bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Daily expression of clock genes in whole blood cells in healthy subjects and a patient with circadian rhythm sleep disorder
Authors: Takimoto Mieko , Hamada Akinobu , Tomoda Akemi , Ohdo Shigehiro , Ohmura Takafumi , Sakato Hisao , Kawatani Junko , Jodoi Takako , Nakagawa Hiroo , Terazono Hideyuki , Koyanagi Satoru , Higuchi Shun , Kimura Miyuki , Tukikawa Hiroshi , Irie Shin , Saito Hideyuki , Miike Teruhisa
Published: June 2005

In recent years, circadian rhythm sleep disorders in humans have been increasing. Clinical features characteristic of this disorder are well known, but the specific causes remain unknown. However, various derangements of circadian expression of the clock gene are a probable cause of this disease. We have attempted to elucidate the relationship between the expression of the clock genes in whole blood cells and the clinical features characteristic of this disorder. In this study, we indicate the daily expression of clock genes period ( Per) 1, 2, 3, Bmal1, and Clock in whole blood cells in 12 healthy male subjects. The peak phase of Per1, Per2, and Per3 appeared in the early morning, whereas that of Bmal1 and Clock appeared in the midnight hours. Furthermore, in one patient case with circadian rhythm sleep disorder, we observed variations of the peak phase in clock genes by treatments such as light therapy, exercise therapy, and medicinal therapy. This study suggested that the monitoring of human clock genes in whole blood cells, which may be functionally important for the molecular control of the circadian pacemaker as well as in suprachiasmatic nucleus, might be useful to evaluate internal synchronization.
Newborn lamb coronary artery reactivity is programmed by early gestation dexamethasone before the onset of systemic hypertension
Authors: Roghair Robert D. , Segar Jeffrey L. , Sharma Ram V. , Zimmerman Matthew C. , Jagadeesha D. K. , Segar Emily M. , Scholz Thomas D. , Lamb Fred S.
Published: June 2005

Exposure of the early gestation ovine fetus to exogenous glucocorticoids induces organ-specific alterations in postnatal cardiovascular physiology. To determine whether early gestation corticosteroid exposure alters coronary reactivity before the development of systemic hypertension, dexamethasone (0.28 mg·kg−1·day−1) was administered to pregnant ewes by intravenous infusion over 48 h beginning at 27 days gestation (term, 145 days). Vascular responsiveness was assessed in endothelium-intact coronary arteries isolated from 1-wk-old steroid-exposed and age-matched control lambs ( N = 6). Calcium imaging was performed in fura 2-loaded primary cultures of vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMC) from the harvested coronary arteries. Early gestation steroid exposure did not significantly alter mean arterial blood pressure or coronary reactivity to KCl, thromboxane A2 mimetic U-46619, or ANG II. Steroid exposure significantly increased coronary artery vasoconstriction to acetylcholine and endothelin-1. Vasodilatation to adenosine, but not nitroprusside or forskolin, was significantly attenuated following early gestation steroid exposure. Endothelin-1 or U-46619 stimulation resulted in a comparable increase in intracellular calcium concentration ([Ca2+]i) in coronary VSMC isolated from either dexamethasone-treated or control animals. However, the ANG II- or KCl-mediated increase in [Ca2+]i in control VSMC was significantly attenuated in VSMC harvested from dexamethasone-treated lambs. Coronary expression of muscle voltage-gated l-type calcium channel α-1 subunit protein was not significantly altered by steroid exposure, whereas endothelial nitric oxide synthase expression was attenuated. These findings demonstrate that early gestation glucocorticoid exposure elicits primary alterations in coronary responsiveness before the development of systemic hypertension. Glucocorticoid-induced alterations in coronary physiology may provide a mechanistic link between an adverse intrauterine environment and later cardiovascular disease.
Habitual exercise program protects murine intestinal, skeletal, and cardiac muscles against aging
Authors: Rosa Eloi F. , Silva Antonio C. , Ihara Silvia S. M. , Mora Oswaldo A. , Aboulafia Jeannine , Nouailhetas Viviane L. A.
Published: June 2005

Aging and aerobic exercise are two conditions known to interfere with health and quality of life, most likely by inducing oxidative stress to the organism. We studied the effects of aging on the morphological and functional properties of skeletal, cardiac, and intestinal muscles and their corresponding oxidative status in C57BL/6 mice and investigated whether a lifelong moderate exercise program would exert a protective effect against some deleterious effects of aging. As expected, aged animals presented a significant reduction of physical performance, accompanied by a decrease of gastrocnemius cross-sectional area and cardiac hypertrophy. However, most interesting was that aging dramatically interfered with the intestinal structure, causing a significant thickening of the ileum muscular layer. Senescent intestinal myocytes displayed many mitochondria with disorganized cristae and the presence of cytosolic lamellar corpuscles. Lipid peroxidation of ileum and gastrocnemius muscle, but not of the heart, increased in aged mice, thus suggesting enhanced oxidative stress. With exception of the intestinal muscle responsiveness, animals submitted to a daily session of 60 min, 5 days/wk, at 13 up to 21 m/min of moderate running in treadmill during animal life span exhibited a reversion of all the observed aging effects on intestinal, skeletal, and heart muscles. The introduction of this lifelong exercise protocol prevented the enhancement of lipid peroxidation and sarcopenia and also preserved cellular and ultracellular structures of the ileum. This is the first time that the protective effect of a lifelong regular aerobic physical activity against the deleterious effects of aging on intestinal muscle was demonstrated.
5,6-EET-induced contraction of intralobar pulmonary arteries depends on the activation of Rho-kinase
Authors: Losapio Jennifer L. , Sprague Randy S. , Lonigro Andrew J. , Stephenson Alan H.
Published: June 2005

The mechanism mediating epoxyeicosatrienoic acid (EET)-induced contraction of intralobar pulmonary arteries (PA) is currently unknown. EET-induced contraction of PA has been reported to require intact endothelium and activation of the thromboxane/endoperoxide (TP) receptor. Because TP receptor occupation with the thromboxane mimetic U-46619 contracts pulmonary artery via Rho-kinase activation, we examined the hypothesis that 5,6-EET-induced contraction of intralobar rabbit pulmonary arteries is mediated by a Rho-kinase-dependent signaling pathway. In isolated rings of second-order intralobar PA (1–2 mm OD) at basal tension, 5,6-EET (0.3–10 μM) induced increases in active tension that were inhibited by Y-27632 (1 μM) and HA-1077 (10 μM), selective inhibitors of Rho-kinase activity. In PA in which smooth muscle intracellular Ca2+ concentration ([Ca2+]i) was increased with KCl (25 mM) to produce a submaximal contraction, 5,6-EET (1 μM) induced a contraction that was 7.0 ± 1.6 times greater than without KCl. 5,6-EET (10 μM) also contracted β-escin permeabilized PA in which [Ca2+]i was clamped at a concentration resulting in a submaximal contraction. Y-27632 inhibited the 5,6-EET-induced contraction in permeabilized PA. 5,6-EET (10 μM) increased phosphorylation of myosin light chain (MLC), increasing the ratio of phosphorylated MLC/total MLC from 0.10 ± 0.03 to 0.30 ± 0.02. Y-27632 prevented this increase in MLC phosphorylation. These data suggest that 5,6-EET induces contraction in intralobar PA by increasing Rho-kinase activity, phosphorylating MLC, and increasing the Ca2+ sensitivity of the contractile apparatus.
Race and Ethnicity in Empirical Counseling and Counseling Psychology Research
Authors: Delgado-Romero Edward A. , Galván Nallely , Maschino Peggy , Rowland Marcy
Published: June 2005

This article examined 796 empirical studies published in the Journal of Counseling Psychology, the Journal of Counseling and Development, and The Counseling Psychologist from 1990 to 1999 and found that only 457 (57%) reported racial and ethnic characteristics of research participants. From this data, an overall picture was generated of the racial and ethnic compositionof counselingand counseling psychology research participants: 78.2% White, 5.8% Asian American, 6.7% African American, 6.6% Hispanic, 0.9% Native American, and 0.1% multiracial. Compared to the overall U.S. population, Whites and Asian Americans were overrepresented, and African Americans, Hispanics, and Native Americans were underrepresented. There was limited information about how researchers gathered participants’ race and ethnicity information and on factors that might inform participants’experience as racial and ethnic beings (e.g., racial and ethnic identity, generation status, acculturation). Findings are compared and contrasted with previous reviews related to issues of race and ethnicity in counseling research.
Racist Incident–Based Trauma
Authors: Bryant-Davis Thema , Ocampo Carlota
Published: June 2005

Racist incidents are potentially traumatizing forms of victimization that may lead to increased psychiatric and psychophysiological symptoms in targets. The magnitude of the problem of racist incidents in the United States is difficult to estimate; however, data from several sources permit the inference that the prevalence of racist incidents, particularly among people of color, is high. This article (a) distinguishes traumatic stress from nontraumatic stress and (b) draws parallels between experiences of racist incidents and experiences that are acknowledged to be traumatic, such as rape or domestic violence. Conceptualizing the symptoms of some survivors of racist incidents as trauma responses may help inform treatment when these individuals are clients in psychotherapy.
Critical Remarks on Houk’s ‘Statistical Analysis of Genesis Sources’
Authors: O’Keefe Richard A.
Published: June 2005

This article argues that a statistical analysis of Genesis sources performed by Cornelius B. Houk (published in JSOT 27.1 [2002]) turns out to have statistical and methodological flaws. The purpose of this response to Houk’s study is to describe the flaws and to offer some suggestions for avoiding them. Houk’s conclusions about Genesis sources are not supported by his data or method, but the method may deserve further study.
Men Behind Bars
Authors: Jewkes Yvonne
Published: June 2005

This article, which is part of a wider ethnographic study of constructions of self in the mediated world of men’s prisons, explores “manliness” as the prison coping strategy par excellence. That masculinity is likely to become more extreme in men’s prisons is unsurprising, but the origins and nature of the “hypermasculine” culture and the precise means by which hierarchies of domination are created and maintained have yet to be thoroughly explored. Indeed, although men constitute the vast majority of prisoners worldwide, most studies treat the gender of their subjects as incidental and assume that in men’s prisons, the normal rules of patriarchy do not apply. However, as this article demonstrates, the notion of patriarchy, although in need of refinement, is not irrelevant to the predominantly male environment, and it is now widely accepted that men can be its victims as well as its perpetrators.
The Adolescent Masculinity Ideology in Relationships Scale
Authors: Chu Judy Y. , Porche Michelle V. , Tolman Deborah L.
Published: June 2005

This article presents a new scale to measure adolescent boys’internalization of masculine norms as evidenced by their attitudes and beliefs about what constitutes appropriate behavior for males within interpersonal relationships. Framing masculinity ideology within a relational paradigm, the theoretical foundations of the Adolescent Masculinity Ideology in Relationships Scale (AMIRS) emphasize that it is through and within relationships that masculine norms become personally meaningful and directly consequential to adolescent boys. Designed specifically for use with adolescents, the AMIRS derives from adolescent boys’narratives about their perceptions and experiences of masculinity, particularly in their peer relationships. Correlation and regression analyses indicate a negative association between the AMIRS and self-esteem, suggesting the double-edged sword of masculinity. That is, despite the advantages of status, alignment with hegemonic masculinity may hinder adolescent boys’ psychological health, for instance, by limiting the ways that they are able to express themselves and engage in their interpersonal relationships.
Masculinities, Performativity, and Subversion
Authors: Brickell Chris
Published: June 2005

The study of masculinities has not escaped the influence of Judith Butler’s writings on gender, performativity, and subversion. However, this article suggests that Butler’s formulations of performativity and subversion express a lack of clarity and engender a number of problems with respect to agency, action, interaction, and social change. This article argues for reformulating performativity and subversion in a more explicitly sociological frame to render the concepts more useful for examining agency and subjectivity in the study of masculinities. The writings of Erving Goffman suggest ways to reclaim the socially constructed agency of “performance” from the mire of “performativity,” with the latter’s apparent disappearance of subjective action. This article suggests reworking subversion away from parody and resignification toward a consideration of resources for subjectivity and challenges to prevailing social structures. In this way, performativity and subversion may be set more convincingly within a sociologically informed study of masculinity.
Firming the Floppy Penis
Authors: Calasanti Toni , King Neal
Published: June 2005

Studies of manhood neglect the old just as social gerontology avoids theorizing masculinity, but theories of age relations have much to offer to the scholarship of men. Preliminary study of a mass-marketed program of “successful aging” suggests that old men with money to spend can consume images of themselves as young again. The authors analyze both the ageism of such a consumer regimen and its implications for old manhood in the contexts of men’s endangered physical health, unequal access to wealth, heterosexual dominance, and fears of impotency.
Following the Money
Authors: Brecher Charles , Silver Diana , Searcy Cynthia , Weitzman Beth C.
Published: June 2005

This article describes the nature and utility of fiscal analysis in evaluating complex community interventions. Using New York University’s evaluation of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s Urban Health Initiative as an example, the authors describe issues arising in defining and operationalizing constructs for fiscal analysis. The approach’s utility is demonstrated in the use of interim findings to help redefine the program’s goals for resource allocation, to modify its theory of change to include greater emphasis on state-level action, and to emphasize the importance of local public schools as resource centers and intervention targets. The fiscal analysis also provides new insights into the limitations of “preventive” versus “corrective” spending categories and helps make goals for such functional reallocation more realistic. The authors discuss limitations of fiscal analysis due to available data quality, the extent of cooperation needed from public officials to collect relevant data, and the level of expertise needed to interpret the data.
Assessing International Evaluations
Authors: Bollen Kenneth , Paxton Pamela , Morishima Rumi
Published: June 2005

Each year, hundreds of millions of dollars are spent in international and bilateral aid programs to assist developing countries in expanding democratic governance. Evaluating these efforts’ effectiveness is important given the vast needs of the client population. This article reviews a sample of evaluations of the United States Agency for International Development’s (USAID) democracy and governance (DG) programming. The authors devise a standardized template to assess the quality of evaluations and find that the evaluations commissioned by USAID need major improvement. They find a lack of methodological accuracy and inadequate coverage of important information about the impact of assistance interventions. Given the importance of the substantive issue, high-quality evaluations are needed to provide reliable information for future programs and policies. The authors consider obstacles to obtaining high-quality international evaluations and provide recommendations for improvements. Although their focus is USAID’s DG programming, much of the authors’ discussion could apply to other assessments of international and domestic evaluations.
Is a Web Survey as Effective as a Mail Survey? A Field Experiment Among Computer Users
Authors: Kiernan Nancy Ellen , Kiernan Michaela , Oyler Mary Ann , Gilles Carolyn
Published: June 2005

With the exponential increase in Web access, program evaluators need to understand the methodological benefits and barriers of using the Web to collect survey data from program participants. In this experimental study, the authors examined whether a Web survey can be as effective as the more established mail survey on three measures of survey effectiveness: response rate, question completion rate, and the lack of evaluative bias. Community- and university-based educators ( n = 274) attending a 2-day program were randomly assigned to receive a Web or mail survey evaluating the program. Among those participants successfully solicited by e-mail, Web survey participants were more likely to respond (95%) than mail survey participants (79%). Web survey participants completed similarly high numbers of quantitative questions as mail survey participants, provided longer and more substantive responses to qualitative questions, and did not demonstrate evidence of evaluative bias. These results suggest that program evaluators could expand their use of Web surveys among computer users.
Thesaurus-based disambiguation of gene symbols
Authors: Schijvenaars Bob JA , Mons Barend , Weeber Marc , Schuemie Martijn J , van Mulligen Erik M , Wain Hester M , Kors Jan A
Published: June 2005

Background

Massive text mining of the biological literature holds great promise of relating disparate information and discovering new knowledge. However, disambiguation of gene symbols is a major bottleneck.

Results

We developed a simple thesaurus-based disambiguation algorithm that can operate with very little training data. The thesaurus comprises the information from five human genetic databases and MeSH. The extent of the homonym problem for human gene symbols is shown to be substantial (33% of the genes in our combined thesaurus had one or more ambiguous symbols), not only because one symbol can refer to multiple genes, but also because a gene symbol can have many non-gene meanings. A test set of 52,529 Medline abstracts, containing 690 ambiguous human gene symbols taken from OMIM, was automatically generated. Overall accuracy of the disambiguation algorithm was up to 92.7% on the test set.

Conclusion

The ambiguity of human gene symbols is substantial, not only because one symbol may denote multiple genes but particularly because many symbols have other, non-gene meanings. The proposed disambiguation approach resolves most ambiguities in our test set with high accuracy, including the important gene/not a gene decisions. The algorithm is fast and scalable, enabling gene-symbol disambiguation in massive text mining applications.
AnovArray: a set of SAS macros for the analysis of variance of gene expression data
Authors: Hennequet-Antier Christelle , Chiapello Hélène , Piot Karine , Degrelle Séverine , Hue Isabelle , Renard Jean-Paul , Rodolphe François , Robin Stéphane
Published: June 2005

Background

Analysis of variance is a powerful approach to identify differentially expressed genes in a complex experimental design for microarray and macroarray data. The advantage of the anova model is the possibility to evaluate multiple sources of variation in an experiment.

Results

AnovArray is a package implementing ANOVA for gene expression data using SAS® statistical software. The originality of the package is 1) to quantify the different sources of variation on all genes together, 2) to provide a quality control of the model, 3) to propose two models for a gene's variance estimation and to perform a correction for multiple comparisons.

Conclusion

AnovArray is freely available at http://www-mig.jouy.inra.fr/stat/AnovArray and requires only SAS® statistical software.
AutoFACT: An Auto matic F unctional A nnotation and C lassification T ool
Authors: Koski Liisa B , Gray Michael W , Lang B Franz , Burger Gertraud
Published: June 2005

Background

Assignment of function to new molecular sequence data is an essential step in genomics projects. The usual process involves similarity searches of a given sequence against one or more databases, an arduous process for large datasets.

Results

We present AutoFACT, a fully automated and customizable annotation tool that assigns biologically informative functions to a sequence. Key features of this tool are that it (1) analyzes nucleotide and protein sequence data; (2) determines the most informative functional description by combining multiple BLAST reports from several user-selected databases; (3) assigns putative metabolic pathways, functional classes, enzyme classes, GeneOntology terms and locus names; and (4) generates output in HTML, text and GFF formats for the user's convenience. We have compared AutoFACT to four well-established annotation pipelines. The error rate of functional annotation is estimated to be only between 1–2%. Comparison of AutoFACT to the traditional top-BLAST-hit annotation method shows that our procedure increases the number of functionally informative annotations by approximately 50%.

Conclusion

AutoFACT will serve as a useful annotation tool for smaller sequencing groups lacking dedicated bioinformatics staff. It is implemented in PERL and runs on LINUX/UNIX platforms. AutoFACT is available at http://megasun.bch.umontreal.ca/Software/AutoFACT.htm.
The DiGEM trial protocol – a randomised controlled trial to determine the effect on glycaemic control of different strategies of blood glucose self-monitoring in people with type 2 diabetes [ISRCTN47464659]
Authors: Farmer Andrew , Wade Alisha , French David P , Goyder Elizabeth , Kinmonth Ann Louise , Neil Andrew
Published: June 2005

Background

We do not yet know how to use blood glucose self-monitoring (BGSM) most effectively in the self-management of type 2 diabetes treated with oral medication. Training in monitoring may be most effective in improving glycaemic control and well being when results are linked to behavioural change.

Methods/design

DiGEM is a three arm randomised parallel group trial set in UK general practices. A total of 450 patients with type 2 diabetes managed with lifestyle or oral glucose lowering medication are included. The trial compares effectiveness of three strategies for monitoring glycaemic control over 12 months (1) a control group with three monthly HbA1c measurements; interpreted with nurse-practitioner; (2) A self-testing of blood glucose group; interpreted with nurse- practitioner to inform adjustment of medication in addition to 1; (3) A self-monitoring of blood glucose group with personal use of results to interpret results in relation to lifestyle changes in addition to 1 and 2.

The trial has an 80% power at a 5% level of significance to detect a difference in change in the primary outcome, HbA1c of 0.5% between groups, allowing for an attrition rate of 10%. Secondary outcome measures include health service costs, well-being, and the intervention effect in sub-groups defined by duration of diabetes, current management, health status at baseline and co-morbidity. A mediation analysis will explore the extent to which changes in beliefs about self-management of diabetes between experimental groups leads to changes in outcomes in accordance with the Common Sense Model of illness. The study is open and has recruited more than half the target sample. The trial is expected to report in 2007.

Discussion

The DiGEM intervention and trial design address weaknesses of previous research by use of a sample size with power to detect a clinically significant change in HbA1c, recruitment from a well-characterised primary care population, definition of feasible monitoring and behaviour change strategies based on psychological theory and evidence, and measures along the hypothesised causal path from cognitions to behaviours and disease and well being related outcomes. The trial will provide evidence to support, focus or discourage use of specific BGSM strategies.
The incidence of varicella and herpes zoster in Massachusetts as measured by the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) during a period of increasing varicella vaccine coverage, 1998–2003
Authors: Yih W Katherine , Brooks Daniel R , Lett Susan M , Jumaan Aisha O , Zhang Zi , Clements Karen M , Seward Jane F
Published: June 2005

Background

The authors sought to monitor the impact of widespread varicella vaccination on the epidemiology of varicella and herpes zoster. While varicella incidence would be expected to decrease, mathematical models predict an initial increase in herpes zoster incidence if re-exposure to varicella protects against reactivation of the varicella zoster virus.

Methods

In 1998–2003, as varicella vaccine uptake increased, incidence of varicella and herpes zoster in Massachusetts was monitored using the random-digit-dial Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System.

Results

Between 1998 and 2003, varicella incidence declined from 16.5/1,000 to 3.5/1,000 (79%) overall with ≥66% decreases for all age groups except adults (27% decrease). Age-standardized estimates of overall herpes zoster occurrence increased from 2.77/1,000 to 5.25/1,000 (90%) in the period 1999–2003, and the trend in both crude and adjusted rates was highly significant (p < 0.001). Annual age-specific rates were somewhat unstable, but all increased, and the trend was significant for the 25–44 year and 65+ year age groups.

Conclusion

As varicella vaccine coverage in children increased, the incidence of varicella decreased and the occurrence of herpes zoster increased. If the observed increase in herpes zoster incidence is real, widespread vaccination of children is only one of several possible explanations. Further studies are needed to understand secular trends in herpes zoster before and after use of varicella vaccine in the United States and other countries.
PI3K and PKC contribute to membrane depolarization mediated by α2-adrenoceptors in the canine isolated mesenteric vein
Authors: Yamboliev Ilia A , Mutafova-Yambolieva Violeta N
Published: June 2005

Background

Norepinephrine (NE), a classic neurotransmitter in the sympathetic nervous system, induces vasoconstriction of canine isolated mesenteric vein that is accompanied by a sustained membrane depolarization. The mechanisms underlying the NE-elicited membrane depolarization remain undefined. In the present study we hypothesized that phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K) and protein kinase C (PKC) are involved in the electrical field stimulation (EFS)-induced slow membrane depolarization (SMD) in canine isolated mesenteric vein. EFS (0.1–2 Hz, 0.1 ms, 15V, 10 s)-induced changes in the membrane potential were recorded with a conventional intracellular microelectrode technique and evaluated in the absence and presence of inhibitors of neuronal activity, α-adrenoceptors, membrane ion channels, PI3K, inositol 1,4,5-triphosphate (InsP3) receptors, and PKC. Activation of PI3Kγ and PKCζ in response to exogenous NE and clonidine in the absence and presence of receptor and kinase inhibitors were also determined.

Results

Contractile responses to NE and clonidine (0.05 – 10 μM) were significantly diminished in the presence of yohimbine (0.1 μM). Exogenous NE (0.1 μM) and clonidine (1 μM) elicited SMD. The resting membrane potential of canine mesenteric vein smooth muscle cells was -68.8 ± 0.8 mV. EFS elicited a biphasic depolarization comprised of excitatory junction potentials and SMD that are purinergic and adrenergic in nature, respectively. The magnitude of the SMD in response to EFS at 0.5 Hz was 9.4 ± 0.7 mV. This response was reduced by 65–98% by the fast Na+ channel inhibitor tetrodotoxin (1 μM), by the inhibitor of N-type Ca2+ channels ω-conotoxin GVIA (5 nM), the non-selective α-adrenoceptor blocker phentolamine (1 μM), the selective α2-adrenoceptor blocker yohimbine (0.1 μM), the ion channel inhibitors niflumic acid (NFA, 100 μM), 5-nitro-2-(3-phenylpropylamino) benzoic acid (NPPB, 30 μM), 4,4'-diisothiocyanatostilbene-2,2'-disulfonic acid (DIDS, 200 μM), and Gd3+ (30 μM), and the PI3K inhibitors wortmannin (100 nM) and LY-294002 (10 μM). The SMD remained unchanged in the presence of the L-type Ca2+ channel blocker nicardipine (1 μM) and the InsP3 receptor blockers 2-aminoethoxydiphenylborate (2APB, 50 μM) and xestospongin C (3 μM). The inhibitor of PKC chelerythrine (1 μM), but not calphostin C (10 μM), diminished the SMD. Exogenous NE and clonidine (1 μM each) activated both PI3Kγ and PKCζ, and the activation of these kinases was abolished by preincubation of tissue with the α2-adrenoceptor blocker yohimbine.

Conclusion

Neuronally-released NE stimulates smooth muscle α2-adrenoceptors and activates PI3K and atypical PKC in the canine mesenteric vein. Events downstream of PKC lead to SMD and vasoconstriction. This represents a novel pathway for NE-induced membrane depolarization in a vascular smooth muscle preparation.
Quantification of resting myocardial blood flow velocity in normal humans using real-time contrast echocardiography. A feasibility study
Authors: Malm Siri , Frigstad Sigmund , Helland Frode , Oye Kjetil , Slordahl Stig , Skjarpe Terje
Published: June 2005

Background

Real-time myocardial contrast echocardiography (MCE) is a novel method for assessing myocardial perfusion. The aim of this study was to evaluate the feasibility of a very low-power real-time MCE for quantification of regional resting myocardial blood flow (MBF) velocity in normal human myocardium.

Methods

Twenty study subjects with normal left ventricular (LV) wall motion and normal coronary arteries, underwent low-power real-time MCE based on color-coded pulse inversion Doppler. Standard apical LV views were acquired during constant IV. infusion of SonoVue®. Following transient microbubble destruction, the contrast replenishment rate (β), reflecting MBF velocity, was derived by plotting signal intensity vs. time and fitting data to the exponential function; y (t) =A (1-e-β(t-t0)) + C.

Results

Quantification was feasible in 82%, 49% and 63% of four-chamber, two-chamber and apical long-axis view segments, respectively. The LAD (left anterior descending artery) and RCA (right coronary artery) territories could potentially be evaluated in most, but contrast detection in the LCx (left circumflex artery) bed was poor. Depending on localisation and which frames to be analysed, mean values of "Equation missing" were 0.21–0.69 s-1, with higher values in medial than lateral, and in basal compared to apical regions of scan plane (p = 0.03 and p < 0.01). Higher β-values were obtained from end-diastole than end-systole (p < 0.001), values from all-frames analysis lying between.

Conclusion

Low-power real-time MCE did have the potential to give contrast enhancement for quantification of resting regional MBF velocity. However, the technique is difficult and subjected to several limitations. Significant variability in β suggests that this parameter is best suited for with-in patient changes, comparing values of stress studies to baseline.
Cancer history and other personal factors affect quality of life in patients with hepatitis C
Authors: Olson Sara H , Iyer Sandy , Scott Jennifer , Erez Orry , Samuel Shelby , Markovits Temima , Schwartz Myron , Toro Charlene , Gambarin-Gelwan Maya , Kurtz Robert C
Published: June 2005

Background

Although patients with chronic hepatitis C (CHC) have been found to have reduced quality of life, little is known about how other characteristics affect their quality of life. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of other characteristics, including history of cancer, on quality of life in patients with CHC.

Methods

One hundred forty patients from clinics at three hospitals in New York City completed a detailed epidemiologic interview about demographic and lifestyle characteristics and the SF-36 measuring health-related quality of life. We compared results from our patients to normative data using t-tests of differences between means. We used multivariate analyses to determine other personal and health-related factors associated with quality of life outcomes.

Results

Compared to normative data, these patients had reduced quality of life, particularly on physical functioning. The summary Physical Component Score (PCS) was 45.4 ± 10.6 and the Mental Component Score (MCS) was 48.2 ± 11.1, vs norms of 50 ± 10.0; p-values were <0.0001 and <0.05, respectively. In multivariate analyses, the PCS was significantly lower among those with cancer history, ≥ 2 other chronic conditions, less education, low physical activity, and higher alanine aminotransferase (ALT) levels. Cancer was more important for men, while other chronic conditions were more important for women. On the MCS, history of depression, low physical activity, alcohol use, and female gender were independently associated with poorer scores.

Conclusion

Several health and lifestyle factors independently influence quality of life in CHC patients. Different factors are important for men and women.
The role of vocal individuality in conservation
Authors: Terry Andrew MR , Peake Tom M , McGregor Peter K
Published: June 2005

Identifying the individuals within a population can generate information on life history parameters, generate input data for conservation models, and highlight behavioural traits that may affect management decisions and error or bias within census methods. Individual animals can be discriminated by features of their vocalisations. This vocal individuality can be utilised as an alternative marking technique in situations where the marks are difficult to detect or animals are sensitive to disturbance. Vocal individuality can also be used in cases were the capture and handling of an animal is either logistically or ethically problematic. Many studies have suggested that vocal individuality can be used to count and monitor populations over time; however, few have explicitly tested the method in this role. In this review we discuss methods for extracting individuality information from vocalisations and techniques for using this to count and monitor populations over time. We present case studies in birds where vocal individuality has been applied to conservation and we discuss its role in mammals.
Epigenetic silencing of DSC3 is a common event in human breast cancer
Authors: Oshiro Marc M , Kim Christina J , Wozniak Ryan J , Junk Damian J , Muñoz-Rodríguez José L , Burr Jeanne A , Fitzgerald Matthew , Pawar Sangita C , Cress Anne E , Domann Frederick E , Futscher Bernard W
Published: June 2005

Introduction

Desmocollin 3 (DSC3) is a member of the cadherin superfamily of calcium-dependent cell adhesion molecules and a principle component of desmosomes. Desmosomal proteins such as DSC3 are integral to the maintenance of tissue architecture and the loss of these components leads to a lack of adhesion and a gain of cellular mobility. DSC3 expression is down-regulated in breast cancer cell lines and primary breast tumors; however, the loss of DSC3 is not due to gene deletion or gross rearrangement of the gene. In this study, we examined the prevalence of epigenetic silencing of DSC3 gene expression in primary breast tumor specimens.

Methods

We used bisulfite genomic sequencing to analyze the methylation state of the DSC3 promoter region from 32 primary breast tumor specimens. We also used a quantitative real-time RT-PCR approach, and analyzed all breast tumor specimens for DSC3 expression. Finally, in addition to bisulfite sequencing and RT-PCR, we used an in vivo nuclease accessibility assay to determine the chromatin architecture of the CpG island region from DSC3-negative breast cancer cells lines.

Results

DSC3 expression was downregulated in 23 of 32 (72%) breast cancer specimens comprising: 22 invasive ductal carcinomas, 7 invasive lobular breast carcinomas, 2 invasive ductal carcinomas that metastasized to the lymph node, and a mucoid ductal carcinoma. Of the 23 specimens showing a loss of DSC3 expression, 13 (56%) were associated with cytosine hypermethylation of the promoter region. Furthermore, DSC3 expression is limited to cells of epithelial origin and its expression of mRNA and protein is lost in a high proportion of breast tumor cell lines (79%). Lastly, DNA hypermethylation of the DSC3 promoter is highly correlated with a closed chromatin structure.

Conclusion

These results indicate that the loss of DSC3 expression is a common event in primary breast tumor specimens, and that DSC3 gene silencing in breast tumors is frequently linked to aberrant cytosine methylation and concomitant changes in chromatin structure.
Gravity and aeromagnetic modeling of alluvial basins in the southern Truckee Meadows adjacent to the Steamboat Hills geothermal area, Washoe County, Nevada
Authors: Skalbeck John D. , Karlin Robert E. , Shevenell Lisa , Widmer Michael C.
Published: June 2005

The concurrent development of the Steamboat Hills geothermal area for power production and the adjacent alluvial aquifers for drinking water in Washoe County, Nevada, necessitates a good understanding of the hydrogeologic connection between these water resources. The problem is that adequate characterization of the subsurface geologic structure is not possible with existing geologic data. This need prompted us to construct a detailed 3D representation of the subsurface geologic structure based on 2.75D forward modeling of 11 gravity and aeromagnetic profiles constrained by geologic data and physical (density, magnetic susceptibility, remanent magnetic) properties. Potential-fields modeling results provided greater definition of the alluvial basins, and when combined with well-log data, yield an overall basin volume surrounding Steamboat Hills that is 64% greater than the volume derived from well-log data alone. A representation of the geothermal reservoir, consisting of altered granodiorite and metamorphic rocks, illustrates that the flow of thermal water is fault controlled. The model also suggests that thermal water may upflow along an unexplored fault flanking western Steamboat Hills. North-trending faults that conduct thermal water from the geothermal system to the alluvial aquifer appear to be zones of altered volcanics that produce subtle aeromagnetic anomalies.
Interpretive advantages of 90°-phase wavelets: Part 1 — Modeling
Authors: Zeng Hongliu , Backus Milo M.
Published: June 2005

We discuss, in a two-part article, the benefits of 90°-phase wavelets in stratigraphic and lithologic interpretation of seismically thin beds. In Part 1, seismic models of Ricker wavelets with selected phases are constructed to assess interpretability of composite waveforms in increasingly complex geologic settings. Although superior for single surface and thick-layer interpretation, zero-phase seismic data are not optimal for interpreting beds thinner than a wavelength because their antisymmetric thin-bed responses tie to the reflectivity series rather than to impedance logs. Nonsymmetrical wavelets (e.g., minimum-phase wavelets) are generally not recommended for interpretation because their asymmetric composite waveforms have large side lobes. Integrated zero-phase traces are also less desirable because they lose high-frequency components in the integration process. However, the application of 90°-phase data consistently improves seismic interpretability. The unique symmetry of 90°-phase thin-bed response eliminates the dual polarity of thin-bed responses, resulting in better imagery of thin-bed geometry, impedance profiles, lithology, and stratigraphy. Less amplitude distortion and less stratigraphy-independent, thin-bed interference lead to more accurate acoustic impedance estimation from amplitude data and a better tie of seismic traces to lithology-indicative wireline logs. Field data applications are presented in part 2 of this article.
Equivalent images derived from very-low-frequency (VLF) profile data
Authors: Pedersen Laust B. , Becken Michael
Published: June 2005

We describe the implementation of a new fast imaging technique for filtering very-low-frequency (VLF) data measured on profiles into corresponding equivalent current systems in the earth. Single-frequency VLF data using magnetic measurements alone are often used to delineate lateral changes in electrical conductivity, e.g., fracture zones in crystalline terrains or changes in lithology in the sedimentary cover. Here, an attempt is made to add depth information to the conductivity distribution by realizing that the single-frequency VLF profile data contain information about (1) the background medium through their decay away from the conductors, (2) the position, and (3) the depth of the dominating conductors through the relative contribution of in-phase and quadrature components to the VLF anomaly in addition to the rate of change of the anomaly close to the conductors. Synthetic data from a model containing a shallow and a deeper conductor are filtered to show that the estimated current distributions coincide well with the horizontal position of the conductors, but even they provide some smeared images of the depth distribution of the conductors. A comparison with models obtained from regularized inversion of the same data shows good correspondence. The VLF field data from an area with clay lenses overlying wet sand and crystalline basement are filtered into current distributions that grossly mimic the electrical conductivity distribution of the clay lenses as obtained from radiomagnetotelluric measurements along the same profile.
Quantitative integration of hydrogeophysical data: Conditional geostatistical simulation for characterizing heterogeneous alluvial aquifers
Authors: Tronicke Jens , Holliger Klaus
Published: June 2005

High-resolution geophysical parameter information, as it can be provided, for example, by crosshole georadar and seismic tomography, has proven to provide useful spatial information to complement traditional hydrological methods such as core analyses, logging techniques, and tracer or pumping tests. Quantitative integration of these diverse database components is one of the major challenges in the field of high-resolution hydrogeophysics because of their different scales of measurement and the usually weak petrophysical relations among the measurements. In this study, we systematically explore the usefulness of a conditional stochastic simulation approach based on simulated annealing for this purpose. First, we generate a realistic model of an alluvial aquifer consisting of a 2D scale-invariant porosity field. On the basis of this model, we generate synthetic neutron porosity logs and crosshole georadar tomographic surveys. We then use the proposed geostatistical simulation approach to integrate this hydrogeophysical database. The effectiveness of this approach to characterize the detailed porosity distribution in heterogeneous alluvial aquifers is assessed by comparing the results for a variety of simulated porosity fields that differ fundamentally in terms of their conditioning information. Our results indicate this approach has the potential to allow for a realistic hydrogeophysical characterization in the submeter range of the porosity distribution in heterogeneous alluvial aquifers.
Comparison of grid Euler deconvolution with and without 2D constraints using a realistic 3D magnetic basement model
Authors: Williams Simon E. , Fairhead J. Derek , Flanagan Guy
Published: June 2005

We describe the application of a 2D-constrained grid Euler deconvolution method which is able to determine for each solution window whether the source structure is two dimensional, three dimensional, or poorly defined and to estimate the source location and depth. In each solution window, eigenvalues and eigenvectors are derived from the Euler equations and compared to threshold levels. A single eigenvalue below the given threshold and lying in the x–y-plane is shown to indicate a 2D source, while the absence of such an eigenvalue indicates a 3D source geometry. Two small eigenvalues indicate the field in the window has no distinct source. Applying these criteria to each solution window allows us to generate a map of source-geometry distribution. We evaluate the effectiveness of 2D-constrained grid Euler deconvolution using synthetic magnetic data generated from a 3D basement model based on real topography from an area with surface-exposed faulting. This modeling strategy provides a complex, nonidealized data set that compares Euler depth estimates directly to the known basement surface depth. Our results indicate that noninteger structural indices can be the most appropriate choice for some data sets, and the 2D-constrained grid Euler method images magnetic basement structure more clearly and unambiguously than the conventional grid Euler method.
Migration with arbitrarily wide-angle wave equations
Authors: Guddati Murthy N. , Heidari A. Homayoun
Published: June 2005

We develop a new scalar migration technique that is highly accurate for imaging steep dips in heterogeneous media. This method is based on arbitrarily wide-angle wave equations (AWWEs) that are highly accurate space-domain one-way wave equations and have a form similar to the 15° equation. The accuracy of the proposed method is increased by introducing auxiliary variables, as well as adjusting the parameters of the approximation. Poststack migration is carried out by downward continuation using the AWWE, for which we have developed a stable, explicit, double-marching scheme. Up to 80° accuracy is achieved by second-order AWWE migration with only 2.3 times the computational effort of the 15° equation and requiring almost the same storage. We illustrate the performance of AWWE migration using impulse-response graphs, a single-dipping reflector, and a slice of the SEG/EAGE salt model.