bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A Practical Protocol for Carbohydrate Microarrays
Authors: Wang Ruobing , Liu Shaoyi , Shah Dhaval , Wang Denong
Published: July 2006

ChemInform is a weekly Abstracting Service, delivering concise information at a glance that was extracted from about 200 leading journals. To access a ChemInform Abstract, please click on HTML or PDF.
Synthesis, Crystal Structure, and Second‐Order Nonlinear Optical Properties of Ruthenium(II) Complexes with Substituted Bipyridine and Phenylpyridine Ligands
Authors: Labat Laurence , Lamère Jean‐François , Sasaki Isabelle , Lacroix Pascal G. , Vendier Laure , Asselberghs Inge , Pérez‐Moreno Javier , Clays Koen
Published: July 2006

Two new ruthenium(II) complexes of formula [Ru(bpy)2(L1)][PF6] and [Ru(bpy)2(L2)][PF6]2 are reported. HL1 is a (nitrophenyl)ethenyl‐substituted phenylpyridine ligand, and L2 is the bipyridine analogue of HL1. The X‐ray crystal structure of [Ru(bpy)2(L1)][PF6] has been solved, and the compound is found to crystallize in the monoclinic C2/c space group. The electronic spectrum of the cyclometalated derivative [Ru(bpy)2(L1)][PF6] exhibits a low‐lying transition that is red‐shifted from 454 to 546 nm relative to that of the parent bipyridine‐based complex, which reveals an important charge‐transfer character. To support this assumption, the nonlinear optical properties were investigated by the hyper‐Rayleigh scattering technique and indicate a molecular static hyperpolarizability (β0) equal to 230 × 10–30 cm5 esu–1. (© Wiley‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, 69451 Weinheim, Germany, 2006)
1,3,5‐Triazapenta‐1,3‐dienes: Useful Building Blocks for the Synthesis of1,2‐Dihydro‐1,3,5‐triazines and Oligonitriles
Authors: Heße Nadine , Fröhlich Roland , Wibbeling Birgit , Würthwein Ernst‐Ulrich
Published: July 2006

1,3,5‐Triazapentadienes 1, prepared from amidines and imidoyl chlorides 2, have been used as nucleophilic building blocks for the reactions with various electrophilic reagents. With aldehydes 4 1,2‐dihydrotriazines 3 were obtained, whereas ketones 5 gave 3 or 1,3,5‐triazahexa‐1,3,5‐trienes 6, depending on the substitution pattern of 1. Acyl chlorides 7 reacted with 1 to give 1‐oxa‐3,5,7‐triazahepta‐1,3,5‐trienes 8; in a similar manner imidoyl chlorides 2 gave rise to the formation of the new 1,3,5,7‐tetraazahepta‐1,3,5‐trienes 9. Treatment of N‐benzoylbenzimidoyl chloride 10 with 1 afforded the 1‐oxa‐3,5,7,9‐tetraazanona‐1,3,5,7‐tetraenes 11, or, depending on the substitution pattern, their ring‐tautomeric compounds 12 with 1,2‐dihydrotriazine structures.1‐Oxa‐3,5‐diazinium salt 13 as cyclic electrophile produced, when treated with 1g, 1‐oxa‐3,5,7,9,11‐pentaazaundeca‐1,3,5,7,9‐pentaene (14), a long oligonitrile with push‐pull substitution pattern. All new compounds were completely characterized including X‐ray diffraction for each type, indicating rather twisted three‐dimensional structures for the open‐chain compounds. The relative energies of 1,3,5‐triazapentadiene isomers were studied by DFT calculations [level: B3LYP/6‐31+G(d,p)], as well as the ring‐chain tautomerism of selected examples. (© Wiley‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, 69451 Weinheim, Germany, 2006)
Non‐neurogenic urinary retention (Fowler's syndrome) in two sisters
Authors: Podnar Simon , Barbič Matija
Published: July 2006

Aims

To report for the first time occurrence of obstructed voiding due to excessive activity of the urethral sphincter (US) muscle in two sisters with polycystic ovaries (Fowler's syndrome).

Methods

In both patients precise micturition history was obtained. In addition, clinical neurological and gynecological examinations, cystometry, urethral pressure profile measurements, gynecological ultrasound, measurement of gonadotropic hormone levels, and concentric needle electromyography (EMG) of the US muscle were performed.

Results

Both sisters reported symptoms of severely obstructed voiding. Clinical examination, and filling cystometries were normal. Urethral pressures were increased (99–134 cm water). The first sister was not able to void, and the urinary flow was slow and intermittent in the second on voiding studies. Profuse complex repetitive discharges and decelerating burst activity were found on concentric needle EMG of the US in both of them. Both sisters had increased LH/FSH ratio (2.96 and 2.64), and ultrasonographic abnormalities compatible with polycystic ovaries.

Conclusions

Diagnosis of Fowler's syndrome was made in both sisters. Due to very low incidence rate of this syndrome (0.2/100.000 per year), we think that it is highly unlikely to find it in two sisters just by chance. We suggest that the probable explanation is a genetic predisposition to polycystic ovaries, with which this condition has been shown to be associated. Neurourol. Urodynam. 25:739–741, 2006. © 2006 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Electrochemically Functionalized Carbon Nanotubes and their Application to Rechargeable Lithium Batteries
Authors: Baibarac Mihaela , Lira‐Cantú Mónica , Oró‐Solé Judith , Casañ‐Pastor Nieves , Gomez‐Romero Pedro
Published: July 2006

Electrochemical polymerization of N‐vinyl carbazole (VC) on carbon nanotube (CNT) films was studied by cyclic voltammetry (CV) in LiClO4/acetonitrile solutions. Comparing the cyclic voltammograms recorded on a blank Pt electrode with those obtained when single‐ or multi‐walled carbon nanotube (SWNT or MWNT) films were previously deposited onto the Pt electrode, a downshift of the VC reduction peak potential is observed in the latter case. The influences of monomer concentration, type of solvent, and supporting electrolyte on the polymerization conditions and electrochemical properties of these composite materials are also investigated. The morphological aspects of poly(N‐vinyl carbazole) (PVC)‐functionalized CNTs are revealed by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) studies. A covalent functionalization of carbon nanotubes with PVC is invoked as a result of attenuated total reflection infrared (ATR‐IR) spectroscopic studies. Using PVC‐functionalized CNTs as a positive electrode and an electrolytic solution containing LiPF6, the charge–discharge characteristics of the rechargeable lithium cells are determined. High specific discharge capacity (≈45 and 115 mA h g−1) is reported for PVC‐functionalized single‐ and multi‐walled carbon nanotubes, respectively.
Targeted reduction of the DNA methylation level with 5-azacytidine promotes excision of the medaka fish Tol2 transposable element
Authors: IIDA ATSUO , SHIMADA ATSUKO , SHIMA AKIHIRO , TAKAMATSU NAOFUMI , HORI HIROSHI , TAKEUCHI KOSEI , KOGA AKIHIKO
Published: July 2006

The Tol2 element of the medaka fish Oryzias latipes is a member of the hAT (hobo/Activator/Tam3) transposable element family. There is evidence for rapid expansion in the genome and throughout the species in the past but a high spontaneous transposition rate is not observed with current fish materials, suggesting that the Tol2 element and its host species have already acquired an interactive mechanism to control the transposition frequency. DNA methylation is a possible contributing factor, given its involvement with many other transposable elements. We therefore soaked embryos in 5-azacytidine, a reagent that causes reduction in the DNA methylation level, and examined amounts of PCR products reflecting the somatic excision frequency, obtaining direct evidence that exposure promotes Tol2 excision. Our results thus suggest that methylation of the genome DNA is a factor included in the putative mechanisms of control of transposition of the Tol2 element.
The genetic outcomes of sex and recombination in long-term functionally parthenogenetic lineages of Australian Sitobion aphids
Authors: WILSON ALEX C. C. , SUNNUCKS PAUL
Published: July 2006

The typical life cycle of an aphid is cyclical parthenogenesis which involves the alternation of sexual and asexual reproduction. However, aphid life cycles, even within a species, can encompass everything on a continuum from obligate sexuality, through facultative sexuality to obligate asexuality. Loss of the sexual cycle in aphids is frequently associated with the introduction of a new pest and can occur for a number of environmental and genetic reasons. Here we investigate loss of sexual function in Sitobion aphids in Australia. Specifically, we aimed to determine whether an absence of sexual reproduction in Australian Sitobion results from genetic loss of sexual function or environmental constraints in the introduced range. We addressed our aims by performing a series of breeding experiments. We found that some lineages have genetically lost sexual function while others retain sexual function and appear environmentally constrained to asexuality. Further, in our crosses, using autosomal and X-linked microsatellite markers, we identified processes deviating from normal Mendelian segregation. We observed strong deviations in X chromosome transmission through the sexual cycle. Additionally, when progeny genotypes were examined across multiple loci simultaneously we found that some multilocus genotypes are significantly over-represented in the sample and that levels of heterozygosity were much higher than expected at almost all loci. This study demonstrates that strong biases in the transmission of X chromosomes through the sexual cycle are likely to be widespread in aphids. The mechanisms underlying these patterns are not clear. We discuss several possible alternatives, including mutation accumulation during periods of functional asexuality and genetic imprinting.
POLYGYNY, REPRODUCTIVE SUCCESS AND CHILD HEALTH IN RURAL ETHIOPIA: WHY MARRY A MARRIED MAN?
Authors: GIBSON MHAIRI A. , MACE RUTH
Published: July 2006

This study examines the reproductive success of men and women in rural Ethiopia as a function of their marital status, specifically by comparing polygamously and monogamously married individuals. In line with predictions from evolutionary theory, polygamy is beneficial to male reproductive success (i.e. producing larger numbers of surviving offspring). The success of polygamously married females depends on wife rank: the first wives of polygamous husbands do better than monogamously married women and much better than second or third wives. These effects are mirrored in child nutritional status: the children of second and third wives have lower weight for height. Due to potential, largely unmeasurable differences in marriageability (quality) between individuals, it was not possible to support a model of either resource-holding polygyny combined with female choice or female coercion into unwanted marriages. First wives of polygamously married men marry at a younger age and attract a higher brideprice, suggesting that both the males and females in the marriage are likely to be of higher quality (due to wealth, family status or some other factor such as beauty). Unions that end up monogamous are likely to be between slightly lower quality individuals; and second and third wives, who marry at the oldest ages and attract the lowest brideprice, may be ‘making the best of a bad job’. The relatively long gap between first and second marriages may mean that first wives of highly marriageable males can enjoy considerable reproductive success before their husbands marry again.
EFFECT OF FAMILY PLANNING SERVICES ON MODERN CONTRACEPTIVE METHOD CONTINUATION IN VIETNAM
Authors: DO MAI P. , KOENIG MICHAEL A.
Published: July 2006

Access to and quality of services have increasingly been the focus of family planning programme managers, implementers and researchers in the developing world. In Vietnam, a country characterized by recent significant achievements in family planning, not much is known about the linkages between service accessibility and quality and contraceptive behaviour. Data for this study come from the Vietnam 1997 Demographic and Health Survey, with individual contraceptive use information recorded in the calendar section. Measures of access to and quality of services come from the Community/Health Facility Questionnaire, with key informant interviews and facility visits. The study focuses on the effects of the outreach programme and commune health centres on contraceptive method discontinuation for three modern, temporary methods: the IUD, oral pills and condoms. Longer travel time to commune health centres is found to be associated with significantly increased risks of first- and all-method discontinuation for any reason, while residence in communities with higher quality health centres is associated with significantly lower risks of method discontinuation. Access to and quality of the outreach programme are, in contrast, not significant determinants of method discontinuation for any reason. Similar results are found for first- and all-method discontinuation for service-related reasons. The effects of programmatic factors are more pronounced among older women and during the first three months of method use. This study provides evidence for the importance of family planning services for contraceptive method continuation in Vietnam. The results also highlight the need for a thorough evaluation of the family planning outreach programme in terms of its facilitation of women’s continued use of contraception.
The resonant nonlinear Schrödinger equation in cold plasma physics. Application of Bäcklund–Darboux transformations and superposition principles
Authors: LEE J.-H. , PASHAEV O.K , ROGERS C. , SCHIEF W.K.
Published: July 2006

A system of nonlinear equations governing the transmission of uni-axial waves in a cold collisionless plasma subject to a transverse magnetic field is reduced to the recently proposed resonant nonlinear Schrödinger (RNLS) equation. This integrable variant of the standard nonlinear Schrödinger equation admits novel nonlinear superposition principles associated with Bäcklund–Darboux transformations. These are used here, in particular, to construct analytic descriptions of the interaction of solitonic magnetoacoustic waves propagating through the plasma.
Crowding effect on adult growth, pre-patent period and egg shedding of Fasciola hepatica
Authors: VALERO M. A. , DE RENZI M. , PANOVA M. , GARCIA-BODELON M. A. , PERIAGO M. V. , ORDOÑEZ D. , MAS-COMA S.
Published: July 2006

Fascioliasis pathogenesis depends on fluke burden. In human hyperendemic zones, individual infection intensities reach very high levels and the majority of infected subjects should be in the advanced chronic phase. The rat model offers a useful approach for pathological research in the advanced chronic period. The influence of infection intensity per rat on fluke development, pre-patent period and egg shedding (eggs/g faeces/worm) was analysed in 3 groups (I: 1–3 worms/rat; II: 4–6; III: 7–9). Ontogenetic trajectories of fluke body measures followed a logistic model. Results showed that when the burden increases, the maximum values of fluke measures decrease. The crowding effect is manifest when fluke measures approximate their maximums in the advanced chronic stage. The pre-patent period and egg production decrease when the burden increases. This means that measurements of eggs per gramme of faeces tend to underestimate the fluke burden. The present study demonstrates how to quantify the fascioliasis experimental rat model crowding effect on adult growth, pre-patent period and egg production. This quantification may be of great interest in epidemiological studies and in experimental research on the in vivo actions of different anthelminthic drugs and vaccines, pathology, immunology and resistance studies.
Precursors and prodromata of schizophrenia: findings from the Edinburgh High Risk Study and their literature context
Authors: CUNNINGHAM OWENS D. G. , JOHNSTONE EVE C.
Published: July 2006

Background. In schizophrenia research, ‘high risk’ traditionally referred to studies of the offspring of schizophrenic parents at genetically enhanced risk of illness development. Sixteen major high-risk studies have been undertaken although only six followed through to formal illness so data on prediction remain weak. Recently, ‘high risk’ has widened to encompass individuals considered ‘at risk’ by having ‘high risk mental states’, regardless of family history, in whom initiation of early treatment is postulated to improve outcome.

Method. The major familial high-risk studies are reviewed from the perspective of the Edinburgh High Risk Study of Schizophrenia (EHRS), with emphasis on prediction.

Results. Familial high-risk studies have established multiple biological markers, the most reproducible of which relate to neuromotor development and cognition, especially aspects of memory/learning. Although most are probably not specific, they support a neurodevelopmental hypothesis. Family and environmental variables point largely to secondary or indirect associations. Pre-illness, non-specific affective symptomatology may be of greater predictive power than most psychotic phenomena.

Conclusions. Traditional high-risk designs embody many problems but are able to distinguish non-specific markers from illness predictors, and are ideally suited to exploring the evolution of schizophrenia both clinically and biologically (especially with imaging techniques). The EHRS supports the view that greater specificity may accrue to cognitive domains as precursors of predictive utility.
End-of-life care and dementia
Authors: Robinson Louise , Hughes Julian , Daley Sarah , Keady John , Ballard Clive , Volicer Ladislav
Published: July 2006

In the UK, research continues to confirm that people with certain chronic illnesses, such as chronic lung disease and cardiac failure, represent the ‘disadvantaged dying’ compared to those with terminal cancer. But what is the situation for people dying with advanced dementia and what is the experience of their carers? Practical guidance for clinicians is scarce. In Standard 7 of the National Service Framework for Older People, which covers mental health, there is mention neither of how care should be provided nor of how patient choice should be ensured for people with dementia at the end of life. In the UK, 5% of the population aged 65 and over and 20% of those aged 80 and over have dementia similar prevalence figures are found in the USA. Current predictions suggest that the number of people with dementia will increase by 40% by 2026 and will double by 2050. The increased demand for end-of-life care for people with dementia will be associated with major social and economic costs, but what is the current standard of such care? How can the quality be improved? And how should future services be configured to cope with this increasing need? In this paper, we review current knowledge around end-of-life care in dementia, discuss the clinical challenges and ethical dilemmas presented to carers, consider the difficulties in delivering such care and suggest practical approaches to improve the quality of such care.
LQP: the dynamic logic of quantum information
Authors: BALTAG ALEXANDRU , SMETS SONJA
Published: July 2006

The main contribution of this paper is the introduction of a dynamic logic formalism for reasoning about information flow in composite quantum systems. This builds on our previous work on a complete quantum dynamic logic for single systems. Here we extend that work to a sound (but not necessarily complete) logic for composite systems, which brings together ideas from the quantum logic tradition with concepts from (dynamic) modal logic and from quantum computation. This Logic of Quantum Programs (LQP) is capable of expressing important features of quantum measurements and unitary evolutions of multi-partite states, as well as giving logical characterisations to various forms of entanglement (for example, the Bell states, the GHZ states etc.). We present a finitary syntax, a relational semantics and a sound proof system for this logic. As applications, we use our system to give formal correctness proofs for the Teleportation protocol and for a standard Quantum Secret Sharing protocol; a whole range of other quantum circuits and programs, including other well-known protocols (for example, superdense coding, entanglement swapping, logic-gate teleportation etc.), can be similarly verified using our logic.
Caladium bicolor (Araceae) and Cyclocephala celata (Coleoptera, Dynastinae): A Well‐Established Pollination System in the Northern Atlantic Rainforest of Pernambuco, Brazil
Authors: Maia A. C. D. , Schlindwein C.
Published: July 2006

Abstract: Flowering, pollination ecology, and floral thermogenesis of Caladium bicolor were studied in the Atlantic Rainforest of Pernambuco, NE Brazil. Inflorescences of this species are adapted to the characteristic pollination syndrome performed by Cyclocephalini beetles. They bear nutritious rewards inside well‐developed floral chambers and exhibit a thermogenic cycle which is synchronized to the activity period of visiting beetles. Heating intervals of the spadix were observed during consecutive evenings corresponding to the beginning of the female and male phases of anthesis. Highest temperatures were recorded during the longer‐lasting female phase. An intense sweet odour was volatized on both evenings. Beetles of a single species, Cyclocephala celata, were attracted to odoriferous inflorescences of C. bicolor and are reported for the first time as Araceae visitors. All the inflorescences visited by C. celata developed into infructescences, whereas unvisited inflorescences showed no fruit development. Findings of previous studies in the Amazon basin of Surinam indicated that Cyclocephala rustica is a likely pollinator of C. bicolor. This leads to the assumption that locally abundant Cyclocephalini species are involved in the pollination of this species.
Class, Care, and Welfare Reform: Reading Meanings, Talking Feelings
Authors: Haylett Chris
Published: July 2006

This paper presents a way of looking at welfare as a realm of affective well-being, which challenges dominant liberal and rationalist views of welfare as unemployment compensation or support on the route back to ‘work’. With reference to welfare-to-work reform in Britain and, the United States, I examine liberal feminist and neoliberal policy discourses on women, work, and welfare. The rationale underlying these discourses is argued to effect an erasure of meaning and feeling from conceptions of care, with serious consequences for the caring choices of poor working-class mothers. The potential of a nonreductive feminist ethics of care, to oppose the work-centric notion of welfare promoted in prevailing approaches to reform, is considered. Ethical thinking is shown to promote an expanded concept of welfare based on caring interrelations and interdependencies, and a way of seeing the emotional geographies of welfare reform. I conclude by arguing the need for labour politics to engage with the emotional geographies of welfare reform.
Dynamics and specificity of cortical map reorganization after retinal lesions
Authors: Giannikopoulos Dimitrios V. , Eysel Ulf T.
Published: July 2006

Neurons in the mature visual cortex deprived of their normal retinotopic inputs by matched binocular retinal lesions are initially silenced but become reactivated with time when the “blind” cortical lesion projection zone (LPZ) is filled in by new suprathreshold visual responses. In an attempt to gain further insight into the dynamics of this process, we investigated in detail the spatiotemporal pattern of single-cell properties and recording probability during cortical reorganization up to 12 months after retinal lesions. In the early phases of filling in, a transient peak of hyperactivity moves from the border of the normal cortex into the LPZ and forms the leading edge of a functional reconnection process. In the course of this process hyperactive cells inside the LPZ develop ectopic receptive fields that are initially enlarged and regain orientation specificity. During the proceeding recovery, hyperactivity and receptive field size normalize, while the quality of orientation tuning remains reduced at longer distances inside the LPZ at all stages of recovery up to 1 year. Within the adult anatomical framework of cortical connectivity, the maximal lateral distance of reconnection is limited, and the probability to encounter spiking cells decreases with increasing distance inside the LPZ. However, this recording probability was significantly increased after 1 year.
A disease- and phosphorylation-related nonmechanical function for keratin 8
Authors: Ku Nam-On , Omary M. Bishr
Published: July 2006

Keratin 8 (K8) variants predispose to human liver injury via poorly understood mechanisms. We generated transgenic mice that overexpress the human disease-associated K8 Gly61-to-Cys (G61C) variant and showed that G61C predisposes to liver injury and apoptosis and dramatically inhibits K8 phosphorylation at serine 73 (S73) via stress-activated kinases. This led us to generate mice that overexpress K8 S73-to-Ala (S73A), which mimicked the susceptibility of K8 G61C mice to injury, thereby providing a molecular link between K8 phosphorylation and disease-associated mutation. Upon apoptotic stimulation, G61C and S73A hepatocytes have persistent and increased nonkeratin proapoptotic substrate phosphorylation by stress-activated kinases, compared with wild-type hepatocytes, in association with an inability to phosphorylate K8 S73. Our findings provide the first direct link between patient-related human keratin variants and liver disease predisposition. The highly abundant cytoskeletal protein K8, and possibly other keratins with the conserved S73-containing phosphoepitope, can protect tissue from injury by serving as a phosphate “sponge” for stress-activated kinases and thereby provide a novel nonmechanical function for intermediate filament proteins.
Folding and organization of a contiguous chromosome region according to the gene distribution pattern in primary genomic sequence
Authors: Shopland Lindsay S. , Lynch Christopher R. , Peterson Kevin A. , Thornton Kathleen , Kepper Nick , Hase Johann von , Stein Stefan , Vincent Sarah , Molloy Kelly R. , Kreth Gregor , Cremer Christoph , Bult Carol J. , O'Brien Timothy P.
Published: July 2006

Specific mammalian genes functionally and dynamically associate together within the nucleus. Yet, how an array of many genes along the chromosome sequence can be spatially organized and folded together is unknown. We investigated the 3D structure of a well-annotated, highly conserved 4.3-Mb region on mouse chromosome 14 that contains four clusters of genes separated by gene “deserts.” In nuclei, this region forms multiple, nonrandom “higher order” structures. These structures are based on the gene distribution pattern in primary sequence and are marked by preferential associations among multiple gene clusters. Associating gene clusters represent expressed chromatin, but their aggregation is not simply dependent on ongoing transcription. In chromosomes with aggregated gene clusters, gene deserts preferentially align with the nuclear periphery, providing evidence for chromosomal region architecture by specific associations with functional nuclear domains. Together, these data suggest dynamic, probabilistic 3D folding states for a contiguous megabase-scale chromosomal region, supporting the diverse activities of multiple genes and their conserved primary sequence organization.
Role of HMGB1 in apoptosis-mediated sepsis lethality
Authors: Qin Shixin , Wang Haichao , Yuan Renqi , Li Hui , Ochani Mahendar , Ochani Kanta , Rosas-Ballina Mauricio , Czura Chris J. , Huston Jared M. , Miller Ed , Lin Xinchun , Sherry Barbara , Kumar Anjali , LaRosa Greg , Newman Walter , Tracey Kevin J. , Yang Huan
Published: July 2006

Severe sepsis, a lethal syndrome after infection or injury, is the third leading cause of mortality in the United States. The pathogenesis of severe sepsis is characterized by organ damage and accumulation of apoptotic lymphocytes in the spleen, thymus, and other organs. To examine the potential causal relationships of apoptosis to organ damage, we administered Z-VAD-FMK, a broad-spectrum caspase inhibitor, to mice with sepsis. We found that Z-VAD-FMK–treated septic mice had decreased levels of high mobility group box 1 (HMGB1), a critical cytokine mediator of organ damage in severe sepsis, and suppressed apoptosis in the spleen and thymus. In vitro, apoptotic cells activate macrophages to release HMGB1. Monoclonal antibodies against HMGB1 conferred protection against organ damage but did not prevent the accumulation of apoptotic cells in the spleen. Thus, our data indicate that HMGB1 production is downstream of apoptosis on the final common pathway to organ damage in severe sepsis.
Regulation of the energy sensor AMP-activated protein kinase by antigen receptor and Ca2+ in T lymphocytes
Authors: Tamás Peter , Hawley Simon A. , Clarke Rosemary G. , Mustard Kirsty J. , Green Kevin , Hardie D. Grahame , Cantrell Doreen A.
Published: July 2006

The adenosine monophosphate (AMP)–activated protein kinase (AMPK) has a crucial role in maintaining cellular energy homeostasis. This study shows that human and mouse T lymphocytes express AMPKα1 and that this is rapidly activated in response to triggering of the T cell antigen receptor (TCR). TCR stimulation of AMPK was dependent on the adaptors LAT and SLP76 and could be mimicked by the elevation of intracellular Ca2+ with Ca2+ ionophores or thapsigargin. AMPK activation was also induced by energy stress and depletion of cellular adenosine triphosphate (ATP). However, TCR and Ca2+ stimulation of AMPK required the activity of Ca2+–calmodulin-dependent protein kinase kinases (CaMKKs), whereas AMPK activation induced by increased AMP/ATP ratios did not. These experiments reveal two distinct pathways for the regulation of AMPK in T lymphocytes. The role of AMPK is to promote ATP conservation and production. The rapid activation of AMPK in response to Ca2+ signaling in T lymphocytes thus reveals that TCR triggering is linked to an evolutionally conserved serine kinase that regulates energy metabolism. Moreover, AMPK does not just react to cellular energy depletion but also anticipates it.
Maternal BRG1 regulates zygotic genome activation in the mouse
Authors: Bultman Scott J. , Gebuhr Thomas C. , Pan Hua , Svoboda Petr , Schultz Richard M. , Magnuson Terry
Published: July 2006

Zygotic genome activation (ZGA) is a nuclear reprogramming event that transforms the genome from transcriptional quiescence at fertilization to robust transcriptional activity shortly thereafter. The ensuing gene expression profile in the cleavage-stage embryo establishes totipotency and is required for further development. Although little is known about the molecular basis of ZGA, oocyte-derived mRNAs and proteins that alter chromatin structure are likely crucial. To test this hypothesis, we generated a maternal-effect mutation of Brg1, which encodes a catalytic subunit of SWI/SNF-related complexes, utilizing Cre-loxP gene targeting. In conditional-mutant females, BRG1-depleted oocytes completed meiosis and were fertilized. However, embryos conceived from BRG1-depleted eggs exhibited a ZGA phenotype including two-cell arrest and reduced transcription for ∼30% of expressed genes. Genes involved in transcription, RNA processing, and cell cycle regulation were particularly affected. The early embryonic arrest is not a consequence of a defective oocyte because depleting maternal BRG1 after oocyte development is complete by RNA interference (RNAi) also resulted in two-cell arrest. To our knowledge, Brg1 is the first gene required for ZGA in mammals. Depletion of maternal BRG1 did not affect global levels of histone acetylation, whereas dimethyl-H3K4 levels were reduced. These data provide a framework for understanding the mechanism of ZGA.
Amplification generates modular diversity at an avirulence locus in the pathogen Phytophthora
Authors: Jiang Rays H.Y. , Weide Rob , van de Vondervoort Peter J.I. , Govers Francine
Published: July 2006

The destructive late blight pathogen Phytophthora infestans is notorious for its rapid adaptation to circumvent detection mediated by plant resistance (R) genes. We performed comparative genomic hybridization on microarrays (array-CGH) in a near genome-wide survey to identify genome rearrangements related to changes in virulence. Six loci with copy number variation were found, one of which involves an amplification colocalizing with a previously identified locus that confers avirulence in combination with either R gene R3b,R10, or R11. Besides array-CGH, we used three independent approaches to find candidate genes at the Avr3b–Avr10–Avr11 locus: positional cloning, cDNA-AFLP analysis, and Affymetrix array expression profiling. This resulted in one candidate, pi3.4, that encodes a protein of 1956 amino acids with regulatory domains characteristic for transcription factors. Amplification is restricted to the 3′ end of the full-length gene but the amplified copies still contain the hallmarks of a regulatory protein. Sequence comparison showed that the amplification may generate modular diversity and assist in the assembly of novel full-length genes via unequal crossing-over. Analyses of P. infestans field isolates revealed that the pi3.4 amplification correlates with avirulence; isolates virulent on R3b,R10, and R11 plants lack the amplified gene cluster. The ancestral state of 3.4 in the Phytophthora lineage is a full-length, single-copy gene. In P. infestans, however, pi3.4 is a dynamic gene that is amplified and has moved to other locations. Modular diversity could be a novel mechanism for pathogens to quickly adapt to changes in the environment.
Routine activities and the spatial‐temporal variation of calls for police service: the experience of opposites on the quality of life spectrum
Authors: LeBeau James , Coulson Richard
Published: July 2006

People call the police and want them to handle a variety of matters besides criminal ones. The city is divided into various communities with different functions and routine activity patterns. This paper examines how calls for police service vary with routine activities and time between two residential areas that are opposites on the quality of life spectrum. The study site is Charlotte, North Carolina, and the data are the calls for service received by the police department during 1986.
Pharmacokinetics of clomipramine and desmethylclomipramine after single‐dose intravenous and oral administrations in cats
Authors: LAINESSE C. , FRANK D. , MEUCCI V. , INTORRE L. , SOLDANI G. , DOUCET M.
Published: July 2006

A cross‐over study was performed in six adult spayed cats to determine the pharmacokinetics of clomipramine and its metabolite, desmethylclomipramine (DCMP) after intravenous (0.25 mg/kg) and oral (0.5 mg/kg) single‐dose administrations. Plasma clomipramine and DCMP were measured by high‐performance liquid chromatography at regular intervals for up to 30 h. Intravenous clomipramine best fit a two‐compartmental model yielding an elimination rate constant of 0.037–0.09 h−1from which a mean half‐life of 12.3 h was calculated. Mean clomipramineAUC0‐‐∞(ng·h/mL), clearance (L/h·kg),Vss(L/kg) andMRT(h) values were 652.5, 0.393, 5.0, and 13.5, respectively. Compartmental modeling for clomipramine, after oral administration, and DCMP after both administrations, produced wide parameter estimates and plots of residuals indicated poor goodness of fit. Noncompartmental analysis yielded meanAUC0‐‐30 h(ng·h/mL),Cmax(ng/mL) andTmax(h) of 948.3, 87.5 and 6.2 for clomipramine, and 613.8, 34.8, and 12.8 for DCMP respectively after oral administration. Clomipramine bioavailability was 90%. The present study showed marked pharmacokinetic variability for clomipramine and DCMP through biphasic absorption and potential genetic variability in clomipramine metabolism. It was concluded that population pharmacokinetics would allow better characterization of clomipramine variability that may explain the variability in clinical response noted in cats.
Bovine kidney tissue/biological fluid correlation for penicillin
Authors: CHIESA O. A. , VON BREDOW J. , SMITH M. , HELLER D. , CONDON R. , THOMAS M. H.
Published: July 2006

Penicillin is one of the most commonly misused drugs in steers and dairy cows. In the US, at slaughter the tolerance is 50 ng/g in kidney and other edible tissues. If the tolerance is exceeded, the carcass may not be used for human food. A preslaughter test for penicillin in an easily accessible biological fluid is needed to predict if the concentration of penicillin is below tolerance in the kidney before the bovine is slaughtered. In this study, 12 steers were injected three times with the approved dose (7000 IU) of penicillin at 12‐h intervals. Blood and urine samples were collected at intervals after the final dose of penicillin. At each sampling point, one kidney biopsy sample was collected by laparoscopic surgery in the live animal. Another kidney sample was collected at slaughter. Correlations between plasma and kidney concentrations and between urine and kidney concentrations were determined. These correlations predict with 95% confidence that 99% of the animals will have kidney tissue below penicillin tolerance when the plasma concentration of penicillin is below 0.4 ng/mL and/or the urine penicillin concentration is below 140 ng/mL.
Cloning and pharmacological characterization of the equine adenosine A3receptor
Authors: BRANDON C. I. , VANDENPLAS M. , DOOKWAH H. , MURRAY T. F.
Published: July 2006

The aim of this study was to establish a heterologous expression system for the equine adenosine A3receptor (eA3‐R) in an effort to ascertain its pharmacologic profile. Initially, radioligand binding assays identified clones expressing the eA3‐R in human embryonic kidney cells (HEK) based on the specific binding of [125I]AB‐MECA. Subsequently, adenylate cyclase assays were utilized to demonstrate functional coupling of the eA3‐R to the G‐protein/adenylate cyclase system. Equilibrium competition binding assays were then performed using selective and non‐selective A3agonists and antagonists. Results from these experiments revealed a rank order of agonist potency to be IB‐MECA > NECA > CGS21680, and an antagonist potency of MRS1220 > ZM241385 > 8‐p‐sulphophenyltheophylline; these rank orders were in agreement with that of other mammalian A3‐R's. Lastly, NF‐κB reporter gene assays revealed an IB‐MECA concentration‐dependent inhibition of TNFα‐stimulated NF‐κB activity. These results indicate that the heterologously expressed eA3‐R is functional, has a pharmacological profile similar to that of other mammalian A3receptors, and its activation has an inhibitory effect on a key regulatory pathway in the inflammatory response. Thus, the eA3‐R may serve as a pharmacological target in the treatment of equine inflammatory disease.
Characterization of the relationship between serum and milk residue disposition of ceftriaxone in lactating ewes
Authors: GOUDAH A. , SHIN H. C. , SHIM J. H. , ABD EL‐ATY A. M.
Published: July 2006

The present study was planned to investigate the serum disposition kinetics and the pattern of ceftriaxone elimination in milk and urine of lactating ewes (n = 6) following i.v. and i.m. administration. A crossover study was carried out in two phases separated by 15 days. Ceftriaxone was administered at a dosage of 10 mg/kg b.w. in all animals. Serum, milk and urine samples were collected between 0 and 72 h and a modified agar diffusion bioassay method was used to determine the percentage of protein binding and to measure serum, urine and milk concentrations of ceftriaxone. The drug was detected between 5 min and 48 h postdosing. Concentrations of 0.56 (10 h) and 0.52 (12 h), 0.22 (10 h) and 0.19 (12 h), and 2.18 (24 h) and 2.11 (48 h) μg/mL were measured in serum, milk and urine following i.v. and i.m. administration, respectively. Individual pharmacokinetic parameters were determined by fitting a two‐compartment model to the serum and one‐compartment open model to the milk concentration–time profiles. After i.v. dosing, the elimination rate constant and elimination half‐life were 0.4 ± 0.05/h and 1.75 ± 0.02 h, respectively. The volume of distribution at steady state (Vdss) of 0.28 ± 0.15 L/kg reflected limited extracellular distribution of the drug with total body clearance (Cltot) of 0.14 ± 0.10 L/h/kg. Following i.m. administration, the meanTmax obs,Cmax obs,t1/2elandAUCvalues for serum data were: 0.75 h, 23.16 ± 2.94 μg/mL, 1.77 ± 0.24 h and 67.55 ± 6.51 μg·h/mL, respectively. For milk the data were: 1.0 h, 8.15 ± 0.71 μg/mL, 2.2 ± 0.34 h and 26.6 ± 5.14 μg·h/mL, respectively. The i.m. bioavailability was 83.6% and the binding percentage of ceftriaxone to serum protein was 33%. Concentrations of ceftriaxone in milk produced by clinically normal mammary glands of ewes were consistently lower than in serum; the kinetic valueAUCmilk/AUCserumandCmax milk/Cmax serumratios was<0.4. These low values indicated poor distribution and penetration of ceftriaxone from the bloodstream to the mammary gland of lactating ewes following both routes.
A prospective evaluation of the cost of psoriasis in Spain (EPIDERMA project: Phase II)
Authors: Carrascosa JM , Pujol R , Daudén E , Hernanz‐Hermosa JM , Bordas X , Smandia JA , Ferrándiz C
Published: July 2006

Objective  To estimate the direct and indirect costs related to psoriasis in Spain.

Methods  We performed a 12‐month, multicentre, prospective longitudinal and observational study. Overall expense of care was assessed as the sum of direct and indirect costs.

Results  A total of 797 patients with varying demographics and different degrees of severity of psoriasis were included in the study. The mean total cost of psoriasis, including direct and indirect items, was 1079€ per patient and year. The major sources of expenditure were prescription drugs (46.6%), followed by medical activities (34.5%). Mean costs in patients with moderate and severe psoriasis were approximately 1.5 and 2.5 times higher than in those with mild psoriasis, respectively.

Conclusions  In Spain, psoriasis is associated with substantial costs both to the National Health System and to the patients.
On the Economics and the Politics of Environmental Protection
Authors: Mantell Edmund H.
Published: July 2006

Abstract. TWO loci of discussion respecting national policies for environmental protection are synthesized. Most economic discussions are couched in terms of analytical measurements of the social benefits and costs of different policies. But most political science discussions are couched in terms of the procedural obstacles to implementation erected by special interest groups. The standard tool of marginal cost/benefit analysis is applied to reveal how the redistribution of real income among distinct special interest groups determines the extent to which those groups align themselves politically. Many of the apparent conflicts among policy objectives in the area of environmental protection, full employment, and an acceptable distribution of income, can be mitigated by means of a carefully designed program of selective law enforcement and tax‐financed subsidies.
Was George a Dreamer or a Realist?
Authors: Rafalko Robert J.
Published: July 2006

Abstract. The republication of Steven Cord's Henry George: Dreamer or Realist? makes available once more a work which dealt with insight and depth of analysis with the misconceptions, factual inaccuracies and offhand dismissals of the American economist and social philosopher's theories. Although he alienated many in the academic community, George attracted many leading scholars in it to significant research on basic problems of our times.
Creating the Accessible City
Authors: Gilderbloom John I. , Rosentraub Mark S.
Published: July 2006

Abstract. Programs and proposals for socially integrating disabled and elderly people have, traditionally, not received a great deal of support. To a limited extent this is changing. A number of social and political factors produced a unique task force in the Houston area which sought to capitalize on the depressed state of real estate and develop independent living situations for disabled people. A study detailed the extent to which large urban areas like Houston become “invisible jails” for the handicapped. The elders and the disabled are often trapped in restrictive living units and are unable to gain access to a city's resources by transportation systems not adapted for them. Several opportunities for creating a barrier free environment were found in an over built residential sector. The responsibilities of urban areas for providing opportunities for all residents are considered.
Francois Quesnay: Interpreters and Critics Revisited
Authors: Schachter Gustav
Published: July 2006

Abstract. Francois Quesnay is held by many to be the first truly modern economist. In 1750, Quesnay outlined a framework for input‐output analysis, perfected by Leontiefin 1930's; he developed a general equilibrium theory perfected in the 20th century by Walras and Keynes; and Quesnay was among the first to analyse economic growth theory as a function of capital accumulation. As the main representative of the Physiocrats he proclaimed the libertarian motto of laissez faire. But his “libertarian ideas“ were quite limited to domestic agricultural trade. The Physiocrats were tied with the aristocratic and autocratic “ancien regime” and Quesnay himself did not promote individual freedom and abhorred class struggle. By proclaiming “laissez faire la nature,” the physiocrats believed in the natural order of things, with governments enforcing this natural order. In this order, agriculture is the source of all wealth and everything else is sterile: agricultural development means economic development. The physiocratic philosophy contributed to the 18th century “enlightenment” from the outside; it was too tied with the past to induce radical changes. The Physiocrats were forerunners of much of the economic theory and tools used today; but the economics system they envisioned was not meant to widen welfare or economic freedom.
The Business Community and the Poor:Rethinking Business Strategies and Social Policy
Authors: Steidlmeier Paul
Published: July 2006

Abstract.Businessrepresents a powerful set of socialinstitutionswhich are of critical importance to the life prospects of thepoor.The impact of business upon the poor, however, should not be confined to the usual theses concerning the macro economy andjob creation.Rather, emphasis must also be placed upon specific enterprises and theirstrategic policies.Such policies are based on an enterprise's proper mission as a business, but also include the pivotal role business exercises in shapingpoverty programsand processes ofsocial change.
State Revenue Shortfalls
Authors: Braun Bradley M. , Johnson L. E. , Ley Robert D.
Published: July 2006

Abstract. The budgetary alternatives available to and employed by states to deal with budgetary shortfalls in the early 1980's are examined. The study suggests it may be preferable for states to consider relaxing the self‐imposed requirements of an annually balanced budget. The basic conclusion is that policy makers should formulate a rule that considers the opportunity costs of their decisions.
Differences in Returns to Education: An Analysis by Race
Authors: Ashraf Javed
Published: July 2006

Abstract. Although a number of studies have examined the returns to education, none have attempted to estimate and contrast the manner in which different levels of education affect earnings for blacks and for whites over any length of time. The returns to three levels of education are estimated for black and white individuals separately over a twenty year period. 1967–86, and trends are examined. Some comparisons between the South and the rest of the country’ are made.