIAN INTERNAL NOISE DESCRIPTION
Authors: GRAFOV BORIS M.
Published: January 2005

The dual Langevin stochastic equations for non-Gaussian internal noise that are consistent with Nyquist's fluctuation-dissipation theorem are derived. It results in the fact that the equilibrium current-voltage cumulant spectra possess the invariance property. The possibility to use the dual Langevin stochastic equations under the steady-state electrical current condition and in the quantum frequency range is discussed.
ON THE APPLICABILITY OF ASTUMIAN'S MODEL IN DESCRIBING PARRONDO EFFECTS
Authors: PIOTROWSKI EDWARD W. , SŁADKOWSKI JAN
Published: January 2005

We discuss some aspects of Astumian suggestions that combination of biased games (Parrondo's paradox) can explain performance of molecular motors. Unfortunately the model is flawed by explicit asymmetry overlooked by the author. In addition, we show that the paradoxical behaviour of Parrondo games can be compensated by adjusting the stakes (e.g. by introducing compensatory payments).
GAMBLERS PARADOX AND NOISE DRIVEN FLUX REVERSAL IN KINETIC CYCLES: RESPONSE TO THE PRECEDING PAPER BY PIOTROWSKI AND SLADKOWSKI
Authors: ASTUMIAN R. DEAN
Published: January 2005

I give a simple analysis of the game that I previously published in Scientific American which shows the paradoxical behavior whereby two losing games randomly combine to form a winning game. The game, modeled on a random walk, requires only two states and is described by a first-order Markov process.
Structural and Sequence Motifs of Protein (Histone) Methylation Enzymes
Authors: Cheng Xiaodong , Collins Robert E. , Zhang Xing
Published: February 2005

▪ Abstract  With genome sequencing nearing completion for the model organisms used in biomedical research, there is a rapidly growing appreciation that proteomics, the study of covalent modification to proteins, and transcriptional regulation will likely dominate the research headlines in the next decade. Protein methylation plays a central role in both of these fields, as several different residues (Arg, Lys, Gln) are methylated in cells and methylation plays a central role in the “histone code” that regulates chromatin structure and impacts transcription. In some cases, a single lysine can be mono-, di-, or trimethylated, with different functional consequences for each of the three forms. This review describes structural aspects of methylation of histone lysine residues by two enzyme families with entirely different structural scaffolding (the SET proteins and Dot1p) and methylation of protein arginine residues by PRMTs.
Endurance training-induced changes in insulin sensitivity and gene expression
Authors: Teran-Garcia Margarita , Rankinen Tuomo , Koza Robert A. , Rao D. C. , Bouchard Claude
Published: February 2005

The beneficial effects of regular physical activity on insulin sensitivity (SI) and glucose tolerance are well documented, with considerable heterogeneity in responsiveness to exercise training (ET). To find novel candidate genes for ET-induced improvement in SI,we used microarray technology. Total RNA was isolated from vastus lateralis muscle before and after 20 wk of exercise from individuals participating in the HERITAGE Family Study. SIindex was derived from a frequently sampled intravenous glucose tolerance test using MINMOD Millennium software. Sixteen subjects were selected: eight showing no changes in SI(low responders, LSIR) and eight displaying marked improvement in SI(high responders, HSIR) with ET. The SIincrease was about four times greater in HSIR compared with LSIR (+3.6 ± 0.5 vs. −1.2 ± 0.5 μU·ml−1·min−1, mean ± SE), whereas age, body mass index, percent body fat, and baseline SIwere similar between the groups. Triplicate microarrays were performed, comparing pooled RNA with HSIR and LSIR individuals for differences in gene expression before and after ET using in situ-generated microarrays (18, 861 genes). Array data were validated by quantitative RT-PCR. Almost twice as many genes showed at least twofold differences between HSIR and LSIR after training compared with pretraining. We identified differentially expressed genes involved in energy metabolism and signaling, novel structural genes, and transcripts of unknown function. Genes of interest upregulated in HSIR include V-Ski oncogene, four-and-a-half LIM domain 1, and titin. Further study of these novel candidate genes should provide a better understanding of molecular mechanisms involved in the improvement in insulin sensitivity in response to regular exercise.
P2Y2 receptor mRNA and protein expression is altered in inner medullas of hydrated and dehydrated rats: relevance to AVP-independent regulation of IMCD function
Authors: Kishore Bellamkonda K. , Krane Carissa M. , Miller R. Lance , Shi Huihui , Zhang Ping , Hemmert Andrew , Sun Rujia , Nelson Raoul D.
Published: February 2005

Arginine vasopressin (AVP), acting through a cAMP second messenger system, regulates osmotic water permeability ( Pf) of the collecting duct. In the collecting duct, the activities of cAMP and phosphonositides (PI) are mutually inhibitory. The P2Y2 receptor (P2Y2-R) is a G protein-coupled extracellular nucleotide receptor associated with PI signaling pathway. Previously, we showed that P2Y2-R is expressed in inner medullary collecting duct (IMCD) of rat, and its agonist (ATP/UTP) activation decreased AVP-induced Pf and resulted in enhanced production of prostaglandin E2. Hydrated and dehydrated states are associated with alterations in the circulating levels of AVP, expression and/or subcellular distribution of AVP-regulated aquaporin-2 water channel in IMCD and thus Pf of IMCD. We hypothesized that altered expression and/or signaling via P2Y2-R may also modulate IMCD function in these conditions. Sprague-Dawley rats were subjected to dehydration by water deprivation (48 h) or hydration (48 or 96 h) by providing sucrose water. Hydration or dehydration resulted in marked alterations in mRNA expression (Northern blot analysis and real-time RT-PCR) and protein abundance (Western blot analysis) of P2Y2-R, with hydrated rats showing significantly higher levels compared with dehydrated rats. Sequential hydration and dehydration experiments also revealed that the regulated expression profiles of P2Y2-R mRNA and protein are discordant. Conversely, the expression of V2-R mRNA remained unaltered during hydration and dehydration. Because virtually all renal cells release ATP in a regulated fashion, the observed alterations in P2Y2-R expression in the inner medulla in hydrated and dehydrated states may constitute a novel mechanism of purinergic modulation of IMCD function.
Altered expression of selected genes in kidney of rats with lithium-induced NDI
Authors: Rojek Aleksandra , Nielsen Jakob , Brooks Heddwen L. , Gong Hong , Kim Young-Hee , Kwon Tae-Hwan , Frøkiær Jørgen , Nielsen Søren
Published: February 2005

Lithium treatment is associated with development of nephrogenic diabetes insipidus, caused in part by downregulation of collecting duct aquaporin-2 (AQP2) and AQP3 expression. In the present study, we carried out cDNA microarray screening of gene expression in the inner medulla (IM) of lithium-treated and control rats, and selected genes were then investigated at the protein level by immunoblotting and/or immunohistochemistry. The following genes exhibited significantly altered transcription and mRNA expression levels, and these were compatible with the changes in protein expression. 11β-Hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 2 protein expression in the IM was markedly increased (198 ± 25% of controls, n = 6), and immunocytochemistry demonstrated an increased labeling of IM collecting duct (IMCD) principal cells. This indicated altered renal mineralocorticoid/glucocorticoid responses in lithium-treated rats. The inhibitor of cyclin-dependent kinases p27 (KIP) protein expression was significantly decreased or undetectable in the IMCD cells, pointing to increased cellular proliferation and remodeling. Heat shock protein 27 protein expression was decreased in the IM (64 ± 6% of controls, n = 6), likely to be associated with the decreased medullary osmolality in lithium-treated rats. Consistent with this, lens aldose reductase protein expression was markedly decreased in the IM (16 ± 2% of controls, n = 6), and immunocytochemistry revealed decreased expression in the thin limb cells in the middle and terminal parts of the IM. Ezrin protein expression was upregulated in the IM (158 ± 16% of controls, n = 6), where it was predominantly expressed in the apical and cytoplasmic domain of the IMCD cells. Increased ezrin expression indicated remodeling of the actin cytoskeleton and/or altered regulation of IMCD transporters. In conclusion, the present study demonstrates changes in gene expression not only in the collecting duct but also in the thin limb of the loop of Henle in the IM, and several of these genes are linked to altered sodium and water reabsorption, cell cycling, and changes in interstitial osmolality.
Identification of a molecular signature of sarcopenia
Authors: Giresi Paul G. , Stevenson Eric J. , Theilhaber Joachim , Koncarevic Alan , Parkington Jascha , Fielding Roger A. , Kandarian Susan C.
Published: February 2005

Investigating the molecular mechanisms underlying sarcopenia in humans with the use of microarrays has been complicated by low sample size and the variability inherent in human gene expression profiles. We have conducted a study using Affymetrix GeneChips to identify a molecular signature of aged skeletal muscle. The molecular signature was defined as the set of expressed genes that best distinguished the vastus lateralis muscle of young ( n = 10) and older ( n = 12) male subjects, when a k-nearest neighbor supervised classification method was used in conjunction with a signal-to-noise ratio gene selection method and a holdout cross-validation procedure. The age-specific expression signature was comprised of 45 genes; 27 were upregulated and 18 were downregulated. This signature also correctly classified 75% of the muscle samples from young and older subjects published by an independent laboratory, based on their expression profiles. The signature revealed increased expression of several genes involved in mediating cellular responses to inflammation and apoptosis, including complement component C1QA, Galectin-1, C/EBP-β, and FOXO3A, among others. The increased expressions of genes that regulate pre-mRNA splicing, localization, and modification of RNA comprise markers of the aging signature. Downregulated genes in the signature were the glutamine transporter SLC38A1, a TRAF-6 inhibitory zinc finger protein, and membrane-bound transcription factor protease S2P, among others. The sarcopenia signature developed here will be useful as a molecular model to judge the effectiveness of exercise and other therapeutic treatments aimed at ameliorating the effects of muscle loss associated with aging.
Brain Damage to the Survivor within 30 min of Co-Twin Demise in Monochorionic Twins
Authors: Karageyim Karsidag A.Yasemin , Kars Bulent , Dansuk Ramazan , Api Olus , Unal Orhan , Turan M. Cem , Goynumer Gokhan
Published: January 2005

Single fetal death in a twin pregnancy in the late second or early third trimester is associated with significant morbidity and mortality rate in the surviving co-twin, especially in monochorionic twin pregnancies. The common causes are twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome, chromosomal abnormalities, and congenital anomalies of the fetus or anomalies of the umbilical cord-placenta. Here we report a case of monochorionic twin pregnancy in which one fetus had a single umbilical artery (SUA) while the co-twin had two umbilical arteries. The twin with SUA died in utero at the 30th week of gestation and the other fetus was delivered by cesarean section immediately due to fetal distress diagnosed by cardiotocography. Disseminated intravascular coagulation and multicystic encephalomalacia have been observed in the surviving neonate. This case and review of the literature suggest that neurologic complication rates are also increased in monochorionic twin pregnancies with single fetal demise despite the immediate delivery as in our case.
Fetal Cells in Maternal Blood: A Comparison of Methods for Cell Isolation and Identification
Authors: Christensen Britta , Philip John , Kølvraa Steen , Lykke-Hansen Lene , Hromadnikova Ilona , Gohel Dhanesh , Lörch Thomas , Plesch Andreas , Bang Jens , Smidt-Jensen Steen , Hertz Jens , Djursing Henning
Published: January 2005

Objective: A variety of methods have been used to select and identify fetal cells from maternal blood. In this study, a commonly used 3-step selection method is compared with selection directly from whole blood. Identification of fetal origin by XY FISH of male cells was also evaluated. Methods: Maternal blood was drawn either before invasive chorion villus sampling (pre-CVS) or after (post-CVS) from women carrying a male fetus. Fetal cells were isolated either by density gradient centrifugation succeeded by CD45/CD14 depletion and CD71-positive selection from CD45/CD14-negative cells, or by CD71-positive selection directly from whole blood. The true origin of fetal cells recovered by the two methods was established by two rounds of XY chromosome FISH in reverse colors, in some instances combined with anti-zeta (ζ) or anti-ζ/anti-gamma (γ) antibody staining. Results: In blood samples taken post-CVS and enriched by CD71 selection directly from whole blood, fetal cells were identified with a frequency that was almost four orders of magnitude higher than in post-CVS samples enriched by the 3-step method. In blood samples taken pre-CVS and enriched by the 3-step procedure, no fetal cells were identified by reverse color FISH in 371 ml of blood. In similar samples enriched by CD71 selection on whole blood, two fetal cells were identified in 27 ml of blood. Rehybridization with X and Y chromosome probes with reverse colors was necessary to exclude false Y chromosome signals. Not all fetal cells identified by the presence of a true Y chromosome signal stained with anti-ζ antibody. Conclusions: Selection of fetal NRBCs from maternal blood by CD71-positive selection directly from whole blood is superior to density gradient centrifugation succeeded by CD45/CD14 depletion and CD71 selection of CD45/CD14-negative cells. Combining two markers for fetal origin is recommended for unambiguously identifying a cell as fetal.
The Effect of Chorionic Villus Sampling on Fetal Heart Rate
Authors: Akhlaghpoor Shahram , Hosseinipoor Taraneh
Published: January 2005

Objective: Fetal heart rate (FHR) variation during chorionic villus sampling (CVS) is a controversial topic. Limited studies have been published on this subject. Our study intended to evaluate the effects of CVS on the FHR. Method: One hundred and sixty-five patients undergoing first-trimester elective CVS for prenatal diagnosis of β-thalassemia were entered into a prospective study. M-mode FHR was obtained before and immediately after CVS in the patients. Potentially confounding variables also recorded included: gestational age, number of needle passes and placental location. Results: FHR values before and after CVS were compared using the paired t test and showed no statistically significant differences by 95% confidence. No differences were found in data analyzing gestational age, number of needle passes or placental location. Conclusion: We were unable to detect any significant change in FHR after performing CVS. It seems that FHR is generally not altered by CVS.
Prenatal Diagnosis of a Partial Monosomy 7q11→q31 in a Fetus with Split Foot
Authors: Yilmaz Zerrin , Eroğlu Derya , Derbent Murat , Haberal A. Nihan , Lembet Arda , Şahin Feride İ.
Published: January 2005

Objective: A 27-year-old woman was referred to our laboratory for genetic counseling at 26 weeks of gestation due to abnormal ultrasound findings including intrauterine growth retardation, Dandy-Walker malformation and lower extremity anomalies. Methods: Chromosome analysis was performed on fetal blood sample obtained by cardiocentesis. Result: We observed an abnormal karyotype with a structural abnormality of the long arm of chromosome 7. Both parents’ chromosomes were normal; thus, the fetal karyotype designation was 46,XX, del(7)(pter→q11::q31→qter) de novo. Skin biopsy sample was taken to confirm the karyotype after therapeutic abortion was performed. The result was identical. Postmortem examination and autopsy showed facial dysmorphism, malformations of the lower extremities and central nervous system anomalies. Conclusion: 7q interstitial deletions cause a wide spectrum of congenital abnormalities and syndromes linked to the deleted segments. Our case had a rather wide chromosome region deleted and it is important, because prenatal diagnosis was performed. Thus, the family had the chance to evaluate the situation and decided to terminate the pregnancy after genetic counseling.
Peripheral κ-Opioid Agonist, ICI 204448, Evokes Hypothermia in Cold-Exposed Rats
Authors: Rawls Scott M. , Ding Zhe , Gray Alex M. , Cowan Alan
Published: January 2005

ICI 204448, a selective ĸ-opioid agonist with limited CNS access, can be used to discriminate central and peripheral opioid actions on physiological systems such as pain and thermoregulation. Therefore, we investigated the effect of ICI 204448 (2.5, 5, and 10 mg/kg, s.c.) on male Sprague-Dawley rats exposed to ambient temperatures of 5, 20, or 32°C. ICI 204448 did not alter the body temperature of rats maintained at 20 or 32°C. However, 5 and 10 mg/kg of ICI 204448 evoked significant hypothermia in rats exposed to 5°C. The i.c.v. administration of nor-BNI, a ĸ-opioid antagonist, did not affect the hypothermia produced by the systemic injection of ICI 204448. Thus, an involvement of brain ĸ-opioid receptors in ICI 204448-evoked hypothermia is unlikely. The present data demonstrate for the first time that ICI 204448 produces hypothermia in cold-exposed rats and suggest that the role of peripheral ĸ-opioid receptors in thermoregulation becomes more significant at cold ambient temperatures.
Stress-by-Structure in Spanish
Authors: Oltra-Massuet Isabel , Arregi Karlos
Published: January 2005

In this article, we argue for a syntactic approach to the computation of stress in Spanish. Our basic claim is that stress placement in this language makes crucial reference to the internal syntactic structure of words. In particular, we propose that foot boundaries are projected from certain functional heads. The analysis is set within the framework of Distributed Morphology and uses the formalism of the bracketed grid for the representation of stress. Several hypotheses concerning the syntax of words are argued to be necessary in gaining a better understanding of stress placement in Spanish.
Preparing Urban Students for Health Careers
Authors: Mac Iver Martha Abele , Farley Elizabeth
Published: January 2005

This article presents a longitudinal case study of an urban district school-university partnership designed to prepare students for health careers. We not only summarize the accomplishments of this partnership but also identify factors in the partnership dynamics that hindered the expected improvement in student outcomes. By suggesting possible generalizations that can be tested elsewhere, we seek to contribute to theory building about the role of external partnerships in promoting career-focused high school reform. We conclude by making practical recommendations for similar university-high school partnerships in urban districts.
St. Petersburg’s Double Life
Authors: Staub Alexandra
Published: January 2005

St. Petersburg, Russia, consists of a historical city from the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries surrounded by vast socialist housing estates constructed after World War II. This article describes the city’s planned pedestrian circulation systems, contrasting them with a second spatial system that the populace has throughout time superimposed on the “official” city and that may be mapped less in a physical than in a sociological sense. In this second city, steeped in communistic values, the threshold between what was once public and private has become redefined, so that the public now enters once-private spaces at will. This article compares the two structures of St. Petersburg and examines how they may be tied into theoretical frameworks of sociospatial mapping.
Middle-Class Experience in the United States in the Gilded Age, 1865-1900
Authors: Mahoney Timothy R.
Published: January 2005

This article suggests that members of not only the “new” middle class but also the so-called old middle class contributed to the emergence of modern American society. The author examines the experiences of members of the “old” middle class from midwestern small towns and cities as they sought to situate themselves within six subcultures that were intertwining to form a regional and national middle-class culture—professional culture, corporate culture, politics and the law, boosterism, male subcultures, and gentility. In each, their efforts focused on responding to the erosion of personal networks, a proliferation of choices within an increasingly differentiated and fragmented social and institutional landscape, and an increasingly impersonal society. The author suggests that members of both the old and new middle class contributed to shaping new definitions of self, gender, and identity that helped define a new national middle class.
Middle-Class Mobilization and the Language of Orders in Urban Latin America
Authors: Parker David S.
Published: January 2005

Scholars have generally argued that the modern triumph of a language of class eclipsed collective identities rooted in older, more hierarchical conceptions of rank and estate. This article, drawing on the author’s previously published research on white-collar workers in twentieth-century Peru, comes to a radically different conclusion. Despite using what appeared to be an explicit and often combative discourse of class interest and class conflict, Peru’s white-collar workers justified their demands by emphasizing the difference between themselves and manual workers. Masquerading as class consciousness were many of the rhetorical tropes that had long legitimated the society of orders, including a presumption that social standing was an innate quality fixed at birth. Corporatist social legislation adopted in the 1920s reinforced the principle that white-collar and blue-collar workers were distinct species of human beings deserving of entirely different benefits. Unequal rights became enshrined in labor law.
Comments on “Studying the Middle Class in the Modern City”
Authors: Beckert Sven
Published: January 2005

Sven Beckert argues that the history of the nineteenth-and twentieth-century middle class is best understood in comparative perspective. In this project, a focus on identities and culture is not sufficient; we need renewed attention to structurally and sociologically inspired investigations of class. Beckert also suggests that historians should pay close attention to issues of power and politics when investigating the history of the modern middle class.
What Constrains or Facilitates Divestitures of Formerly Acquired Firms? The Effects of Organizational Inertia
Authors: Shimizu Katsuhiko , Hitt Michael A.
Published: January 2005

This study examined behavioral explanations for the divestitures of formerly acquired units, particularly organizational inertia. It was argued that characteristics of parent firms and divested units reduce the likelihood of divesting a poorly performing unit. Conversely, it was also argued that change of key personnel and effective governance mechanisms increase the likelihood of such divestitures. Importantly, the results show that with age and size combined, appointment of new outside directors and divestiture experience (among other variables) moderated the effects on the likelihood of firms divesting units they had previously acquired. Implications for future theory development and management practice are also discussed.
Effects of Perceived Skill Dissimilarity and Task Interdependence on Helping in Work Teams
Authors: Van der Vegt Gerben S. , Van de Vliert Evert
Published: January 2005

This study examined the effects of perceived skill dissimilarity and task interdependence on individual team members’ helping behavior in a panel study of senior business students enrolled in a management game. The students were randomly assigned to 20 teams and functioned as a firm’s top management group during a full-time 3-week period. Questionnaire data were collected after the 1st and 2nd week. Consistent with self-categorization theory, the analyses showed perceived skill dissimilarity to decrease both self-reported and peer-rated helping behavior under conditions of low task interdependence and to increase an individual’s helping behavior under conditions of high task interdependence.
Exploring Boundaries of the Effects of Applicant Impression Management Tactics in Job Interviews
Authors: Tsai Wei-Chi , Chen Chien-Cheng , Chiu Su-Fen
Published: January 2005

Applicant impression management tactics have been shown to positively influence interviewer evaluations. This study extends previous research by examining the moderating roles of interview structure, customer-contact requirement, and interview length in real employment interviews for actual job openings. Results from 151 applicants of 25 firms showed that the more structured the interview, the weaker the relationship between applicant nonverbal tactics and interviewer evaluation. In addition, when the extent of customer contact required for a job was relatively low, the influence of applicant self-focused tactics on interviewer evaluation was minimized. Furthermore, when the interview was of longer duration, the effects of applicant self-focused tactics became insignificant.
On the Vitality of Vitalism
Authors: Greco Monica
Published: January 2005

The term ‘vitalism’ is most readily associated with a series of debates among 18th- and 19th-century biologists, and broadly with the claim that the explanation of living phenomena is not compatible with, or is not exhausted by, the principles of basic sciences like physics and chemistry. Scientists and philosophers have continued to address vitalism - mostly in order to reject it - well into the second half of the 20th century, in connection with classic concepts such as mechanism, reductionism, emergence, complexity and artificial intelligence, and in connection with approaches such as information theory and cybernetics. This article problematizes and transforms the claim that vitalism is obsolete by evaluating it diachronically, in the spirit of the historian and philosopher of medicine, Georges Canguilhem. It discusses the contrast between classical vitalism and Canguilhem’s own claim that vitalism is ‘an imperative rather than a method and more of an ethical system, perhaps, than a theory’. At the same time, it argues (against postmodern and post-humanist critics) that Canguilhem’s position cannot be reduced to a ‘polemical vitalism’ devoid of compromising references to reality or ontology. In relation to contemporary forms of engagement between social theory and biotechnoscience, Canguilhem’s vitalism continues to provide the critical corrective that is proper to its ‘vitality’.
Pharmaceutical Matters
Authors: Barry Andrew
Published: January 2005

Drawing on the work of Bernadette Bensaude-Vincent and Isabelle Stengers on the history of chemistry, this article develops the idea that drug molecules can be understood as ‘informed materials’. This study argues that molecules should not be viewed as discrete objects, but as constituted in their relations to complex informational and material environments. Through a case study of commercial pharmaceutical R&D, the article examines the role of combinatorial and computational chemistry in enriching the informational and material environment of potential drug molecules. Within the contemporary pharmaceutical laboratory, experiments on molecules can be conducted not just in vitro and in vivo but also, according to researchers, in silico. Molecules come to exist not just as physical reagents but also as elements of arrays, libraries and databases of other molecules, and in a virtual form in computer simulations and virtual libraries. Molecules are also understood by researchers to exist in a ‘chemical space’ of other different molecules, where the notion of chemical space is used both to refer to differences in molecular structure and to territories owned or occupied by particular firms. The article argues that pharmaceutical companies do not merely discover molecular structures that potentially could exist, but also invent novel forms of chemical entity.
The New Economy, Property and Personhood
Authors: Adkins Lisa
Published: January 2005

This article focuses on the new economy. While a number of recent analyses have considered how new economic arrangements rework a range of material relations, this article suggests that such considerations have tended to stop short of considering how material relations may be reconstituting vis-à-vis the people who are working in the new economy. This is so, it will be argued, because there is a pervasive assumption of what is termed a social contract model of personhood, where people are assumed to own or at least to strive to accumulate skills, capacities and abilities (that is, labour power) as forms of property in the person. However, what this article underscores is that the relations between people and their labour in the new economy are being reworked. In particular, it highlights how qualities previously associated with people are being disentangled and are becoming the object of processes of qualification and re-qualification. However, such qualities do not take the form of property in the person as claims towards the ‘ownership’ of this labour lie in the domain of audience effects - that is, in relations external to the person. This shift, it is argued further, locates labour in the new economy firmly in the domain of the production and circulation of cultural value. Indeed, more broadly this article suggests that the now commonplace idea that economy and culture are de-differentiating involves a previously unrecognized restructuring of the relations between people and property and even the end of the modern notion of personhood.
Sales Taxes and the Decision to Purchase Online
Authors: Alm James , Melnik Mikhail I.
Published: January 2005

Current tax treatment of online business-to-consumer transactions may be one of the factors behind rapidly growing e-commerce. In this article, the authors examine the impact of state sales taxes on the consumer decision to conduct shopping online, using comprehensive data representative of the U.S. population. The estimation results demonstrate that there exists a direct relationship between the state sales tax rate and consumer participation in e-commerce. However, although statistically significant, this effect is relatively small. The estimates indicate that a 1 percent increase in the tax price leads to only a 0.5 percent decline in the probability of participation in online commerce.
Transmembrane CEACAM1 affects integrin-dependent signaling and regulates extracellular matrix protein–specific morphology and migration of endothelial cells
Authors: Müller Mario M. , Singer Bernhard B. , Klaile Esther , Öbrink Björn , Lucka Lothar
Published: February 2005

Carcinoembryonic antigen-related cell adhesion molecule 1 (CEACAM1/CD66a), expressed on leukocytes, epithelia, and endothelia mediates homophilic cell adhesion. It plays an important role in cell morphogenesis and, recently, soluble CEACAM1 isoforms have been implicated in angiogenesis. In the present study, we investigated the function of long transmembrane isoform of CEACAM1 (CEACAM1-L) in cultured rat brain endothelial cells. We observed that expression of CEACAM1-L promotes network formation on basement membrane Matrigel and increased cell motility after monolayer injury. During cell-matrix adhesion, CEACAM1-L translocated into the Triton X-100–insoluble cytoskeletal fraction and affected cell spreading and cell morphology on Matrigel and laminin-1 but not on fibronectin. On laminin-1, CEACAM1-L–expressing cells developed protrusions with lamellipodia, showed less stress fiber formation, reduced focal adhesion kinase (FAK) tyrosine phosphorylation, and decreased focal adhesion formation leading to high motility. CEACAM1-L–mediated morphologic alterations were sensitive to RhoA activation via lysophosphatidic acid (LPA) treatment and dependent on Rac1 activation. Furthermore, we demonstrate a matrix protein–dependent association of CEACAM1-L with talin, an important regulator of integrin function. Taken together, our results suggest that transmembrane CEACAM1-L expressed on endothelial cells is implicated in the activation phase of angiogenesis by affecting the cytoskeleton architecture and integrin-mediated signaling.
Deficiency in the p110α subunit of PI3K results in diminished Tie2 expression and Tie2-/-–like vascular defects in mice
Authors: Lelievre Etienne , Bourbon Pierre-Marie , Duan Li-Juan , Nussbaum Robert L. , Fong Guo-Hua
Published: February 2005

Phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K) is activated by transmembrane tyrosine kinases such as vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) receptors and Tie2 (tunica intima endothelial kinase 2), both of which are key regulators of vascular development. However, the in vivo role of PI3K during developmental vascularization remains to be defined. Here we demonstrate that mice deficient in the p110α catalytic subunit of PI3K display multiple vascular defects, including dilated vessels in the head, reduced branching morphogenesis in the endocardium, lack of hierarchical order of large and small branches in the yolk sac, and impaired development of anterior cardinal veins. These vascular defects are strikingly similar to those in mice defective in the Tie2 signaling pathway. Indeed, Tie2 protein levels were significantly lower in p110α-deficient mice. Furthermore, RNA interference of p110α in cultured endothelial cells significantly reduced Tie2 protein levels. These findings raise the possibility that PI3K may function as an upstream regulator of Tie2 expression during mouse development.
The sesquiterpene lactone parthenolide induces apoptosis of human acute myelogenous leukemia stem and progenitor cells
Authors: Guzman Monica L. , Rossi Randall M. , Karnischky Lilliana , Li Xiaojie , Peterson Derick R. , Howard Dianna S. , Jordan Craig T.
Published: February 2005

Recent studies have described malignant stem cells as central to the initiation, growth, and potential relapse of acute and chronic myelogenous leukemia (AML and CML). Because of their important role in pathogenesis, rare and biologically distinct leukemia stem cells (LSCs) represent a critical target for therapeutic intervention. However, to date, very few agents have been shown to directly target the LSC population. The present studies demonstrate that parthenolide (PTL), a naturally occurring small molecule, induces robust apoptosis in primary human AML cells and blast crisis CML (bcCML) cells while sparing normal hematopoietic cells. Furthermore, analysis of progenitor cells using in vitro colony assays, as well as stem cells using the nonobese diabetic/severe combined immunodeficient (NOD/SCID) xenograft model, show that PTL also preferentially targets AML progenitor and stem cell populations. Notably, in comparison to the standard chemotherapy drug cytosine arabinoside (Ara-C), PTL is much more specific to leukemia cells. The molecular mechanism of PTL-mediated apoptosis is strongly associated with inhibition of nuclear factor κ B (NF-κB), proapoptotic activation of p53, and increased reactive oxygen species (ROS). On the basis of these findings, we propose that the activity of PTL triggers LSC-specific apoptosis and as such represents a potentially important new class of drugs for LSC-targeted therapy.
The effect of montelukast on lung function and exhaled nitric oxide in infants with early childhood asthma
Authors: Straub D. A. , Moeller A. , Minocchieri S. , Hamacher J. , Sennhauser F. H. , Hall G. L. , Wildhaber J. H.
Published: January 2005

Effective treatment of respiratory symptoms, airway inflammation and impairment of lung function is the goal of any asthma therapy. Although montelukast has been shown to be a possible add-on therapy for anti-inflammatory treatment in older children, its efficacy in infants and young children is not well known. The aim of this study was to investigate its effect in infants and young children with early childhood asthma.

In a prospective randomised double-blind placebo-controlled study, 24 young children (10–26 months) with wheeze, allergy and a positive family history of asthma consistent with the diagnosis of early childhood asthma were randomised to receive montelukast 4 mg or placebo. The forced expiratory volume in 0.5 seconds (FEV0.5) was measured using the raised volume rapid thoracic compression technique, and fractional exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO) and symptom scores were determined.

No change was noted in FEV0.5, FeNOor symptom score in the placebo group following the treatment period. In contrast, significant improvements in mean±sdFEV0.5(189.0±37.8 and 214.4±44.9 mL before and after treatment, respectively), FeNO(29.8±10.0 and 19.0±8.5 ppb) and median symptom score (5.5 and 1.5) were noted following treatment with montelukast.

In conclusion, montelukast has a positive effect on lung function, airway inflammation and symptom scores in very young children with early childhood asthma.