bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Most Helicobacter pylori strains of Kolkata in India are resistant to metronidazole but susceptible to other drugs commonly used for eradication and ulcer therapy
Authors: DATTA S. , CHATTOPADHYAY S. , PATRA R. , DE R. , RAMAMURTHY T. , HEMBRAM J. , CHOWDHURY A. , BHATTACHARYA S. K. , BERG D. E. , NAIR G. B. , MUKHOPADHYAY A. K.
Published: June 2005

Background : Helicobacter pylori infection is very common in India, as in other developing countries, but few data exist on the susceptibility of H. pylori to antimicrobial agents commonly used for eradication here.

Aim : To determine the antimicrobial susceptibility of H. pylori strains from Kolkata, in eastern India.

Methods : A total of 67 H. pylori strains isolated from gastritis and peptic ulcer patients of Kolkata were examined in the study. Minimum inhibitory concentration to the antibiotics was determined by the agar dilution method.

Results : Most of the strains (85%) were resistant to at least 8 μg/mL of metronidazole and 7.5% strains were resistant to tetracycline, which was high when compared with other reports in India. All Kolkata strains were highly sensitive to clarithromycin, furazolidone and amoxicillin.

Conclusions : Our results differed significantly from the few available reports on drug sensitivity profile of H. pylori from other parts of India, namely, Hyderabad, Mumbai and Lucknow. This finding supports the need for rigorous susceptibility testing as a guide to empirical treatment and more generally, to define the resistance patterns of H. pylori in particular geographical areas.
Relevance and variability of the severity of incontinence, and increased daytime and night‐time voiding frequency, associated with quality of life in men with lower urinary tract symptoms
Authors: Haltbakk Johannes , Hanestad Berit R. , Hunskaar Steinar
Published: June 2005

OBJECTIVES

To estimate the distribution of the severity of urinary incontinence (UI) and daytime and night‐time voiding in patients with lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) suggestive of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH); to estimate the proportion of ‘subjectively relevant’ symptoms within each severity category; to identify differences in quality of life (QoL) by degree of subjectively relevant daytime and night‐time symptoms; and to identify differences in QoL in men with subjectively relevant UI or no UI.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Data from a group of 480 men awaiting urological assessment for LUTS suggestive of BPH were collected by questionnaire shortly after referral from their general practitioner in 1997–2000. The International Continence Society – Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia Index, Sandvik's Incontinence Severity Index, and the World Health Organization Quality of Life Survey – Abbreviated Version (WHOQoL‐bref) were used to assess symptoms and QoL.

RESULTS

There was a large heterogeneity of self‐reported symptom severity and related bother in the three symptoms of UI, increased daytime voiding frequency and night‐time voiding in these referred patients. The WHOQoL‐bref showed significant group differences of subjectively relevant symptoms.

CONCLUSION

The perception of increased night and daytime frequency, as measured by symptom severity and bother, varied greatly. The severity of UI and its effect on men waiting for a urological assessment of LUTS suggestive of BPH also varied widely. In general, the symptoms and their impact were slight to moderate. The WHOQoL‐bref could be used to differentiate among groups of subjectively relevant symptoms, and in so doing supported information generated by the bother question.
Preoperative administration of chlormadinone acetate reduces blood loss associated with transurethral resection of the prostate: a prospective randomized study
Authors: Ukimura Osamu , Kawauchi Akihiro , Kanazawa Motohiro , Miyashita Hiroaki , Yoneda Kimihiko , Kojima Munekado , Nakanouchi Tsuneyuki , Miki Tsuneharu ,   for the Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia Study Group of Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine
Published: June 2005

OBJECTIVES

To assess the effects of giving chlormadinone acetate (CMA) before surgery on blood loss associated with transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP), in a prospective randomized controlled study.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Candidates for TURP among patients with benign prostatic hyperplasia were randomized to either treatment with CMA (CMA+) or not (CMA−). In principle, CMA was started at least 28 days before TURP and continued until just before surgery.

RESULTS

In all, 33 patients in the CMA+ (median duration of treatment 34.5 days) and 38 in the CMA− group were evaluable. The mean blood loss during TURP was less in the CMA+ (237.3 mL) than in the CMA− group (263.1 mL), but the difference was not significant. There was significantly less blood loss per gram of resected prostate tissue in the CMA+ (9.6 mL/g) than in the CMA− group (13.3 mL/g) (P < 0.05). Haematuria on the day of and the day after TURP was also significantly less severe in the CMA+ than in the CMA− group (P < 0.001 and P < 0.05, respectively). The mean microvessel density of resected prostate tissue was significantly less after CMA treatment (P < 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

CMA given for 1 month before TURP could reduce blood loss to some extent during and after TURP, and this may be related to a decrease in microvessel density.
Expression of Ki‐67 in squamous cell carcinoma of the penis
Authors: Berdjis Navid , Meye Axel , Nippgen Johannes , Dittert Dag , Hakenberg Oliver , Baretton Gustavo B. , Wirth Manfred P.
Published: June 2005

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the Ki‐67 labelling index (LI) as a prognostic factor for the outcome of penile carcinoma, as in squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of the larynx the expression of this marker correlates with histological features indicative of prognosis.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

We retrospectively analysed the records of 44 patients in whom primary SCC of the penis was treated with amputation and bilateral lymphadenectomy (pT1, in 24, pT2 in 20, pN+ in 10; G1 in 12, G2 in 28 and G3 in four). During a mean follow‐up of 35.6 months, four patients had disease progression. Tumour tissue was stained immunohistochemically using the streptavidin‐biotin method. The mean Ki‐67 LI was defined as the percentage of total tumour cells that were Ki‐67‐positive. The results were compared with pathological tumour stage, grade, nodal status and clinical disease progression.

RESULTS

The mean (range) Ki‐67 LI was 40.5 (6.4–93.0)%; a high mean Ki‐67 LI was significantly inversely correlated with tumour differentiation (P < 0.005) and there was a tendency for a high Ki‐67 LI to be associated with advanced local tumour stage, nodal metastasis and clinical disease progression, but these correlations were not statistically significant (P = 0.07, 0.07 and 0.06, respectively).

CONCLUSIONS

The Ki‐67 LI is correlated with tumour grade in penile cancer, and may indicate a greater risk of nodal metastasis.
In vivo and in vitro response of corpus cavernosum to phosphodiesterase‐5 inhibition in the hypercholesterolaemic rabbit
Authors: Firoozi Farzeen , Longhurst Penelope A. , White Mark D.
Published: June 2005

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the effects of hypercholesterolaemia (HC) on rabbit corpus cavernosa in vivo and in vitro, and evaluate the efficacy of vardenafil and sildenafil in normal and HC rabbits, as the phosphodiesterase‐5 (PDE‐5) inhibitors vardenafil and sildenafil are widely used for treating erectile dysfunction (ED) and most organic causes of ED are associated with vascular risk factors like HC.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Male New Zealand White rabbits were randomly divided into two groups; 11 HC rabbits were fed a 2% cholesterol diet, and 12 age‐matched control rabbits received a regular diet. After 12–14 weeks, erectile responses to intravenous sodium nitroprusside (SNP) and PDE‐5 inhibitors were evaluated for 2 h in conscious rabbits. Penile length was measured and the area under the curve calculated. Relaxant responses of corpus cavernosal strips to electrical‐field stimulation (EFS) were measured before and after exposure to PDE‐5 inhibitors and the nitric oxide synthase inhibitor N′‐nitro‐ l‐arginine methyl ester.

RESULTS

HC rabbits had a lower erectile response to SNP than controls; in both control and HC rabbits there was a greater erectile response after simultaneous exposure to SNP and vardenafil, or SNP and sildenafil. However, the responses of the HC rabbits were still significantly less than those of the controls. Corpora from control rabbits responded to EFS with greater relaxations at all frequencies, except 1 Hz. Corpora from both HC and control rabbits had greater responses to EFS after exposure to vardenafil and sildenafil; N′‐nitro‐ l‐arginine methyl ester diminished the response to EFS.

CONCLUSIONS

There was a significantly lower in vivo and in vitro erectile response in HC rabbits than in controls; erectile function measured in conscious rabbits can be used to assess quantitatively the efficacy of different agents, e.g. sildenafil and vardenafil, in pathological animals. In addition, both agents improve in vitro responses of erectile tissue from HC rabbits to EFS.
A COMPARISON OF THE ROSTROCAUDAL OPEN MOUTH AND ROSTRO 10° VENTRO‐CAUDODORSAL OBLIQUE RADIOGRAPHIC VIEWS FOR IMAGING FLUID IN THE FELINE TYMPANIC BULLA
Authors: Hammond Gawain J. C. , Sullivan Martin , Weinrauch Steven , King Alison M.
Published: June 2005

Fluid within the tympanic bulla is an indication of middle ear disease. Radiography has a relatively low accuracy for the detection of soft tissue opacification in the tympanic bulla, and the most useful radiographic projection, the rostrocaudal open mouth (RCd (open mouth)), is technically difficult to perform in dogs and cats. An alternative projection for the feline tympanic bulla, the rostro 10° ventro‐caudodorsal oblique (R10°V‐CdDO), was compared to the RCd (open mouth) in 41 feline cadaver heads with the tympanic bullae randomly filled with KY jelly. Computed tomography was used as the gold standard. Each tympanic bulla was recorded as being positive or negative for soft tissue opacification. Although there was no significant difference between the accuracy of the two views, the R10°V‐CdDO was subjectively more accurate and easier to perform, and in a live patient may be performed without the need for general anesthesia. The R10°V‐CdDO projection is a good alternative to the RCd (open mouth) projection for detecting otitis media in the cat.
Increased uncoupling protein‐2 mRNA abundance and glucocorticoid action in adipose tissue in the sheep fetus during late gestation is dependent on plasma cortisol and triiodothyronine
Authors: Gnanalingham M. G. , Mostyn A. , Forhead A. J. , Fowden A. L. , Symonds M. E. , Stephenson T.
Published: June 2005

The endocrine regulation of uncoupling protein‐2 (UCP2), an inner mitochondrial protein, in fetal adipose tissue remains unclear. The present study aimed to determine if fetal plasma cortisol and triiodothyronine (T3) influenced the mRNA abundance of UCP2, glucocorticoid receptor (GR) and 11β‐hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 1 (11βHSD1) and 2 (11βHSD2) in fetal adipose tissue in the sheep during late gestation. Perirenal–abdominal adipose tissue was sampled from ovine fetuses to which either cortisol (2–3 mg kg−1 day−1) or saline was infused for 5 days up to 127–130 days gestation, or near term fetuses (i.e. 142–145 days gestation) that were either adrenalectomised (AX) or remained intact. Fetal plasma cortisol and T3 concentrations were higher in the cortisol infused animals and lower in AX fetuses compared with their corresponding control group, and increased with gestational age. UCP2 and GR mRNA abundance were significantly lower in AX fetuses compared with age‐matched controls, and increased with gestational age and by cortisol infusion. Glucocorticoid action in fetal adipose tissue was augmented by AX and suppressed by cortisol infusion, the latter also preventing the gestational increase in 11βHSD1 mRNA and decrease in 11βHSD2 mRNA. When all treatment groups were combined, both fetal plasma cortisol and T3 concentrations were positively correlated with UCP2, GR and 11βHSD2 mRNA abundance, but negatively correlated with 11βHSD1 mRNA abundance. In conclusion, plasma cortisol and T3 are both required for the late gestation rise in UCP2 mRNA and differentially regulate glucocorticoid action in fetal adipose tissue in the sheep during late gestation.
HOLOMORPHIC FACTORIZATION AND RENORMALIZATION GROUP IN CLOSED STRING THEORY
Authors: SATHIAPALAN B.
Published: June 2005

The prescription of Kawai, Lewellen and Tye for writing closed string tree amplitudes as sums of products of open string tree amplitudes, is applied to the worldsheet renormalization group equation. The main point is that regularization of the Minkowski (rather than Euclidean) worldsheet theory allows factorization into left-moving and right-moving sectors to be maintained. Explicit calculations are done for the tachyon and the (gauge fixed) graviton.
MQCD, ("BARELY") G2 MANIFOLDS AND (ORIENTIFOLD OF) A COMPACT CALABI–YAU
Authors: MISRA AALOK
Published: June 2005

We begin with a discussion on two apparently disconnected topics — one related to nonperturbative superpotential generated from wrapping an M2-brane around a supersymmetric three cycle embedded in a G2-manifold evaluated by the path-integral inside a path-integral approach of Ref. 1, and the other centered around the compact Calabi–Yau CY3(3, 243) expressed as a blow-up of a degree-24 Fermat hypersurface in WCP4[1, 1, 2, 8, 12]. For the former, we compare the results with the ones of Witten on heterotic worldsheet instantons.2 The subtopics covered in the latter include an 𝒩=1 triality between Heterotic, M- and F-theories, evaluation of RP2-instanton superpotential, Picard–Fuchs equation for the mirror Landau–Ginzburg model corresponding to CY3(3, 243), D = 11 supergravity corresponding to M-theory compactified on a "barely" G2 manifold involving CY3(3, 243) and a conjecture related to the action of antiholomorphic involution on period integrals. We then shown an indirect connection between the two topics by showing a connection between each one of the two and Witten's MQCD.3 As an aside, we show that in the limit of vanishing "ζ", a complex constant that appears in the Riemann surfaces relevant to defining the boundary conditions for the domain wall in MQCD, the infinite series of Ref. 4 used to represent a suitable embedding of a supersymmetric 3-cycle in a G2-mannifold, can be summed.
PIONIC HYDROGEN
Authors:   On behalf of the PIONIC HYDROGEN Collaboration., SIMONS LEOPOLD M.
Published: June 2005

The new pionic hydrogen experiment at PSI aims at a determination of the strong interaction ground state shift and width of the pionic hydrogen atom with the final goal to extract isospin separated scattering lengths with accuracies on the percent level. Its achievements compared to previous efforts are indicated and the inherent difficulties of the experimantal approach as well as the chosen solutions are discussed. First results are presented.
PSEUDOSCALAR MESON PRODUCTION USING THE CRYSTAL BALL
Authors: BRISCOE W. J.
Published: June 2005

The Crystal Ball Spectrometer was used at Brookhaven National Laboratory in a series of experiments which study all neutral final states of π- p and K- p induced reactions. We report about the experimental program and new results for the radiative capture reactions π-p → γ n and K-p → γΛ, charge exchange π-p → π° n , two π° production π-p → π° π° n , and η production π-p → η n reactions. Data have also been obtained on the decays of N*, Δ, Λ, and Σ resonances. Threshold η production has been studied in detail for both π- p and K- p . Sequential resonance decays have been investigated by studying the 2π° production mechanism both in the fundamental interaction and in nuclei.
RECENT HERMES RESULTS ON MESON PRODUCTION
Authors:   On behalf of the HERMES Collaboration., TYTGAT M.
Published: June 2005

An overview is given of selected recent HERMES results involving hadron production. Topics including transversity, hard exclusive production of pion pairs, observation of the Θ+ pentaquark state and quark fragmentation in nuclei will be presented.
RECENT J/ψ RESULTS FROM BESII
Authors:   For the BES Collaboration., SHEN XIAOYAN
Published: June 2005

The studies on the multi-quark candidates, light scalar mesons and excited baryon states at BES are presented, based on 5.8×107 J/ψ data collected with BESII detector. The measurements of some J/ψ and ηc decays are presented too. We also report the searches for the lepton flavor violation and pentaquark states in J/ψ decays.
TWO-PION PRODUCTION, γγ LINE AND ASPECTS OF σ MESON, BOSE–EINSTEIN CORRELATIONS AND ISOSPIN BREAKING
Authors:   CELSIUS-WASA Collaboration., CLEMENT H. , BASHKANOV M. , DOROSHKEVICH E. , KASKULOV M. , KHAKIMOVA O. , KREN F. , MEIER R. , SKORODKO T. , WAGNER G. J. , BOGOSLAWSKY D. , IVANOV G. , JIGANOV E. , KUZNETSOV A. , MOROSOW B. , PETUKHOV Y. , POVTOREJKO A. , TIKHOMIROV V. , CALÉN H. , EKSTRÖM C. , FRANSSON K. , KUPŚĆ A. , MARCINIEWSKI P. , RUBER R. J. M. Y. , CAPPELLANO F. , GUSTAFSSON L. , HÖISTAD B. , JACEWICZ M. , JOHANSSON T. , KELETA S. , KOCH I. , KULLANDER S. , ENGBLOM P. THÖRNGREN , WIEDNER U. , WOLKE M. , ZLOMANCZUK J. , DEMIROERS L. , GREIFF J. , PAULY C. , SCOBEL W. , OELERT W. , SHWARTZ B. , SOPOV V. , TCHERNYSHEV V. , STEPANIAK J. , ZABIEROWSKI J. , TUROWIECKI A. , YAMAMOTO A.
Published: June 2005

The pp→ppx(x=γγ, π0π0, π+π-) reactions have been measured at CELSIUS in the energy range Tp=775-1360 MeV using the WASA 4π detector with hydrogen pellet target. Close to threshold the ppπ+π- data are in accordance with the Roper resonance concept and/or a dynamic formation of the σ meson. At higher energies the formation of the ΔΔ system becomes increasingly dominant. The ppπ0π0 channel basically shows similar features, however, develops a peculiar enhancement at small invariant masses Mπ0π0 - in resemblance of Bose-Einstein correlations. Alternatively, the enhancement could be also indicative of a (dynamic) isospin breaking due to ππ rescattering in the σ channel. The latter is favored by the results on pd→3 He x (x=π0π0, π+π-), where the observed π0π0 enhancements are still much larger. In the γγ channel a line at Mγγ=2mπ is observed. The possible nature of this line is discussed.
VECTOR MESON PRODUCTION ABOVE THE RESONANCE REGION
Authors:   On behalf of the CLAS Collaboration., BATTAGLIERI MARCO
Published: June 2005

The total and differential cross section for exclusive vector meson electro- and photoproduction above the resonance region (2<W<3 GeV ) were measured at Jefferson Laboratory covering a wide kinematic range (0<Q2<5 GeV 2/c2 and 0<-t<5 GeV 2). These measurements provide a unique tool to investigate the transition between soft and hard physics. Our data indicates that this regime can be successfully and consistently described by using the so called effective partonic degrees of freedom.
MEASUREMENT OF PION CHARGE EXCHANGE IN THE REGION OF THE S11(1535) RESONANCE
Authors:   For the Crystal Ball Collaboration: The Crystal Ball Collaboration: M. Clajus, A. Marusić, S. McDonald, B. M. K. Nefkens, N. Phaisangittisakul, S. Prakhov, J. Price, A. Starostin and W. B. Tippens, UCLA, D. Isenhower and M. Sadler, ACU, C. Allgower and H. Spinka, ANL, J. Comfort, K. Craig and T. Ramirez, ASU, T. Kycia, BNL, J. Peterson, UCo, W. Briscoe and A. Shafi, GWU, H. M. Staudenmaier, UKa, D. M. Manley and J. Olmsted, KSU, D. Peaslee, UMd, V. Bekrenev, A. Koulbardis, N. Kozlenko, S. Kruglov and I. Lo, PRAKHOV S. , STAROSTIN A.
Published: June 2005

Pion charge-exchange (π-p→π0n) differential cross sections are one of the basic sources of information on neutral pion-nucleon resonances. We present new, high statistics, high quality charge-exchange differential cross-section data obtained in the incident π- momentum range 650–750 MeV/c. The total uncertainty of the measurements is 6% or less. 648 new data points were obtained using the Crystal Ball multiphoton spectrometer covering 94% of the full solid angle. Our data show deviations from the results of the partial–wave analysis for some momenta, in particular at very backward angles. We also report on a search for the cusp effect in π-p→π0n at the opening of the π-p→ηn channel.
N* PRODUCTION FROM J/ψ DECAYS AT BES
Authors:   For the BES Collaboration., JI XIAOBIN
Published: June 2005

The πN system in [Formula: see text] is limited to be pure isospin 1/2 due to isospin conservation. This is a big advantage in studying N*→πN from the J/ψ decays, compared with πN and γN experiments which mix isospin 1/2 and 3/2 for πN system. Based on the 58 million J/ψ data collected at the Beijing Electron Positron Collider, [Formula: see text] and other decay channels are analyzed. In the decay [Formula: see text], three peaks show up very clearly at 1400 MeV/c2, 1500 MeV/c2 and 1670 MeV/c2 in the πN invariant mass spectrum with additional peak around 2030 MeV/c2 which may be caused by a new N* resonance.
IS SHORT-RANGE REALLY IMPORTANT?
Authors: STENMARK M.
Published: June 2005

The reaction NN→NNη is revisited and in particular the short-range mechanism is investigated. It is found that this particular mechanism has a small contribution in contradiction to what was found by earlier investigations.
CONFINING INTERQUARK POTENTIALS FROM NONABELIAN GAUGE THEORIES COUPLED TO DILATON
Authors: CHABAB MOHAMED , SANHAJI LATIFA
Published: June 2005

Following a recently proposed confinement generating mechanism, we provide a new string inspired model with a massive dilaton and a new dilaton coupling function5. By solving analytically the equations of motion, a new class of confining interquark potentials is derived which includes several popular potential forms given in the literature.
BEAM ASYMMETRY IN MESON PHOTOPRODUCTION ON DEUTERON TARGETS AT GRAAL
Authors:   For the GRAAL Collaboration: O. Bartalini, V. Bellini, J. P. Bocquet, M. Castoldi, A. D'Angelo, J. P. Didelez, A. Fantini, G. Gervino, F. Ghio, B. Girolami, A. Giusa, M. Guidal, E. Hourany, R. Kunne, V. Kuznetsov, A. Lapik, P. Levi Sandri, A. Lleres, D. Moricciani, A. Moushkarenko, D. V. Nedorezov, D. Rebreyend, N. V. Rudnev, G. Russo, C. Schaerf, M. L. Sperduto, M. C. Sutera, A. Turinge, A. Zabrodin., DI SALVO RACHELE
Published: June 2005

Preliminary results on the beam asymmetry Σ for η and π0 photoproduction on the proton and the neutron in the deuteron in a quasi free kinematics regime have been obtained. Very preliminary results will be presented on the status of art of the GRAAL search for the two members of the exotic penta-quarks anti-decuplet, the P11 and the Θ+.
ELASTIC PROTON-PROTON SCATTERING AT GEV ENERGIES: ANALYZING POWERS ANAND SPIN CORRELATION PARAMETERS ANN, ASS, AND ASL
Authors:   For the EDDA Collaboration., HINTERBERGER F. , EYSER K. O.
Published: June 2005

The analyzing powers ANand spin correlation parameters ANN, ASS, and ASLof the elastic proton-proton scattering have been measured with an internal polarized atomic beam target at the cooler synchrotron COSY. Excitation functions were taken continuously during the acceleration and deceleration of the internal beam for kinetic energies ranging between 0.45 and 2.5 GeV and scattering angles 30°≤Θc.m.≤90°. The analyzing power excitation functions provide a new polarization standard in the GeV region. The spin correlation data on ASSdisagree strikingly with existing phase shift solutions. The addition of the new polarization data to the world database removes some of the ambiguities in the phase shift solutions and the direct reconstruction of scattering amplitudes. The data are compared with a recent extension of a meson-exchange potential model to higher energies.
RECENT RESULTS CONCERNING NEUTRON SPIN STRUCTURE THROUGH POLARIZED 3HE(E,E′)
Authors: GILMAN R.
Published: June 2005

I briefly review some of the interesting recent results on neutron spin structure that have been obtained using the Jefferson Lab Hall A facility with a polarized 3 He target.
SURFACE MORPHOLOGY OF SUBMICRON CRYSTALS IN ALUMINUM NITRIDE FILMS GROWN BY DC MAGNETRON SPUTTERING
Authors: LIMSUWAN P. , UDOMKAN N. , MEEJOO S. , WINOTAI P.
Published: June 2005

Aluminium nitride (AlN) thin films were fabricated on a glass substrate by reactive magnetron sputtering. Raman microscopy was then employed to follow the characteristics of their optical and acoustic phonon modes. At the optimal sputtering time of 30 minutes, the defect-induced first and second order Raman spectra were observed in 400–800 cm-1 band which were mostly related to the coating compositions. However, at the 30-, 60- and 90-minute sputtering, crystals of submicron size order of AlN were achieved. This could be clearly identified by the presence of Raman peak at 658–662 cm-1. Powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD) patterns revealed the development of (002) and (101) planes of hexagonal wurtzite AlN phase. The optimal average grain size measured by atomic force microscopy (AFM) is at 330 nm. It was found that the hardness was strongly dependent on roughness of the film, the maximum of which was achieved at 20.00 GPa. The presence of F-type defects in AlN films was investigated by X-band (~9.44 GHz) ESR spectrometer at 295 K. The ESR experiments were carried out by applying magnetic field perpendicular to AlN film, which showed the ESR six-peak multiplet signal at ~290 mT arising from superhyperfine interactions between nuclear spin I = 5/2 of 27 Al and electron spins trapped in nitrogen vacancies. The ESR signals are simulated and the ESR parameters are calculated. The vacancies are clearly randomly distributed as the ESR signals are independent of rotation angle (φ) about the normal of the film. All these results were analyzed and presented as a function of the deposition parameters and composition, and crystalline phases existed in the films.
STATIC CYLINDRICAL SYMMETRY AND CONFORMAL FLATNESS
Authors: HERRERA L. , LE DENMAT G. , MARCILHACY G. , SANTOS N. O.
Published: June 2005

We present the whole set of equations with regularity and matching conditions required for the description of physically meaningful static cylindrically symmmetric distributions of matter, smoothly matched to Levi-Civita vacuum spacetime. It is shown that the conformally flat solution with equal principal stresses represents an incompressible fluid. It is also proved that any conformally flat cylindrically symmetric static source cannot be matched through Darmois conditions to the Levi-Civita spacetime. Further evidence is given that when the Newtonian mass per unit length reaches 1/2, the spacetime has plane symmetry.
DYNAMICS OF FERROMAGNETIC WALLS: GRAVITATIONAL PROPERTIES
Authors: CAMPANELLI L. , CEA P. , FOGLI G. L. , TEDESCO L.
Published: June 2005

We discuss a new mechanism which allows domain walls produced during the primordial electroweak phase transition. We show that the effective surface tension of these domain walls can be made vanishingly small due to a peculiar magnetic condensation induced by fermion zero modes localized on the wall. We find that in the perfect gas approximation the domain wall network behaves like a radiation gas. We consider the recent high-red shift supernova data and we find that the corresponding Hubble diagram is compatible with the presence in the Universe of an ideal gas of ferromagnetic domain walls. We show that our domain wall gas induces a completely negligible contribution to the large-scale anisotropy of the microwave background radiation.
QUANTUM STATES OF NEUTRONS IN THE EARTH'S GRAVITATIONAL FIELD: CONSTRAINTS FOR QUASI-ELASTIC REFLECTIONS IN THE RANGE ΔE~10-12–10-9eV
Authors: NESVIZHEVSKY V. V.
Published: June 2005

A restrictive constraint for any quasi-elastic process was obtained in the previously inaccessible energy range ΔE~10-12–3·10-10 eV for reflections of ultracold neutrons from surfaces in the experiment on neutron quantum states in the earth's gravitational field. This could be useful for precision neutron spectrometry experiments and for the verification of extensions of quantum mechanics.
REMARKS ON THE STRUCTURE OF DIRICHLET FORMS ON STANDARD FORMS OF VON NEUMANN ALGEBRAS
Authors: PARK YONG MOON
Published: June 2005

For a von Neumann algebra ࡕ acting on a Hilbert space ℋ with a cyclic and separating vector ξ0, we investigate the structure of Dirichlet forms on the natural standard form associated with the pair (ࡕ, ξ0). For a general bounded Lindblad type generator L of a conservative quantum dynamical semigroup on ࡕ, we give sufficient conditions so that the bounded operator H induced by L via the symmetric embedding of ࡕ into ℋ to be self-adjoint. It turns out that the self-adjoint operator H can be written in the form of a Dirichlet operator associated to a Dirichlet form given in Ref. 23. In order to make the connection possible, we also extend the range of applications of the formula in Ref. 23.
RENORMALIZED SQUARES OF BOSON FIELDS
Authors: ACCARDI L. , ROSCHIN R.
Published: June 2005

The standard renormalization procedure consists of introducing a cutoff and then trying to remove it by some limiting procedure. In Ref. 2 a new renormalization technique was introduced based on the idea of renormalizing a closed set of commutation relations and then finding a nontrivial representation for them. In Ref. 5 it was proved that, in the case of quadratic fields the new renormalization procedure leads to quadratic field operator which is gamma distributed in the quadratic vacuum (as one would intuitively expect from the "square" of a white noise) and to Meixner or Pascal distributed Poisson fields. It is natural to ask if the same result can be obtained with the usual cutoff and take-limit procedure. In this paper we prove that the answer to this question is negative. More precisely, we show that, independently of the choice of the cutoff (cf. Sec. 7), if a quadratic field admits a limit in the sense of mixed moments, then this limit will be Gaussian distributed in the vacuum and consequently the associated Poisson fields will have a Poisson distribution.
The influence of lithology and pre-existing structures on reservoir-scale faulting patterns in transtensional rift zones
Authors: de Paola N. , Holdsworth R.E. , McCaffrey K.J.W.
Published: June 2005

In transtensional and transpressional deformation zones, bulk 3D strains are often kinematically partitioned into regions of wrench- and extension- or shortening-dominated faulting. Most strain models assume ideal incompressible materials with a Poisson's ratio (ν) of 0.5. It is well known from experimental and geophysical data, however, that natural rocks have values of ν <0.5 and that significant variations in the values of ν occur for different lithologies. We demonstrate that for non-coaxial, 3D transtension and transpression, this should lead to an expansion of the wrench-dominated strain field. The effect is especially marked in lithologies with very low Poisson's ratios (ν ≤0.15), where wrench-dominated deformation can occur even where the regional direction of divergence or convergence is only modestly oblique (e.g. 52°). The Carboniferous basin-bounding 90-Fathom Fault, NE England, was reactivated as a dextral transtensional structure during NE–SW regional stretching in post-Carboniferous times. Preferential dip-slip reactivation of pre-existing east–west structures in the underlying Carboniferous basement led to kinematic partitioning of the transtensional bulk strain. In addition, the geometric, spatial and kinematic patterns of minor faulting in Permian rocks located in the fault hanging wall are markedly influenced by the host lithology. Quartz-rich sandstones (ν=0.12) preserve complex faulting patterns consistent with a wrench-dominated transtension whereas immediately overlying dolostones (ν=0.29) preserve simpler patterns of Andersonian conjugate faults consistent with a more extension-dominated regime. We propose that the markedly different strain response during the same deformation reflects pronounced lithologically controlled variations in the value of Poisson's ratio in the adjacent rock units. Our findings illustrate that micro- to meso-scale faulting patterns are likely to be substantially influenced by lithology in all regions of oblique divergence or convergence.
First dinosaur from the Shan–Thai Block of SE Asia: a Jurassic sauropod from the southern peninsula of Thailand
Authors: Buffetaut Eric , Suteethorn Varavudh , Tong Haiyan , Košir Adrijan
Published: June 2005

A vertebra collected from the Jurassic non-marine Khlong Min Formation of southern Thailand is referred to the family Euhelopodidae, a group of sauropod dinosaurs that apparently was endemic to eastern Asia during the Jurassic and Early Cretaceous, at a time when that part of the world was isolated from other land masses. The occurrence of a euhelopodid in the Jurassic of the Shan–Thai Block supports the idea of a collision of the Shan–Thai Block with the Indochina Block, thus establishing connections with ‘mainland Asia’, early in the Mesozoic, probably before the Jurassic.
Renal cortical and medullary blood flow responses tol-NAME and ANG II in wild-type, nNOS null mutant, and eNOS null mutant mice
Authors: Mattson David L. , Meister Carla J.
Published: June 2005

Experiments in wild-type (WT; C57BL/6J) mice, endothelial nitric oxide synthase null mutant [eNOS(-/-)] mice, and neuronal NOS null mutant [nNOS(-/-)] mice were performed to determine which NOS isoform regulates renal cortical and medullary blood flow under basal conditions and during the infusion of ANG II. Inhibition of NOS with Nω-nitro-l-arginine methyl ester (l-NAME; 50 mg/kg iv) in Inactin-anesthetized WT and nNOS(-/-) mice increased arterial blood pressure by 28–31 mmHg and significantly decreased blood flow in the renal cortex (18–24%) and the renal medulla (13–18%). In contrast, blood pressure and renal cortical and medullary blood flow were unaltered after l-NAME administration to eNOS(-/-) mice, indicating that NO derived from eNOS regulates baseline vascular resistance in mice. In subsequent experiments, intravenous ANG II (20 ng·kg−1·min−1) significantly decreased renal cortical blood flow (by 15–25%) in WT, eNOS(-/-), nNOS(-/-), and WT mice treated with l-NAME. The infusion of ANG II, however, led to a significant increase in medullary blood flow (12–15%) in WT and eNOS(-/-) mice. The increase in medullary blood flow following ANG II infusion was not observed in nNOS(-/-) mice, in WT or eNOS(-/-) mice pretreated with l-NAME, or in WT mice administered the nNOS inhibitor 5-(1-imino-3-butenyl)-l-ornithine (1 mg·kg−1·h−1). These data demonstrate that NO from eNOS regulates baseline blood flow in the mouse renal cortex and medulla, while NO produced by nNOS mediates an increase in medullary blood flow in response to ANG II.
Expression of Glutamate Receptor Subunits in the Hypothalamus of the Female Rat during the Afternoon of the Proestrous Luteinizing Hormone Surge and Effects of Antiprogestin Treatment and Aging
Authors: Brann Darrell W. , Zamorano Pedro L. , de Sevilla Liesl , Mahesh Virendra B.
Published: June 2005

The excitatory transmitter, glutamate has been implicated in the control of reproduction, hormone secretion and neuroendocrine regulation. The present study examined whether the hypothalamic expression of three key ionotropic glutamate receptor subunits (NMDAR1, GluR1 and GluR6) fluctuates significantly on proestrus in the rat, and whether treatment with the antiprogestin, RU486 affected glutamate receptor subunit expression. The studies revealed that NMDAR1, GluR1 and GluR6 mRNA levels in the mediobasal hypothalamus (MBH) and preoptic area (POA) fluctuate little throughout the day of proestrus. However, treatment with the antiprogestin, RU486 induced a significant elevation of GluR6 mRNA levels at 14.00 and 16.00 h on proestrus in the MBH, suggesting that endogenous progesterone (P4) may act to inhibit hypothalamic GluR6 levels. In support of this suggestion, exogenous P4 treatment to estrogen (E2)-primed ovariectomized (ovx) rats significantly suppressed GluR6 mRNA levels in the afternoon (12.00–16.00 h) in the MBH, and at 12.00 h in the POA, which preceded LH surge induction. Likewise, temporal examination of hypothalamic GluR6 protein levels in E2 + P4-treated young and middle-aged ovx rats revealed an early elevation from 12.00 to 14.00 h, which was followed by a fall from 16.00 to 20.00 h. The early elevation of GluR6 protein levels was most pronounced in the POA of the young rat, and this elevation was markedly attenuated in the middle-aged rat. As a whole, the studies suggest that glutamate receptor expression fluctuates little on proestrus in the hypothalamus, but that expression of the kainate GluR6 receptor subunit may be modulated by progesterone and aging.
Early Prediction of Acute Renal Injury Using Urinary Proteomics
Authors: Nguyen Mai T. , Ross Gary F. , Dent Catherine L. , Devarajan Prasad
Published: June 2005

Aims: The lack of early biomarkers for acute renal failure (ARF) has crippled our ability to launch potentially effective therapeutic measures. We tested the hypothesis that urinary proteomics could identify novel early biomarker patterns for ischemic renal injury. Methods: Sixty patients undergoing cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) were enrolled. Urine samples obtained at 2 and 6 h post CPB were analyzed by Surface-Enhanced Laser Desorption/Ionization Time-of-Flight Mass Spectrometry (SELDI-TOF-MS). The primary outcome variable was ARF, defined as a 50% or greater increase in serum creatinine. Results: Fifteen patients (25%) developed ARF 2–3 days after CPB. SELDI-TOF-MS analysis of urine from the ARF group at baseline versus at 2 and 6 h post-CPB consistently showed a marked and statistically significant enhancement of protein biomarkers with m/z of 6.4, 28.5, 43 and 66 kDa. The same biomarkers were enhanced when comparing control versus ARF groups at 2 and 6 h post-CPB. The sensitivity and specificity of the 28.5-, 43- and 66-kDa biomarkers for the prediction of ARF at 2 h following CPB was 100%. The receiver operating characteristic curves revealed an area under the curve of 0.98. Conclusion: SELDI-TOF-MS is a novel, non-invasive, sensitive, highly predictive, reproducible, rapid method for the prediction of acute renal injury following CPB.
Vascular Endothelium Has a Local Anti-Adenovirus Vector System and Glucocorticoid Optimizes Its Gene Transduction
Authors: Murata Takahisa , Hori Masatoshi , Lee Sheng , Nakamura Akio , Kohama Kazuhiro , Karaki Hideaki , Ozaki Hiroshi
Published: June 2005

Objective—Although adenovirus is a powerful tool for vascular research and therapy, endothelial impairment after infection has been reported. We investigated the mechanisms of this impairment and the effect of dexamethasone (DEX) on gene transfer into the vascular endothelial cells.

Methods and Results—β-Galactosidase gene encoding adenovirus vector (β-gal-Ad) (7.5×108plaque-forming units/mL) transduced β-gal into the rabbit organ–cultured pulmonary endothelium, followed by an apoptosis and an impairment of endothelium-dependent relaxation (EDR). Endothelial cell infected by β-gal-Ad expressed proinflammatory genes mRNAs and suppressed endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) mRNA. Treatment with DEX dramatically increased β-gal protein expression in the endothelium, attenuated β-gal-Ad–induced apoptosis, and prevented the impairment of EDR. DEX also suppressed the mRNAs expressions of proinflammatory genes and recovered eNOS mRNA expression in organ-cultured vascular endothelium. In addition, we confirmed the DEX’s beneficial effects in an endothelial cell line (in vitro) and rat femoral artery (in vivo) experiments.

Conclusion—These results suggest that adenovirus vector induces host-immune responses and apoptosis in vascular endothelial cells. DEX is found to be a useful and potent tool to prevent the Ad-induced impairments of the endothelium and to optimize gene expression efficiency by adenovirus vector at the protein translation level in both in vitro and in vivo experiments.
Expression of Slow Skeletal Troponin I in Adult Mouse Heart Helps to Maintain the Left Ventricular Systolic Function During Respiratory Hypercapnia
Authors: Urboniene Dalia , Dias Fernando A.L. , Peña James R. , Walker Lori A. , Solaro R. John , Wolska Beata M.
Published: June 2005

Compared with the adult, neonatal heart muscle is less sensitive to deactivation by acidic pH. We hypothesized that expression of slow skeletal troponin I (ssTnI), the embryonic isoform, in adult heart would help maintain left ventricular (LV) systolic function during respiratory hypercapnia. We assessed LV function by transthoracic 2D-targeted M-mode and pulsed Doppler echocardiography in transgenic (TG) mice in which cardiac TnI was replaced with ssTnI and in nontransgenic (NTG) littermates. Anesthetized mice were ventilated with either 100% oxygen or 35% CO
2
balanced with oxygen. Arterial blood pH with 35% CO
2
decreased to the same levels in both groups of animals. In the absence of propranolol, the LV fractional shortening was higher in TG compared with NTG mice throughout most of the experimental protocol. LV diastolic function was impaired in TG compared with NTG mice both at 100% oxygen and 35% CO
2
because E-to-A wave ratio of mitral flow was significantly lower, and E-wave deceleration time and LV isovolumic relaxation time were longer in TG compared with NTG mice. When compensatory mechanisms that occur through stimulation of β-adrenergic receptors during hypercapnia were blocked by continuous perfusion with propranolol, we found that NTG mice died within 3 to 4 minutes after switching to 35% CO
2
, whereas TG mice survived. Our experiments demonstrate the first evidence that specific replacement of cardiac TnI with ssTnI has a protective effect on the LV systolic function during hypercapnic acidosis in situ.
Racial Disparities in Stroke Risk Factors
Authors: Bravata Dawn M. , Wells Carolyn K. , Gulanski Barbara , Kernan Walter N. , Brass Lawrence M. , Long Judith , Concato John
Published: June 2005

Background and Purpose—

In the US, blacks have a higher incidence of stroke and more severe strokes than whites. Our objective was to determine if differences in income, education, and insurance, as well as differences in the prevalence of stroke risk factors, accounted for the association between ethnicity and stroke.

Methods—

We used data from the Third National Health and Nutrition Survey (NHANES III), a cross-sectional sample of the noninstitutionalized US population (1988–1994), and included blacks and whites aged 40 years or older with a self-reported stroke history. Income was assessed using a ratio of income to US Census Bureau annual poverty threshold.

Results—

Among 11 163 participants, 2752 (25%) were black and 619 (6%) had a stroke history (blacks: 160/2752 [6%]; whites: 459/8411 [6%];
P
=0.48). Blacks had a higher prevalence of 5 risk factors independently associated with stroke: hypertension, treated diabetes, claudication, higher C-reactive protein, and inactivity; whites had a higher prevalence of 3 risk factors: older age, myocardial infarction, and lower high-density lipoprotein cholesterol. Ethnicity was independently associated with stroke after adjusting for the 8 risk factors (adjusted odds ratio, 1.32; 95% CI, 1.04 to 1.67). Ethnicity was not independently associated with stroke after adjustment for income and income was independently associated with stroke (adjusted odds ratios for: ethnicity, 1.15; 95% CI, 0.88 to 1.49; income, 0.89; 95% CI, 0.82 to 0.95). Adjustment for neither education nor insurance altered the ethnicity–stroke association.

Conclusions—

In this study of community-dwelling stroke survivors, ethnic differences exist in the prevalence of stroke risk factors and income may explain the association between ethnicity and stroke.
Engineering a Dopaminergic Phenotype in Stem/Precursor Cells: Role of Nurr1, Glia‐Derived Signals, and Wnts
Authors: ARENAS ERNEST
Published: June 2005

Abstract: Recent results from clinical trials using fetal tissue grafts in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) have indicated that current surgical strategies for dopamine cell replacement therapy need to be improved in order to achieve better functional integration of the grafts and to avoid dyskinesias. Previous studies using rich dopaminergic (DA) cell suspensions have provided proof‐of‐concept that PD patients can benefit from cell replacement therapy. Stem cells have been proposed as better candidates for cell replacement therapy in PD since they can be standardized, expanded, and engineered in vitro. Recent developments indicate that cell preparations enriched in DA neurons can be generated in vitro, but their functional integration in animal models of disease is still far from optimal. This is not entirely surprising considering our limited knowledge of the development of DA neurons and the reduced number of factors that have been implemented in stem cell differentiation protocols. This review will focus on three aspects of DA neuron development: (1) the function of Nurr1 and retinoid X receptors (RXR) in the differentiation of DA precursors and in the survival of DA neurons; (2) the role of glia in DA neurogenesis and the differentiation of DA precursors; and (3) the function of the Wnt family of lipoproteins in the proliferation and differentiation of DA precursors. A greater understanding of the cellular and molecular mechanisms that control DA neuron development, as well as their functional integration in vivo, are likely to ultimately contribute to the development of novel stem cell replacement therapies for PD.
Mitochondrial Genome Instability and mtDNA Depletion in Human Cancers
Authors: LEE HSIN‐CHEN , YIN PEN‐HUI , LIN JIN‐CHING , WU CHENG‐CHUNG , CHEN CHIH‐YI , WU CHEW‐WUN , CHI CHIN‐WEN , TAM TSENG‐NIP , WEI YAU‐HUEI
Published: June 2005

Abstract: An increase in the rate of glycolysis is one of the metabolic alterations in most cancer cells. However, the role of alterations in mitochondrial function and mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) in carcinogenesis still remains unclear. In this study, we analyzed the nucleotide sequence of the D‐loop and the copy number of mtDNA in 54 hepatocellular carcinomas (HCCs), 31 gastric, 31 lung, and 25 colorectal cancers as well as their corresponding non‐tumorous tissues. The results revealed that 42.6% (23/54) of the HCCs, 51.6% (16/31) of the gastric cancers, 22.6% (7/31) of the lung cancers, and 40.0% (10/25) of the colorectal cancers harbored mutation(s) in the D‐loop of mtDNA. The mtDNA mutations in 43.5% (10/23) of the HCCs, 62.5% (10/16) of the gastric cancers, 57.1% (4/7) of the lung cancers, and 90.0% (9/10) of the colorectal cancers were changes in the mononucleotide or dinucleotide repeats, deletions, or multiple insertions. Moreover, we found that there is a significant decrease in mtDNA copy number in 57.4% (31/54) of the HCCs, 54.8% (17/31) of the gastric cancers, 22.6% (7/31) of the lung cancers, and 28.0% (7/25) of the colorectal cancers compared with the corresponding non‐tumorous tissues. It is noteworthy that the incidence of somatic mutations in the D‐loop of mtDNA in the cancers of later stages was higher than that of the early‐stage cancers. Taken together, our findings suggest that instability in the D‐loop region of mtDNA, together with the decrease in mtDNA copy number, is involved in the carcinogenesis of human cancers.