bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Ethanol‐induced Inhibition of Mouse Brain Adenosine Triphosphatase Activities: Lack of Interaction with Norepinephrine in Vitro
Authors: Syapin Peter J. , Alkana Ronald L
Published: June 2007

The In vitro effects of ethanoi on C57BL/6J mouse forebrain ATPase activities were investigated in the presence and absence of norepinephrine. Three enzyme activities (Na + K‐ATPase, Mg‐ATPase, and low affinity Ca‐ATPase) were studied in forebrain homogenates using a coiorimetric assay. The effect of norepinephrine on ethanoi inhibition of Sprague‐Oawley rat brain Na + K‐ATPase activity was examined in selected experiments for direct comparison with the results obtained using mouse brain. Ethanoi (250–2000 HIM) inhibited all ATPase activities in a concentration‐dependent manner. In each case the IC50 was well beyond what would be a lethal concentration in vivo. Ethanoi inhibition of mouse forebrain Na + K‐ATPase activity was competitive with regards to K* ion concentration, but was uncompetitive for inhibition of Mg‐ATPase and Ca‐ATPase activities. Norepinephrine (0.1 m) did not sensitize mouse brain Na + K‐ATPase activity to ethanoMnduced inhibition. In contrast, norepinephrine sensitized rat brain Na + K‐ATPase to ethanoi inhibition when tested simultaneously with mouse brain under identical conditions. These results cannot be explained by differences in assay conditions and suggest that the interaction between norepinephrine and ethanoi inhibition of Na + K‐ATPase activity may be species specific. Norepinephrine alone stimulated mouse and rat brain Na + K‐ATPase activity when assayed in imidazole buffer, but not when assayed in tris buffer. Furthermore, 0.1 mM norepinephrine slightly antagonized the inhibitory effect of ethanoi on mouse brain Mg‐ATPase activity, but did not affect ethanol‐induced inhtottion of Ca‐ATPase activity. The high ethanoi concentrations (250–2000 mM) needed to induce in vitro inhibition of mouse brain ATPase activities suggest that ATPase inhibition is not a critical event mediating ethanol‐induced behavioral effects, however further experiments are needed before conclusions can be drawn.
Asking the Right Questions: Problem Solving in Male Alcoholics and Male Alcoholics with Korsakoff s Syndrome
Authors: Becker James T. , Butters Nelson , Rivoira Peter , Milliotis Patti
Published: June 2007

The performance of alcoholics and alcoholics with Korsakoff s syndrome was compared with that of nonalcoholic controls on a task which required the generation of a series of questions for the solution of object and digit/letter identification problems. Each subject attempted to determine which of a set of stimuli (objects, letters, or numbers) the examiner had arbitrarily preselected as correct The nonalcoholic control subjects asked constraint‐seeking questions which reduced alternatives by inquiring about general categories (e.g., “Is it a tool?”). In contrast, the two groups of alcoholic patients assumed the far less efficient strategy of asking hypothesis‐scanning and pseudo‐constraint questions which provided information only about one of the possible stimuli (e.g., “Is it the saw?”). This similarity in the proMem‐solvmg strategies of alcoholics both with and without Korsakoff's syndrome is consistent with the hypothesis that the problem‐solving deficits of Korsakoff patients are apparent before the acute onset of their amnesic symptoms. These deficits may be due to alcohol‐induced damage to the anterior and posterior cerebral cortical association areas which mediate problem‐solving and visuoperceptual functions.
Quantification of Physiological and Behavioral Measures of Alcohol Withdrawal in Long‐Sleep and Short‐Sleep Mice
Authors: Gilliam David M. , Collins Allan C.
Published: June 2007

A quantitative, muttMtmeneional animal model of the alcohol withdrawal syndrome is desirable for investigating individual differences in susceptibility to alcohol dependence. Following exposure to control or ethanoi diets for 7 or 14 days, we measured respiration rates, body temperature, acoustic startle responses, and heart rates in Long‐Steep (LS) and Short‐Sleep (SS) mice to determine how initial alcohol sensitivity influences dependence liability. SS mice consumed a greater amount of ethanoi diet and exhibited a more severe withdrawal syndrome than LS mice. Withdrawal severity resulted from an interaction of genotype with duration of ethanoi exposure. The abstinence syndrome was generally characterized by depressed behavioral and physiological functioning for both mouse lines. Initial alcohol sensitivity influenced the rate of alcohol increase in the blood during dependence induction which, in turn, influenced withdrawal severity. This model incorporates several discriminative measures that independently assess withdrawal reactions and provides a useful animal model of alcohol withdrawal.
Ethanol‐Induced Hepatic Fibrosis in the Rat: Role of the Amount of Dietary Fat
Authors: French Samuel W. , Miyamoto K. , Tsukamoto H.
Published: June 2007

We have made a comparison between groups of rats fed ethanol and a diet that received intragastric infusion of ethanol continuously for prolonged periods varying only in the amount of fat in the diet (percentage of total calories as fat was 5, 25, and 35%). A fourth group of rats fed high fat (32% of calories) and a diet marginal in protein, vitamins and minerals was also studied. Control rats were pair‐fed dextrose in isocaloric amounts. For rats fed diets containing 5, 25, 32, and 35% fat, the avenge blood alcohol levels achieved were 216,224,266 and 353 mg/100 ml, respectively. Average weight gains of the ethanol fed rats were: 15.4,19.6,14.7, and 14.9 g/week, respectively. Serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT) levels of the ethanol‐fed rats averaged 123,292,144, and 213 units/liter, respectively. ALT levels in pair‐fed controls for the rats fed 32% fat averaged 62 and those of chow‐fed controls averaged 49 units/liter. Comparison of liver biopsy‐semiquantHied morphological findings revealed an increased 3–4+ fatty change in the ethanol‐fed rats also fed the high fat diets: 6/16, 17/17, 5/6, and 5/7 rats, respectively. Necrosis, zonal or spotty, and inflammation were more common in high fat‐fed rats. Moreover, fibrosis was only observed centrilobu‐lariy in rate fed diets with varying fat content (5, 25, 32, or 35% of calories): 0/16,10/17, 4/6, and 3/7 rats, respectively, over a 5‐mon period of feeding. Electron microscopy showed that (to cells predominated in the scarred areas. The mechanism for the centrilobular necrosis‐fibrosis was investigated in rats given a diet of ethanol plus 32% fat diet by measuring the level of adenine nucleotide in repeated liver biopsies in five pairs of rate. There was a significant decrease in liver ATP levels and the total adenylate pool which tended to worsen in serial biopsies over a 4‐mon period of ethanol feeding. Energy change did not decrease. Arterial pOj levels determined in four of these ethanol‐fed rats were reduced compared to controls (83 ± 9,106 ± 9 mm Hg, respectively, p < 0.001). The results support the conclusion that rats fed high fat diets and ethanol by continuous intragastric infusion develop centrilobular scarring similar to that seen in baboons and man ingesting ethanol. This implies that a high fat diet may be obligatory for ethanol‐induced Hver fibrosis to develop in the rat Both Ito cell synthesis of collagen and centrilobular hypoxia may be involved in the pathogenesis of the centrilobular fibrosis.
Cerebral Metabolic Alterations in Rats following Prenatal Alcohol Exposure: A Deoxyglucose Study
Authors: Vingan Roy D. , Dow‐Edwards Diana L. , Riley Edward P.
Published: June 2007

Numerous reports dealing with the gross morphological, microanatomies), and behavioral changes occurring with prenatal alcohol exposure in rats have appeared. In order to define the cerebral metabolic correlates of prenatal alcohol exposure, in vivo glucose utilization rates in brain were assayed using an autoradiographic [“CJdeoxygkicose technique. Pregnant Long‐Evans rats were fed liquid diets containing either 35% or 0% ethanol‐derived calories during day 6 through day 20 of gestation. These liquid diets were isocaioric and a pair‐feeding procedure was employed. The offspring were tested on shuttle avoidance techniques at 90 days of age; at 105 days of age all animals were subjected to the deoxyglucose procedures. Prenatal alcohol exposure resulted in a deficit in shuttle avoidance and yielded chronic effects on brain metabolism. Significant decreases in glucose utilization were seen in many structures within sensory, motor, and limbic systems. Significant increases in glucose consumption were found Hi the hypothalamic‐neurohypophysial axis. In summary long‐term behavioral and brain metabolic alterations were seen in rats exposed prenatally to alcohol.
Alcohol‐Metabolizing Enzymes in Placenta and Fetal Liver: Effect of Chronic Ethanol Intake
Authors: Sanchis Rosa , Guerri Consueto
Published: June 2007

Alcohol dehydrogenase and different subcellular distribution of aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALOH) in fetal Nver and placenta at 15 and 21 days of gestation were studied in three different groups of pregnant rats: alcoholic, pair‐fed, and rat solid chow diet animals. Chronic ethanol intake during pregnancy produced a decrease in fetal body and liver weight but an increase of placenta weight No alcohol dehydrogenase was detected in placenta at any stage of gestation, nor in fetal liver at 15 days although a low activity was found at 21 days. No significant difference was observed from fetuses of alcoholic and nonalcoholic mothers. Subcellular aldehyde dehydrogenase distribution in placenta was similar to that in adult liver. Although no cytosoiic ALDH was detected in fetal aver at any period of gestation, low activities were found in placenta and fetal liver at 15 days of pregnancy in other subcellular fractions. However, at 21 days the placental activity decreased white that of fetal liver increased markedly. The increase of the fetal Nver ALOH was especially noticeable hi the mitochondrial fraction in which the activity was approximately 10‐fold higher than in the placenta mitochondrial fraction. A small decrease in placenta and fetal liver ALOH was observed in alcoholic rats. The role of the placenta ALDH in the acetaldehyde placental transfer is discussed.
The Effect of Experimental Diabetes on Liver Alcohol Dehydrogenase Activity in Rats
Authors: Crabb David W.
Published: June 2007

The effect of experimental diabetes on the activity of Nver alcohol dehydrogenase was studied in males and females of two strains of rats. Alloxan diabetes of 8 weeks duration increased the activity of alcohol dehydrogenase in Sprague‐Dawley males by about 50%. This effect was also observed in rats rendered diabetic with strep‐tozotocin. However, there was no increase in the enzyme activity in female Sprague‐Dawley rats. The magnitude of the increase was much less in diabetic Wistar‐Kyoto males than in Sprague‐Dawley males. Plasma concentrations of thyroxine were lower in diabetic animals than in controls, but this effect of diabetes did not correlate with changes in alcohol dehydrogenase activity. There was no reduction in plasma testosterone concentration in diabetic Sprague‐Dawley rats. Growth hormone levels were not increased in the diabetic rats. The mechanism of the increase in liver alcohol dehydrogenase activity in diabetic male Sprague‐Dawley rats is unknown.
γ‐Glutamyl Transpeptidase Activity in Liver of Alcoholics and Its Histochemical Localization
Authors: Ishii H. , Ebihara Y. , Okuno F. , Munakata Y. , Takagi T. , Arai M. , Shigeta S. , Tsuchiya M.
Published: June 2007

The activity and the histochemical localization of γ‐GTP in the liver of chronic alcoholics were investigated. Mean serum γ‐GTP activity in alcoholics was 542.5 ± 337.9 milliunits/ml, and that of patients with nonalcoholic liver disease was 34.3 ± 22.6 milliunits/ml. Hepatic γ ‐GTP activity in alcoholics was significantly increased compared to j that in control patients (15.62 ± 9.29 versus 4.04 ± 2.67 units/g of liver; p < 0.001). A significant correlation was observed between hepatic and serum γ ‐GTP activity. Light microscopically, a marked γ ‐GTP activity was found in the bile canaliculi and a diffuse activity in the cytoplasm in alcoholic livers. By contrast, in the livers of nonalcoholic patients, only slight activity was observed in the bile canaliculi. The electron micrographs showed the enzyme was localized in the microvilli of both the bile canalicular and plasma membranes and the endoplasmic reticulum near the mitochondria in alcoholics. But a very low activity was demonstrated in the plasma membranes in the livers of nonalcoholic patients.
Improved Methods for the Measurement of Acetaldehyde Concentrations in Plasma and Red Blood Cells
Authors: Padova Carlo Di , Alderman Jeffrey , Lieber Charles S.
Published: June 2007

Research on the toxic effects of acetaldehyde (Ach) is hampered by analytical difficulties which have been overcome by two new methods suitable for the measurement of Ach in plasma and red blood cells. The first procedure involves rapid separation of plasma, de‐proteinization, and Ach derivatization with 2,4‐dinitrophenylhydra‐zine (DNP). After extraction with isooctane, the Ach‐DNP complex is separated by reverse‐phase high performance liquid chromatography. Red blood cell Ach is measured by a modification of the semicarbazide method. The red blood cell hemolysate is mixed with the semicarbazide solution and the extract is injected into the head‐space gas chromatograph. The procedure minimizes the artifactual Ach formation which interferes with the direct hemolysis method when human blood is used. After 0.3 g/kg of ethanol, Ach values of 1.5 ± 0.2 and 9.9 ± 2.3 μm were detected in plasma and red blood celts of healthy volunteers. These data indicate that an important fraction of Ach circulates in the red blood cells and can be missed or underestimated when only plasma Ach is measured.
Prenatal Alcohol Exposure Blunts Interleukin‐1‐Induced ACTH and β‐Endorphin Secretion by Immature Rats
Authors: Lee Soon , Rivier Catherine
Published: June 2007

The functional relationship between the immune and the hypotha‐lamic‐pituitary‐adrenal (HPA) axis [and in particular the release of pro‐opiomelanocortin (POMC)‐related peptides and corticosteroids induced by interleukins (ILs)] is essential for coordinating the appropriate immune responses to pathogens. Exposure of pregnant mammalian females to alcohol results in abnormal immune functions in the offspring, as well as in altered HPA axis activity. We therefore tested the hypothesis that prenatal alcohol exposure might modify the stimulatory action of ILs on the HPA axis of the pups, thus providing a mechanisms through which this treatment results in increased rate of infectious or inflammatory processes. Pregnant dams were fed a liquid alcohol diet throughout gestation. Dams with free access to food (ad libitum group), or dams fed an isocaloric diet in which sucrose replaced alcohol (pair‐feeding), were also included. At 22‐24 days of age, the pups were injected intraperitoneally with IL‐1β, corticotropin‐releasing factor (CRF), or the vehicle. Blood samples obtained 1‐2 hr later indicated that the alcohol diet resulted in significantly blunted adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) and 0‐endorphin, but not corticosterone release, in response to IL‐1β. Pair‐fed pups also showed some decrease in their pituitary response, although to a lesser degree. In contrast, there was no measurable difference in the ability of CRF to increase plasma ACTH levels.

These results suggest that prenatal exposure to alcohol interferes with the stimulatory action of IL‐1β on the secretion of POMC‐related peptides, a phenomenon probably not caused by decreased pituitary responsiveness to CRF. As pups born to pair‐fed dams also exhibited a measurable, although less significant, decrease in IL‐induced ACTH and β‐endorphin release, a possible synergism between caloric restriction and alcohol also needs to be ascertained. We propose that the ability of prenatal alcohol treatment to blunt the release of POMC‐related peptides in response to IL‐1/S may participate in the abnormal immune functions of the offspring.
Captopril and Hydrochlorothiazide (Capozide®) Combine to Enhance the Reduction in Voluntary Alcohol Intake in Rats
Authors: Robertson James M. , Harding Stephen , Grupp Larry A.
Published: June 2007

The effect of Capozide®, the combination of captopril with a hydrochlorothiazide diuretic, on voluntary alcohol intake was assessed in two experiments. In experiment 1 naive rats who were maintained on ad libitum food and water were given daily 40‐min access to a 6% (w/v) alcohol solution and water. Daily intraperitoneal injections of captopril (10 mg/kg) reduced alcohol intake, but the combination of captopril (5 and 10 mg/kg) and hydrochlorothiazide (2.5, 5, and 10 mg/kg) enhanced the reduction in intake. In experiment 2, captopril alone, hydrochlorothiazide alone, and the combination of captopril and hydrochlorothiazide were again administered daily in the limited access procedure. Captopril (10 mg/kg) again reduced alcohol intake as did all three doses of hydrochlorothiazide (2.5, 5, and 10 mg/kg). Compared with the individual effects of captopril and hydrochlorothiazide, Capozide® exerted a supra‐additive reduction in alcohol intake. These effects were not due to drug‐induced changes in the pharmacokinetics of alcohol. Taken together these results demonstrate an enhanced potency of Capozide® in suppressing alcohol intake and invite their testing in a population of hypertensive alcoholics and alcohol abusers.
Prenatal Ethanol Exposure Alters Ethanol‐Induced Dopamine Release in Nucleus Accumbens and Striatum in Male and Female Rats
Authors: Blanchard B. A. , Steindorf S. , Wang S. , LeFevre R. , Mankes R. F. , Glick S. D.
Published: June 2007

Using in vivo microdialysis, ethanol‐induced dopamine release in nucleus accumbens and striatum was examined in adult male and female Long‐Evans rats exposed prenatally to ethanol and in controls. Following dialysis, ethanol intake was measured in an operant paradigm. Control rats showed increased dopamine release in nucleus accumbens and striatum in response to 0.5 g/kg ethanol, but not to 1.0 g/kg. Fetal ethanol‐exposed rats showed no dopamine response at 0.5 g/kg. At 1.0 g/kg, fetal ethanol‐exposed males showed increased dopamine release in both structures. Prenatally exposed females showed no change in accumbens, and decreased release in striatum. Fetal ethanol exposure did not significantly influence ethanol intake. The findings suggest that prenatal ethanol exposure influences subsequent neurochemical responses to ethanol; however, how these neurochemical measures are related to ethanol intake could not be determined in the present study. Data are discussed in terms of sex‐specific shifts in the dose‐response function for ethanol‐induced dopamine release resulting from prenatal ethanol exposure.
Alcohol Consumption in Rats Potentiates the Deleterious Effect of Gram‐Negative Sepsis on Hepatic Hyaluronan Uptake
Authors: Deaciuc Ion V. , McDonough Kathleen H. , Bagby Gregory J. , John J.
Published: June 2007

The role of hepatic sinusoidal endothelial cells (SECs) in the pathologic changes of the liver associated with alcohol consumption is not fully understood. The measurement of hyaluronan (HA) uptake by the SECs provides a useful means for assessing the functional state of these cells. In this study, we determined the effect of acute and chronic exposure to alcohol in rats in the absence and presence of subcutaneous Escherichia co/i‐induced sepsis on plasma HA concentration and HA uptake by the isolated, perfused liver. Rats were administered ethanol (two doses of 0.2 g/100 g body weight, intraperitoneal, 24 and 15 hr before killing) or fed a liquid diet for 8–10 weeks, containing alcohol (36% of the total calories) or dextrin (in isocaloric amounts). Twenty‐one hr before euthanizing for liver perfusion, animals were injected subcutaneously with live E. coli (sepsis) or sterile saline (control). Neither acute nor chronic alcohol exposure by themselves altered plasma HA levels. However, both treatments exacerbated the hyperhyaluronanemic effect of sepsis. Thus, in acutely alcohol‐treated rats, sepsis induced a 187% (p &< 0.05) increase in plasma levels of HA, whereas in nonalcohol septic rats, the increase was only 54% (p &< 0.05). Likewise, sepsis resulted in a greater increase in the plasma levels of HA (871%) in alcohol‐fed rats than it did in liquid diet, control‐fed rats (323%, p &< 0.05). The rate of HA uptake by the isolated, perfused liver was not altered by either acute or chronic alcohol exposure. However, alcohol exposure markedly potentiated the inhibitory effect of sepsis on the capacity of the liver to take up HA. Thus, in acutely alcohol‐treated rats, sepsis decreased HA uptake (60‐80%, p &< 0.05), whereas in the corresponding nonalcoholic control group the decrease was evident only at the beginning of HA infusion. In chronically alcohol‐fed rats, sepsis induced an 80% (p &< 0.05) inhibition of HA uptake, whereas in diet‐fed control rats the inhibition was only 60% (p &< 0.05). The inhibition by sepsis of HA uptake by the isolated, perfused liver provides an explanation for the previously observed hyperhy‐aluronanemia in septic humans and animals. Because alcohol alone does not alter HA metabolism, the results suggest that acute and chronic alcohol exposure influences the communication between liver cells leading to downregulation of HA clearance by SECs.
Effects of Alcohol Administration on the Disinhibition of Racial Prejudice
Authors: Reeves Sara B. , Nagoshi Craig T.
Published: June 2007

Eighty‐two white male undergraduate social drinkers were selected from high and low scorers on the Modern Racism Scale. Subjects were randomly assigned to 1 of 3 balanced placebo design conditions. After consuming their beverages, subjects viewed a videotape interaction between a Black and a White confederate. The subjects were told to rate the behaviors of the confederates, including an ambiguous shove of the White confederate by the Black confederate. It was expected, according to attribution theory, that high racism subjects would label the shove as more aggressive when they believed they had consumed alcohol, because alcohol could be used as an excuse for the socially unacceptable behavior of racial discrimination. A mood measure was also administered. Significant main effects of racism group and alcohol dosing were found for seriousness of aggression ratings, with high racism subjects and those expecting alcohol reporting more serious aggression, but the racism group by dosing condition interaction was not significant. A significant racism group by dosing condition interaction was found for the tension/anxiety mood scale, with greater tension being reported by high racism subjects who received alcohol. The results were related to theories of alcohol's disinhibiting and attention‐limiting properties.
The cost‐effectiveness of autologous transfusion alternatives: an update and reappraisal
Authors: KARGER RALF , KRETSCHMER VOLKER
Published: June 2007

There is still an ongoing debate whether autologous transfusion methods (ATM) are cost‐effective when compared with each other or with other medical interventions. A search on MEDLINE and in the British National Health Service Economic Evaluation Database was conducted to retrieve cost‐effectiveness analyses focusing on preoperative autologous blood donation (PABD), acute normovolemic hemodilution (ANH) or perioperative blood salvage (PBS). The search covered the years from 1991 to 2006. The quality of retrieved papers was assessed using published criteria for the evaluation of economic analyses of health‐care measures. Twenty‐six studies were identified: ten for PABD, four for ANH, seven for PBS and five which evaluated strategies combining different ATM. Nineteen studies were conducted in the USA, including most of the PABD studies. Only one study included indirect costs in its cost estimates. The majority of analyses were based on suboptimal study designs. Only six studies employed randomized controlled trials, in most of which avoidance of allogeneic transfusion was chosen as the effectiveness parameter. Ten studies used decision analysis models, calculating cost‐effectiveness ratios based on quality‐adjusted life‐years. These included eight PABD studies and two PBS studies. The assumptions needed for the models were often either outdated or derived from unsystematic reviews of the pertinent literature. In conclusion, economic analyses of ATM are heterogeneous with respect to several aspects of study design. The currently available scientific evidence is of limited quality because of considerable uncertainties in estimates of several key variables thought to substantially affect the results of economic analyses.
Cue‐invariant detection of centre–surround discontinuity by V1 neurons in awake macaque monkey
Authors: Shen Zhi‐Ming , Xu Wei‐Feng , Li Chao‐Yi
Published: June 2007

Visual perception of an object depends on the discontinuity between the object and its background, which can be defined by a variety of visual features, such as luminance, colour and motion. While human object perception is largely cue invariant, the extent to which neural mechanisms in the primary visual cortex contribute to cue‐invariant perception has not been examined extensively. Here we report that many V1 neurons in the awake monkey are sensitive to the stimulus discontinuity between their classical receptive field (CRF) and non‐classical receptive field (nCRF) regardless of the visual feature that defines the discontinuity. The magnitude of this sensitivity is strongly dependent on the strength of nCRF suppression of the cell. These properties of V1 neurons may contribute significantly to cue‐invariant object perception.
The cAMP binding protein Epac modulates Ca2+ sparks by a Ca2+/calmodulin kinase signalling pathway in rat cardiac myocytes
Authors: Pereira Laetitia , Métrich Mélanie , Fernández‐Velasco María , Lucas Alexandre , Leroy Jérôme , Perrier Romain , Morel Eric , Fischmeister Rodolphe , Richard Sylvain , Bénitah Jean‐Pierre , Lezoualc'h Frank , Gómez Ana María
Published: June 2007

cAMP is a powerful second messenger whose known general effector is protein kinase A (PKA). The identification of a cAMP binding protein, Epac, raises the question of its role in Ca2+ signalling in cardiac myocytes. In this study, we analysed the effects of Epac activation on Ca2+ handling by using confocal microscopy in isolated adult rat cardiomyocytes. [Ca2+]i transients were evoked by electrical stimulation and Ca2+ sparks were measured in quiescent myocytes. Epac was selectively activated by the cAMP analogue 8‐(4‐chlorophenylthio)‐2′‐O‐methyladenosine‐3′,5′‐cyclic monophosphate (8‐CPT). Patch‐clamp was used to record the L‐type calcium current (ICa), and Western blot to evaluate phosphorylated ryanodine receptor (RyR). [Ca2+]i transients were slightly reduced by 10 μm 8‐CPT (F/F0: decreased from 4.7 ± 0.5 to 3.8 ± 0.4, P < 0.05), an effect that was boosted when cells were previously infected with an adenovirus encoding human Epac. ICa was unaltered by Epac activation, so this cannot explain the decreased [Ca2+]i transients. Instead, a decrease in the sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) Ca2+ load underlies the decrease in the [Ca2+]i transients. This decrease in the SR Ca2+ load was provoked by the increase in the SR Ca2+ leak induced by Epac activation. 8‐CPT significantly increased Ca2+ spark frequency (Ca2+ sparks s−1 (100 μm)−1: from 2.4 ± 0.6 to 6.9 ± 1.5, P < 0.01) while reducing their amplitude (F/F0: 1.8 ± 0.02 versus 1.6 ± 0.01, P < 0.001) in a Ca2+/calmodulin kinase II (CaMKII)‐dependent and PKA‐independent manner. Accordingly, we found that Epac increased RyR phosphorylation at the CaMKII site. Altogether, our data reveal a new signalling pathway by which cAMP governs Ca2+ release and signalling in cardiac myocytes.
Sensitivity of coherent oscillations in rat hippocampus to AC electric fields
Authors: Deans Jacqueline K. , Powell Andrew D. , Jefferys John G. R.
Published: June 2007

The sensitivity of brain tissue to weak extracellular electric fields is important in assessing potential public health risks of extremely low frequency (ELF) fields, and potential roles of endogenous fields in brain function. Here we determine the effect of applied electric fields on membrane potentials and coherent network oscillations. Applied DC electric fields change transmembrane potentials in CA3 pyramidal cell somata by 0.18 mV per V m−1 applied. AC sinusoidal electric fields have smaller effects on transmembrane potentials: sensitivity drops as an exponential decay function of frequency. At 50 and 60 Hz it is ∼0.4 that for DC fields. Effects of fields of ≤ 16 V m−1 peak‐to‐peak (p‐p) did not outlast application. Kainic acid (100 nm) induced coherent network oscillations in the beta and gamma bands (15–100 Hz). Applied fields of ≥ 6 V m−1 p‐p (2.1 V m−1 r.m.s.) shifted the gamma peak in the power spectrum to centre on the applied field frequency or a subharmonic. Statistically significant effects on the timing of pyramidal cell firing within the oscillation appeared at distinct thresholds: at 50 Hz, 1 V m−1 p‐p (354 mV m−1 r.m.s.) had statistically significant effects in 71% of slices, and 0.5 V m−1 p‐p (177 mV m−1 r.m.s.) in 20%. These threshold fields are consistent with current environmental guidelines. They correspond to changes in somatic potential of ∼70 μV, below membrane potential noise levels for neurons, demonstrating the emergent properties of neuronal networks can be more sensitive than measurable effects in single neurons.
Geometry Assessment of Variable Displacement Vane Pumps
Authors: Rundo Massimo , Nervegna Nicola
Published: June 2007

The paper brings to evidence the effect that geometry of the stator ring of variable displacement radial pumps bears on performance characteristics of these units. The type of motion of the stator ring (linear or rotational), the location of the center of rotation, the porting plate integral with the casing or with the stator ring all have remarkable effects on the pump steady state and dynamic performance. At steady state, an influence exists on the attainable minimum displacement and on the deviation of discharge pressure from the desired setting when displacement is being controlled. In turn, dynamic performance is affected by changes in port plate timing as stator position and displacement undergo transitions. Specific attention is then committed to variable displacement vane pumps for internal combustion engines lubrication where an additional and foremost effect is investigated concerning the issues entailed by internal forces distribution on the stator ring that originate from incomplete chambers filling at high rotational pump speed.
On the Zeros, Initial Undershoot, and Relative Degree of Collinear Lumped-Parameter Structures
Authors: Hoagg Jesse B. , Chandrasekar Jaganath , Bernstein Dennis S.
Published: June 2007

This paper considers collinear lumped-parameter structures where each mass in the structure has a single degree of freedom. Specifically, we analyze the zeros and relative degree of the single-input, single-output (SISO) transfer function from the force applied to an arbitrary mass to the position, velocity, or acceleration of another mass. In particular, we show that every SISO force-to-motion transfer function of a collinear lumped-parameter structure has no positive (real open-right-half-plane) zeros. In addition, every SISO force-to-position transfer function of a spring-connected collinear lumped-parameter structure has no non-negative (real closed-right-half-plane) zeros. As a consequence, the step response does not exhibit initial undershoot. In addition, we derive an expression for the relative degree of SISO force-to-position transfer functions. The formula depends on the placement of springs and dashpots, but is independent of the values of the spring constants and damping coefficients. Next, we consider the special case of serially connected collinear lumped-parameter structures. In this case, we show that every SISO force-to-position transfer function of a serially connected collinear lumped-parameter structure is minimum phase, that is, has no closed-right-half-plane zeros. The proofs of these results rely heavily on graph-theoretic techniques.
Comment on “A Virtual Sensing Method for Tonal ANVC Systems” [C. M. Tran and S. C. Southward, 2002, J. Dyn. Syst., Meas., Control 124(1), 35–40]
Authors: Petersen Cornelis D. , Wood Rohin , Cazzolato Ben S. , Zander Anthony C.
Published: June 2007

In a paper by Tran and Southward (2002, J. Dyn. Syst., Meas., Control, 124(1), pp. 35–40), a virtual sensing method for tonal active noise and vibration control systems is proposed. The aim of the proposed method is to obtain accurate estimates of the virtual outputs of the dynamic system under consideration. For this purpose, a hybrid adaptive feedforward observer is designed based on an observable state-space representation of the dynamic system. In this paper, it is shown that if the number of physical sensors used in the proposed method is less than the state-space system order, the observer can converge to infinitely many solutions for which the state reconstruction errors are not equal to zero. Since accurate state estimates are required to obtain accurate estimates of the virtual sensor outputs, the suggested hybrid adaptive feedforward observer is only suitable for rejecting nonstationary disturbances at the physical sensor outputs, and not for virtual sensing purposes.
Genome Transplantation in Bacteria: Changing One Species to Another
Authors: Lartigue Carole , Glass John I. , Alperovich Nina , Pieper Rembert , Parmar Prashanth P. , Hutchison Clyde A. , Smith Hamilton O. , Venter J. Craig
Published: June 2007

As a step toward propagation of synthetic genomes, we completely replaced the genome of a bacterial cell with one from another species by transplanting a whole genome as naked DNA. Intact genomic DNA from
Mycoplasma mycoides
large colony (LC), virtually free of protein, was transplanted into
Mycoplasma capricolum
cells by polyethylene glycol–mediated transformation. Cells selected for tetracycline resistance, carried by the
M. mycoides
LC chromosome, contain the complete donor genome and are free of detectable recipient genomic sequences. These cells that result from genome transplantation are phenotypically identical to the
M. mycoides
LC donor strain as judged by several criteria.
Quantum Hall Effect in a Gate-Controlled
p-n
Junction of Graphene
Authors: Williams J. R. , DiCarlo L. , Marcus C. M.
Published: June 2007

The unique band structure of graphene allows reconfigurable electric-field control of carrier type and density, making graphene an ideal candidate for bipolar nanoelectronics. We report the realization of a single-layer graphene
p-n
junction in which carrier type and density in two adjacent regions are locally controlled by electrostatic gating. Transport measurements in the quantum Hall regime reveal new plateaus of two-terminal conductance across the junction at 1 and

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times the quantum of conductance,

e
2
/h

, consistent with recent theory. Beyond enabling investigations in condensed-matter physics, the demonstrated local-gating technique sets the foundation for a future graphene-based bipolar technology.
Teaching ethics in a Masters Program in Public Health in Lithuania
Authors: Jakusovaite Irayda , Bankauskaite Vaida
Published: June 2007

This article aims to present 10 years of experience of teaching ethics in a Masters Program in Public Health in Lithuania, and to discuss the content, skills, teaching approach and tools of this programme. In addition, the article analyses the links between ethics and law, identifies the challenges of the teaching process and suggests future teaching strategies. The important role of teaching ethics in countries that are in transition owing to a radically changing value system is emphasised.
Communicating genetic information in the family: the familial relationship as the forgotten factor
Authors: Gilbar Roy
Published: June 2007

Communicating genetic information to family members has been the subject of an extensive debate recently in bioethics and law. In this context, the extent of the relatives’ right to know and not to know is examined. The mainstream in the bioethical literature adopts a liberal perception of patient autonomy and offers a utilitarian mechanism for solving familial tensions over genetic information. This reflects a patient-centred approach in which disclosure without consent is justified only to prevent serious harm or death to others. Based on a legal and bioethical analysis on the one hand, and an examination of empirical studies on the other, this paper advocates the adoption of a relational perception of autonomy, which, in the context of genetics, takes into account the effect that any decision—whether to disclose or not to disclose—will have on the familial relationship and the dynamics of the particular family. Adding this factor to the criteria usually advocated by lawyers and ethicists will facilitate reaching a sensitive decision, which recognises the various interests of family members beyond the risk to physical health. Taking this factor into account will require a process of deliberation both between doctors and patients, and in the family. It will also require a relaxation of medical confidentiality, as the family rather than the patient is gradually perceived as the unit of care. Moreover, adopting such a relational approach will accord with current views of doctors and patients who base their decision primarily on the nature of the familial relationship.
COLORED GRAPHS, BURGERS EQUATION AND HESSIAN CONJECTURE
Authors: ARTAMKIN I. V.
Published: June 2007

We prove that generating series for colored modular graphs satisfy some systems of partial differential equations generalizing Burgers or heat equations. The solution is obtained by genus expansion of the generating function. The initial term of this expansion is the corresponding generating function for trees. For this term the system of differential equations is equivalent to the inversion problem for the gradient mapping defined by the initial condition. This enables to state the Jacobian conjecture in the language of generating functions. The use of generating functions provides rather short and natural proofs of resent results of Zhao and of the well-known Bass–Connell–Wright tree inversion formula.
CRITERION OF PROPER ACTIONS FOR 3-STEP NILPOTENT LIE GROUPS
Authors: YOSHINO TARO
Published: June 2007

For a nilpotent Lie group G and its closed subgroup L, Lipsman [13] conjectured that the L-action on some homogeneous space of G is proper in the sense of Palais if and only if the action is free. Nasrin [14] proved this conjecture assuming that G is a 2-step nilpotent Lie group. However, Lipsman's conjecture fails for the 4-step nilpotent case. This paper gives an affirmative solution to Lipsman's conjecture for the 3-step nilpotent case.
IRREDUCIBLE KILLING TENSORS FROM THIRD RANK KILLING–YANO TENSORS
Authors: POPA FLORIAN CATALIN , TINTAREANU-MIRCEA OVIDIU
Published: June 2007

We investigate higher rank Killing–Yano tensors showing that third rank Killing–Yano tensors are not always trivial objects being possible to construct irreducible Killing tensors from them. We give as an example the Kimura IIC metric from two-rank Killing–Yano tensors to obtain a reducible Killing tensor and from third-rank Killing–Yano tensors, we obtain three Killing tensors, one reducible and two irreducible.
A SIMPLE SI MODEL WITH TWO AGE GROUPS AND ITS APPLICATION TO US HIV EPIDEMICS: TO TREAT OR NOT TO TREAT?
Authors: LÓPEZ ROXANA , KUANG YANG , TRIDANE ABDESSAMAD
Published: June 2007

The objective of this paper is to study the global dynamics of a simple SI model with two explicit age groups and apply the findings to the HIV dynamics in the United States. Specifically, we would like to explore the long term HIV dynamics to answer questions such as what will happen to human population level if all the demographical and epidemiological parameters stay constant. We also wonder if treatment alone will actually slow the spread of HIV or not. We divide the population into juvenile and adult groups. Only adults are assumed to be sexually active and we implicitly assume that the sex ratio is constant. We also assume that infected adults may produce both susceptible newborns and infected newborns. The model is fit with parameters from the HIV epidemic in the US. It produces an optimistic outcome: if nothing changes, the USA infected population may be halved in about 20 years. However, if treatment is found to extend the life expectance of infected individuals to 30 years or more, then the number of infected adults may actually increase in the next 20 years or so. This creates a dilemma: to treat or not to treat?
ANALYSIS OF HEART RATE FLUCTUATION BASED ON WAVELET ENTROPY
Authors: LI SHIYANG , YANG MING , LI CUNCEN , CAI PING
Published: June 2007

The regularity of heart rates has a loss in cases of illness and aging. Assessing the dynamics of heart rate fluctuations can provide valuable information about cardiac system. In this paper, heart rate fluctuations and its wavelet entropy (WE) are analyzed to demonstrate its potentials for risk stratification of cardiac diseases. The regularity of heart rate fluctuations is estimated by exploiting the time-frequency localization ability of wavelet analysis and the ability of entropy. The results show that WE for patients with congestive heart failure show a very low value and can be completely separated from health subjects. In addition, the values of WE decrease with aging. The lower the values of WE, the higher the risk of heart disease is. The values of WE also reflect the distribution of the energy of heart rhythm. Significant correlations are demonstrated between WE and the power in the three frequency bands. The results have shown that WE can be used to analyze short, non-stationary data time series both in time domain and in frequency domain simultaneously and can be feasible for the discrimination of the differences of heart rate fluctuations between healthy groups and CHF groups as a diagnostic tool.
SPECTRAL ANALYSIS PROBLEMS OF HEART RATE AND BLOOD PRESSURE FLUCTUATIONS
Authors: GINGL ZOLTÁN , MAKRA PÉTER , RUDAS LÁSZLÓ , ZÖLLEI ÉVA , CSÍK NORBERT
Published: June 2007

The spectral analysis of electrocardiogram (ECG) and blood pressure fluctuations is an important tool both in medical diagnostics and in theories that endeavour to account for the complex, feedbacked patterns of control mechanisms that regulate human circulation. In the case of ECG signals, the researcher is often interested not in the morphology but in the rate of heartbeats, which means that it is not the whole signal but only a so-called RR signal, containing the distances of beats, that serves as the basis of spectral processing. This RR signal is inherently discrete and unevenly sampled, which introduces a number of methodological problems: fast Fourier transformation assumes even sampling, and this means that an artificial re-sampling (inserting new samples at equal distances) is necessary. In the case of blood pressure signals, the information is both in the amplitude itself and in the rate, consequently both an RR-like and a full recording-based treatment are usable here. In the present paper we review the different approaches to dealing with unevenly sampled ECG and blood pressure signals, including the Lomb periodogram that does not require re-sampling at all, and argue for a full recording-based treatment of blood pressure fluctuations, as it requires no peak detection and thus avoids all the artefacts that peak detection may cause.
AN INTELLIGENT SENSORY EVALUATION METHOD FOR INDUSTRIAL PRODUCTS CHARACTERIZATION
Authors: XU YANG , ZENG XIANYI , KOEHL LUDOVIC
Published: June 2007

This paper presents a new method for sensory evaluation of industrial products with uncertain information. In this approach, sensory data provided by different evaluators are transformed into measures of consistency on fuzzy satisfaction degrees. Based on these measures of consistency, we obtain the aggregated information for all evaluators and all attributes and measure the dissimilarity between evaluators and between used evaluation attributes. The effectiveness of this method has been validated in the fabric hand evaluation for a number of samples of knitted cotton.
PARAMETER DECISION FOR ENHANCING PERFORMANCE OF WIRELESS LANs WITH PRIORITIZED MESSAGES
Authors: JEONG SEOKYUN , HUR SUN , KIM JUNG-YONG
Published: June 2007

Distributed coordination function (DCF) is a primary random access mechanism of IEEE 802.11, which is the basic protocol of wireless LAN based on the CSMA/CA protocol. It enables fast installation with minimal management and maintenance costs and is a very robust protocol for the best effort service in wireless medium. The current DCF, however, is known to be unsuitable for real-time applications such as voice message transmission. In this paper, we focus on the performance issues of IEEE 802.11 which accommodates the prioritized messages. Existing results use the initial window size and backoff window-increasing factor as tools to handle the priority of the messages. Instead, we introduce a novel scheme which chooses the backoff timer with arbitrary probabilities. By this, one can greatly reduce the backoff delay of the lower priority messages without degrading the performance of higher priority. Additionally, we provide a step-by-step procedure which determines the system parameters such as the initial window size, backoff window-increasing factor, and the backoff timer choosing probabilities, guaranteeing the quality of service (QoS).
DATA MINING VIA MINIMAL SPANNING TREE CLUSTERING FOR PROLONGING LIFETIME OF WIRELESS SENSOR NETWORKS
Authors: HUANG GUANGYAN , LI XIAOWEI , HE JING , LI XIN
Published: June 2007

Clustering is applied in wireless sensor networks for increasing energy efficiency. Clustering methods in wireless sensor networks are different from those in traditional data mining systems. This paper proposes a novel clustering algorithm based on Minimal Spanning Tree (MST) and Maximum Energy resource on sensors named MSTME. Also, specified constrains of clustering in wireless sensor networks and several evaluation metrics are given. MSTME performs better than already known clustering methods of Low Energy Adaptive Clustering Hierarchy (LEACH) and Base Station Controlled Dynamic Clustering Protocol (BCDCP) in wireless sensor networks when they are evaluated by these evaluation metrics. Simulation results show MSTME increases energy efficiency and network lifetime compared with LEACH and BCDCP in two-hop and multi-hop networks, respectively.
Prediction of IS Project Escalation Based on Software Development Risk Management
Authors: Kim Eun Hee , Park Yongtae
Published: June 2007

Information system project failure is described as a common phenomenon. Escalation occurs when there are continued commitments for a troubled project and has been observed as one pattern of failure. The main purpose of this research was to investigate whether software development risks were the factors to discriminate between escalated projects and non-escalated projects. Thirty critical risks were selected and classified into nine risk categories under three dimensions such as product, people, and process. Probability and loss in each nine risk category were measured on the basis of 247 survey cases from IS professionals. The results show that the risk probability in the people dimension and the process dimension with management aspects was more important to predict escalation than the risk loss in those dimensions and the risk impact in the product dimension with technical aspects. The results imply that managerial factors are more critical than technical factors in predicting IS development project escalation. Additionally, it was noticed that the CMM level of an organisation was very significant to predict successful projects.