bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Electron-beam induced recrystallization in amorphous apatite
Authors: Bae In-Tae , Zhang Yanwen , Weber William J. , Higuchi Mikio , Giannuzzi Lucille A.
Published: January 2007

Electron-beam induced recrystallization of irradiation-induced amorphous Sr2Nd8(SiO4)6O2 is investigated in situ using transmission electron microscopy with 200keV electrons at room temperature. Epitaxial recrystallization is observed from both the amorphous/crystalline interface and the surface, and the recrystallization is more pronounced with increasing electron-beam flux. Since the temperature increase induced by electron-beam irradiation is estimated to be less than 7K and maximum energies transferred to target atoms are below the displacement energies, ionization-induced processes are considered to be the primary mechanisms for the solid-phase epitaxial recrystallization observed in the present study.
Stress in tungsten carbide-diamond like carbon multilayer coatings
Authors: Pujada B. R. , Tichelaar F. D. , Janssen G. C. A. M.
Published: January 2007

Tungsten carbide-diamond like carbon (WC-DLC) multilayer coatings have been prepared by sputter deposition from a tungsten-carbide target and periodic switching on and off of the reactive acetylene gas flow. The stress in the resulting WC-DLC multilayers has been studied by substrate curvature. Periodicity and microstructure have been studied by transmission electron microscopy. It has been observed that compressive stress in the multilayers decreases when the bilayer thickness is reduced. Results show a minimum compressive stress for bilayer thickness of around 5nm. This behavior is discussed in terms of interface stress and mixing between layers.
In
Ga
As
∕
Al
As
Sb
∕
In
P
quantum cascade lasers operating at wavelengths close to 3μm
Authors: Revin D. G. , Cockburn J. W. , Steer M. J. , Airey R. J. , Hopkinson M. , Krysa A. B. , Wilson L. R. , Menzel S.
Published: January 2007

The authors report the realization of short wavelength (3.05μm⩽λ⩽3.6μm) InP lattice-matched In0.53Ga0.47As∕AlAs0.56Sb0.44 quantum cascade lasers (QCLs). The highest-performance device displays pulsed laser action at wavelengths between 3.4 and 3.6μm, for temperatures up to 300K, with a low temperature (80K) threshold current density of approximately 2.6kA∕cm2, and a characteristic temperature of T0∼130K. The shortest wavelength QCL (λ≈3.05μm) has a higher threshold current density (∼12kA∕cm2 at T=20K) and operates in pulsed mode at temperatures up to 110K.
Free electron laser seeded by ir laser driven high-order harmonic generation
Authors: Wu Juhao , Bolton Paul R. , Murphy James B. , Zhong Xinming
Published: January 2007

Coherent x-ray production by a seeded free electron laser (FEL) is important for next generation synchrotron light sources. The authors examine the feasibility and features of FEL emission seeded by a high-order harmonic generation (HHG) of an infrared laser. In addition to the intrinsic FEL chirp, the longitudinal profile and spectral bandwidth of the HHG seed are modified significantly by the FEL interaction well before saturation. This smears out the original attosecond pulselet structure. The authors introduce criteria for this smearing effect on the pulselet and the stretching effect on the entire pulse. They discuss the noise issue in such a seeded FEL.
Ancestral genome sizes specify the minimum rate of lateral gene transfer during prokaryote evolution
Authors: Dagan Tal , Martin William
Published: January 2007

The amount of lateral gene transfer (LGT) that has occurred in microbial evolution is heavily debated. Efforts to quantify LGT through gene-tree comparisons have delivered estimates that between 2% and 60% of all prokaryotic genes have been affected by LGT, the 30-fold discrepancy reflecting differences among gene samples studied and uncertainties inherent in phylogenetic reconstruction. Here we present a simple method that is independent of gene-tree comparisons to estimate the LGT rate among sequenced prokaryotic genomes. If little or no LGT has occurred during evolution, ancestral genome sizes would become unrealistically large, whereas too much LGT would render them far too small. We determine the amount of LGT that is necessary and sufficient to bring the distribution of inferred ancestral genome sizes into agreement with that observed among modern microbes. Rather than testing for phylogenetic congruence or lack thereof across genes, we assume that all gene trees are compatible; hence, our method delivers very conservative lower-bound estimates of the average LGT rate. The results indicate that among 57,670 gene families distributed across 190 sequenced genomes, at least two-thirds and probably all, have been affected by LGT at some time in their evolutionary past. A component of common ancestry nonetheless remains detectable in gene distribution patterns. We estimate the minimum lower bound for the average LGT rate across all genes as 1.1 LGT events per gene family and gene family lifespan and this minimum rate increases sharply when genes present in only a few genomes are excluded from the analysis.
The SCL transcriptional network and BMP signaling pathway interact to regulate RUNX1 activity
Authors: Pimanda John E. , Donaldson Ian J. , de Bruijn Marella F. T. R. , Kinston Sarah , Knezevic Kathy , Huckle Liz , Piltz Sandie , Landry Josette-Renée , Green Anthony R. , Tannahill David , Göttgens Berthold
Published: January 2007

Hematopoietic stem cell (HSC) development is regulated by several signaling pathways and a number of key transcription factors, which include Scl/Tal1, Runx1, and members of the Smad family. However, it remains unclear how these various determinants interact. Using a genome-wide computational screen based on the well characterized
Scl
+19 HSC enhancer, we have identified a related Smad6 enhancer that also targets expression to blood and endothelial cells in transgenic mice. Smad6, Bmp4, and Runx1 transcripts are concentrated along the ventral aspect of the E10.5 dorsal aorta in the aorta–gonad–mesonephros region from which HSCs originate. Moreover, Smad6, an inhibitor of Bmp4 signaling, binds and inhibits Runx1 activity, whereas Smad1, a positive mediator of Bmp4 signaling, transactivates the
Runx1
promoter. Taken together, our results integrate three key determinants of HSC development; the Scl transcriptional network, Runx1 activity, and the Bmp4/Smad signaling pathway.
Global patterns of diversification in the history of modern amphibians
Authors: Roelants Kim , Gower David J. , Wilkinson Mark , Loader Simon P. , Biju S. D. , Guillaume Karen , Moriau Linde , Bossuyt Franky
Published: January 2007

The fossil record of modern amphibians (frogs, salamanders, and caecilians) provides no evidence for major extinction or radiation episodes throughout most of the Mesozoic and early Tertiary. However, long-term gradual diversification is difficult to reconcile with the sensitivity of present-day amphibian faunas to rapid ecological changes and the incidence of similar environmental perturbations in the past that have been associated with high turnover rates in other land vertebrates. To provide a comprehensive overview of the history of amphibian diversification, we constructed a phylogenetic timetree based on a multigene data set of 3.75 kb for 171 species. Our analyses reveal several episodes of accelerated amphibian diversification, which do not fit models of gradual lineage accumulation. Global turning points in the phylogenetic and ecological diversification occurred after the end-Permian mass extinction and in the late Cretaceous. Fluctuations in amphibian diversification show strong temporal correlation with turnover rates in amniotes and the rise of angiosperm-dominated forests. Approximately 86% of modern frog species and >81% of salamander species descended from only five ancestral lineages that produced major radiations in the late Cretaceous and early Tertiary. This proportionally late accumulation of extant lineage diversity contrasts with the long evolutionary history of amphibians but is in line with the Tertiary increase in fossil abundance toward the present.
On positivity of certain systems of partial differential equations
Authors: Parmeggiani Alberto
Published: January 2007

We extend the Fefferman–Phong inequality to
N
×
N
systems of PDEs with symbol

(
x
, ξ) ∈ ℝ
n
× ℝ
n
, where
e
is a positive homogeneous quadratic form, and
B
(
x
, ξ) = Σ
ℓ=1

n

B
ℓ
(
x
)ξ
ℓ
. We thus generalize a result by L.-Y. Sung that was obtained for systems of ordinary differential equations. Our proof exploits a Calderón–Zygmund decomposition of the phase-space ℝ
n
× ℝ
n
of the kind introduced by C. Fefferman and D. H. Phong for studying subelliptic differential operators and goes by induction on the size
N
of the system.
The unique insert at the end of the myosin VI motor is the sole determinant of directionality
Authors: Park Hyokeun , Li Anna , Chen Li-Qiong , Houdusse Anne , Selvin Paul R. , Sweeney H. Lee
Published: January 2007

Myosin VI moves toward the pointed (minus) end of actin filaments, the reverse direction of other myosin classes. The myosin VI structure demonstrates that a unique insert at the end of the motor repositions its lever arm and is at least in part responsible for the reversal of directionality. However, it has been proposed that there must be additional modifications within the motor that contribute to its large step size and to the reversal of directionality. To ascertain the inherent directionality of the motor core, we attached the myosin V lever arm to myosin VI, with and without the unique insert. If the insert was maintained, the motor moved toward the minus end of actin filaments, but if removed, movement was redirected toward the plus end. Single-molecule studies revealed that further adaptations within the motor increase the magnitude and variability of the plus-end directed converter movements, and unexpectedly provide the source of the highly variable myosin VI step size. Thus, the unique insert is necessary and sufficient to reverse an inherently plus-end directed myosin.
Further evidence that Whorfian effects are stronger in the right visual field than the left
Authors: Drivonikou G. V. , Kay P. , Regier T. , Ivry R. B. , Gilbert A. L. , Franklin A. , Davies I. R. L.
Published: January 2007

The Whorf hypothesis holds that differences between languages induce differences in perception and/or cognition in their speakers. Much of the experimental work pursuing this idea has focused on the domain of color and has centered on the issue of whether linguistically coded color categories influence color discrimination. A new perspective has been cast on the debate by recent results that suggest that language influences color discrimination strongly in the right visual field but not in the left visual field (LVF). This asymmetry is likely related to the contralateral projection of visual fields to cerebral hemispheres and the specialization of the left hemisphere for language. The current study presents three independent experiments that replicate and extend these earlier results by using different tasks and testing across different color category boundaries. Our results differ in one respect: although we find that Whorfian effects on color are stronger for stimuli in the right visual field than in the LVF, we find that there are significant category effects in the LVF as well. The origin of the significant category effect in the LVF is considered, and two factors that might account for the pattern of results are proposed.
A nonpeptidic agonist of glucagon-like peptide 1 receptors with efficacy in diabetic
db
/
db
mice
Authors: Chen Desu , Liao Jiayu , Li Na , Zhou Caihong , Liu Qing , Wang Guangxing , Zhang Rui , Zhang Song , Lin Lilin , Chen Kaixian , Xie Xin , Nan Fajun , Young Andrew A. , Wang Ming-Wei
Published: January 2007

Peptidic mimics of the gut hormone glucagon-like peptide (GLP) 1, exemplified by the recently approved drug exenatide, show promise as therapies for type 2 diabetes. Such “incretin mimetics” regulate glucose appearance in the plasma and can restore glucose-stimulated insulin secretion without excess risk of hypoglycemia. The need for injection, which may limit the use of peptidic GLP-1 receptor (GLP-1R) agonists, has driven largely unsuccessful efforts to find smaller molecules. The failure to identify orally effective agonists has instead promoted the indirect approach of inhibiting the GLP-1-degrading enzyme dipeptidyl peptidase IV. Here we report a nonpeptidic GLP-1R agonist with sufficient activity to evoke effects in whole animals, including antidiabetic efficacy in
db
/
db
mice. Two substituted cyclobutanes (S4P and Boc5) were developed after screening a compound library against a cell line stably cotransfected with GLP-1R and a cAMP-responsive reporter. Each bound to GLP-1R and increased intracellular cAMP. Agonist effects were blocked by the GLP-1R antagonist exendin(9–39). Boc5 amplified glucose-stimulated insulin secretion in isolated rat islets. Both i.p. and oral administration of Boc5 dose-dependently inhibited food intake in mice, an effect that could be blocked by pretreatment with exendin(9–39). Daily injections of Boc5 into
db
/
db
mice reduced HbA1c to nondiabetic values, an effect not observed in ad libitum-fed or pair-fed diabetic controls. Thus, Boc5 behaved as a full GLP-1 mimetic
in vitro
and
in vivo
. The chemical genus represented by Boc5 may prompt the exploration of orally available GLP-1R agonists with potential utility in diabetes and obesity.
WIP is a chaperone for Wiskott–Aldrich syndrome protein (WASP)
Authors: de la Fuente Miguel A. , Sasahara Yoji , Calamito Marco , Antón Inés M. , Elkhal Abdallah , Gallego Maria D. , Suresh Koduru , Siminovitch Katherine , Ochs Hans D. , Anderson Kenneth C. , Rosen Fred S. , Geha Raif S. , Ramesh Narayanaswamy
Published: January 2007

Wiskott–Aldrich syndrome protein (WASP) is in a complex with WASP-interacting protein (WIP). WASP levels, but not mRNA levels, were severely diminished in T cells from WIP−/−mice and were increased by introduction of WIP in these cells. The WASP binding domain of WIP was shown to protect WASP from degradation by calpainin vitro. Treatment with the proteasome inhibitors MG132 and bortezomib increased WASP levels in T cells from WIP−/−mice and in T and B lymphocytes from two WAS patients with missense mutations (R86H and T45M) that disrupt WIP binding. The calpain inhibitor calpeptin increased WASP levels in activated T and B cells from the WASP patients, but not in primary T cells from the patients or from WIP−/−mice. Despite its ability to increase WASP levels proteasome inhibition did not correct the impaired IL-2 gene expression and low F-actin content in T cells from the R86H WAS patient. These results demonstrate that WIP stabilizes WASP and suggest that it may also be important for its function.
A note on conformal connections on lightlike hypersurfaces
Authors: Atindogbe Cyriaque , Berard-Bergery Lionel
Published: January 2007

Degenerate submanifolds of pseudo-Riemannian manifolds are quite difficult to study because there is no preferred connection when the submanifold is not totally geodesic. For the particular case of degenerate totally umbilical hypersurfaces, we show that there are “Weyl” connections adapted to the induced structure on the hypersurface. We begin the study of these with their holonomy.
Malagasy birds as hosts for eye-frequenting moths
Authors: Hilgartner Roland , Raoilison Mamisolo , Büttiker Willhelm , Lees David C , Krenn Harald W
Published: January 2007

While tear-feeding in moths on mammals is widespread, there have been no reports of this behaviour in Madagascar and none on birds. We report that a moth,Hemiceratoides hieroglyphicabelonging to the Calpini, a generally fruit-feeding or blood-feeding lineage of noctuids, attacks sleeping birds in Madagascar. This moth is able to intrude its sharply tipped proboscis into a closed bird's eye. The proboscis is characterized by a specific armoury of hooks, barbs and spines similar to that in piercing calpines but dissimilar to that in other tear-feeding moths. This is the first report of exploitation of tears by Lepidoptera from the closed eyes of sleeping birds.
Interaction between host genotype and environmental conditions affects bacterial density in
Wolbachia
symbiosis
Authors: Mouton Laurence , Henri Hélène , Charif Delphine , Boulétreau Michel , Vavre Fabrice
Published: January 2007

Regulation of microbial population density is a necessity in stable symbiotic interactions. In
Wolbachia
symbiosis, both bacterial and host genotypes are involved in density regulation, but environmental factors may also affect bacterial population density. Here, we studied the interaction between three strains of
Wolbachia
in two divergent homozygous lines of the wasp
Leptopilina heterotoma
at two different temperatures.
Wolbachia
density varied between the two host genotypes at only one temperature. Moreover, at this temperature, reciprocal-cross F1 insects displayed identical
Wolbachia
densities, which were intermediate between the densities in the two parental lines. While these findings confirm that the host genotype plays an important role in
Wolbachia
density, they also highlight its interaction with environmental conditions, making possible the evolution of local adaptations for the regulation of
Wolbachia
density.
Self-healing kinetics and the stereoisomers of dicyclopentadiene
Authors: Mauldin Timothy C , Rule Joseph D , Sottos Nancy R , White Scott R , Moore Jeffrey S
Published: January 2007

While original epoxy resin-based self-healing systems used the commercially available
endo
-isomer of dicyclopentadiene (DCPD), the
exo
-stereoisomer is known to have much faster olefin metathesis reaction rates with first-generation Grubbs' catalyst. Here, we measure the energy to failure of healed specimens as a function of healing time and compare the kinetics of damage repair for
endo
- and
exo
-DCPD, and mixtures of the two isomers. Using catalyst loading levels previously reported to be effective for
endo
-DCPD,
exo
-DCPD was found to heal approximately 20 times faster than the
endo-
isomer, but with a lower healing efficiency. The fracture toughness of the repaired specimens decreased when the
exo
content of the blends was greater than 40% and, for the pure
exo
-DCPD, when the catalyst loadings were below 1%. Possible causes of the reduced healing efficiencies of the
exo
-DCPD healing agent are discussed.
From selection to complementarity: shifts in the causes of biodiversity–productivity relationships in a long-term biodiversity experiment
Authors: Fargione Joseph , Tilman David , Dybzinski Ray , Lambers Janneke Hille Ris , Clark Chris , Harpole W. Stanley , Knops Johannes M.H , Reich Peter B , Loreau Michel
Published: January 2007

In a 10-year (1996–2005) biodiversity experiment, the mechanisms underlying the increasingly positive effect of biodiversity on plant biomass production shifted from sampling to complementarity over time. The effect of diversity on plant biomass was associated primarily with the accumulation of higher total plant nitrogen pools (N g m
−2
) and secondarily with more efficient N use at higher diversity. The accumulation of N in living plant biomass was significantly increased by the presence of legumes, C4 grasses, and their combined presence. Thus, these results provide clear evidence for the increasing effects of complementarity through time and suggest a mechanism whereby diversity increases complementarity through the increased input and retention of N, a commonly limiting nutrient.
Spitting out information:
Trigona
bees deposit saliva to signal resource locations
Authors: Schorkopf Dirk Louis P , Jarau Stefan , Francke Wittko , Twele Robert , Zucchi Ronaldo , Hrncir Michael , Schmidt Veronika M , Ayasse Manfred , Barth Friedrich G
Published: January 2007

Stingless bees of the species
Trigona spinipes
(Fabricius 1793) use their saliva to lay scent trails communicating the location of profitable food sources. Extracts of the cephalic labial glands of the salivary system (not the mandibular glands, however) contain a large amount (approx. 74%) of octyl octanoate. This ester is also found on the scent-marked substrates at the feeding site. We demonstrate octyl octanoate to be a single compound pheromone which induces full trail following behaviour. The identification of the trail pheromone in this widely distributed bee makes it an ideal organism for studying the mechanism of trail following in a day flying insect.
The legacy of cultural landscapes in the Brazilian Amazon: implications for biodiversity
Authors: Heckenberger Michael J , Christian Russell J , Toney Joshua R , Schmidt Morgan J
Published: January 2007

For centuries Amazonia has held the Western scientific and popular imagination as a primordial forest, only minimally impacted by small, simple and dispersed groups that inhabit the region. Studies in historical ecology refute this view. Rather than pristine tropical forest, some areas are better viewed as constructed or ‘domesticated’ landscapes, dramatically altered by indigenous groups in the past. This paper reviews recent archaeological research in several areas along the Amazon River with evidence of large pre-European (ca400–500 calendar years before the present) occupations and large-scale transformations of forest and wetland environments. Research from the southern margins of closed tropical forest, in the headwaters of the Xingu River, are highlighted as an example of constructed nature in the Amazon. In all cases, human influences dramatically altered the distribution, frequency and configurations of biological communities and ecological settings. Findings of historical change and cultural variability, including diverse small to medium-sized complex societies, have clear implications for questions of conservation and sustainability and, specifically, what constitutes ‘hotspots’ of bio-historical diversity in the Amazon region.
Thresholds of potential concern as benchmarks in the management of African savannahs
Authors: Gillson L , Duffin K.I
Published: January 2007

In the Kruger National Park (KNP), South Africa, ecosystem managers use a series of monitoring endpoints, known as thresholds of potential concern (TPCs), to define the upper and the lower levels of accepted variation in ecosystems. For woody vegetation, the current TPC suggests that woody cover should not drop by more than 80% of its ‘highest ever’ value. In this paper, we explore the utility of palaeoecological data in informing TPCs. We use calibrated fossil pollen data to explore variability in vegetation at two sites over the past 5000 years, to provide a long-term record of changes in woody vegetation cover and a context for interpreting more recent vegetation change. The fossil pollen data are calibrated using studies of modern pollen and vegetation from KNP; arboreal pollen percentage was simulated using pollen–landscape modelling software for savannah landscapes of varying woody vegetation cover, and the relationship between vegetation and pollen data was quantified using nonlinear regression. This quadratic equation was then applied to fossil pollen data in order to estimate woody vegetation cover from arboreal pollen percentages. Our results suggest that the TPCs have not been exceeded during the period represented in the pollen record, because estimated woody vegetation cover has remained above 20% of its highest ever value. By comparing the fossil pollen data with TPCs, our study demonstrates how palaeoecological data can be presented in a form that is directly relevant to management objectives.
The Influence of Affect on Goal Choice and Task Performance
Authors: Davis Mark A. , Kirby Susan L. , Curtis Mary B.
Published: January 2007

The present study investigated the influence of mood on self‐set goals and task performance. Results from 2 studies suggest a restricted view of mood effects in which affective state influences the level of self‐set goals or task performance, but not both. Study 2 reveals asymmetrical mood effects on task performance, with positive‐ and negative‐mood participants exceeding the baseline performance of neutral mood participants. Evidence indicates that goal‐setting instructions may alter how individuals interpret motivational implications of mood. Although theory implies an inclusive view in which mood has both direct and indirect (through goal‐setting) performance effects, the conflicting influences of affect infusion at different points of the goal‐striving process may diminish the likelihood of observing inclusive effects.
Dispelling Myths About Schizophrenia Using Film
Authors: Owen Patricia
Published: January 2007

Portrayals of schizophrenia in popular film contribute to misinformation about treatment of schizophrenia. Can film by used to educate? This study examined the effectiveness of viewing film portrayals of accurate vs. inaccurate information about schizophrenia in correcting misinformation. A video was constructed consisting of segments from popular movies and documentaries that contrasted inaccurate and accurate illustrations of schizophrenia. College students were randomly assigned to either the video presentation or traditional lecture on schizophrenia, and later tested on their knowledge of schizophrenia. Results showed knowledge improvement following both video and lecture, with video having a greater corrective effect for female students after viewing 3 of the 8 segments. These results are discussed with reference to sex‐role socialization and empathetic identification.
Attitudes Toward People Living With HIV/AIDS: A Model of Attitudes to Illness1
Authors: Connors John , Hely Alan
Published: January 2007

This study examined attitudes toward people living with HIV/AIDS within a sample of 220 young men and women. As predicted, a multiple regression analysis revealed that the fear of contracting HIV/AIDS through casual contact was a significant predictor of both men's and women's willingness to interact with people living with HIV/AIDS. Attitudes toward homosexuality were also a significant predictor of attitudes toward people living with HIV/AIDS among women, who generally have a low risk of contracting the disease in Western societies. These results indicate that attitudes toward people with a serious illness may be strongly related to the perceived risk of contracting the disease.
Ethnic Differences in Health Behaviors Among College Students
Authors: Despues Desiree , Friedman Howard S.
Published: January 2007

Ethnic minority groups in the U.S. show significant health disparities, likely arising in part from psychosocial influences on health behaviors. This study explores how ethnicity and acculturation relate to health behaviors among 521 college students. Participants completed a questionnaire assessing eating habits (eating vegetables, fruits, and salads vs. French fries and hamburgers), preventative health behaviors (physical exams, dental visits, exercise), and health‐harming behaviors (smoking, drinking), as well as a modified acculturation scale (Marin et al., 1987). Results showed that ethnicity and acculturation likely have both positive and negative effects on health behaviors. Despite equality of education, conceptually meaningful group differences in health behaviors were revealed, pointing toward future research on modifying the psychosocial aspects of ethnic health disparities.
Expectancy Disconfirmation and Negotiator Reactions Across Negotiation Episodes
Authors: Kernan Mary C. , Hunt Courtney Shelton , Conlon Donald E.
Published: January 2007

In the negotiation literature, relatively little attention has been paid to the impact of negotiator goals and expectancy disconfirmations on negotiator behaviors and affective outcomes. We found that negotiators with larger negative expectancy disconfirmations were less satisfied; set lower targets for a subsequent negotiation; and were more likely to settle with the other party in the second negotiation, rather than requiring third‐party imposition of a settlement. Those negotiators who settled had more positive feelings and perceptions about the negotiation and set higher targets for a third negotiation. Further, negotiators who experienced repeated high levels of negative expectancy disconfirmation also experienced the greatest decrements in their feelings and perceptions across negotiation episodes. Implications of study findings for future research are discussed.
4‐S‐Cysteaminylphenol‐loaded magnetite cationic liposomes for combination therapy of hyperthermia with chemotherapy against malignant melanoma
Authors: Ito Akira , Fujioka Masatake , Yoshida Tatsuro , Wakamatsu Kazumasa , Ito Shosuke , Yamashita Toshiharu , Jimbow Kowichi , Honda Hiroyuki
Published: January 2007

Tyrosine analogs are good candidates for developing melanoma chemotherapies because melanogenesis is inherently toxic and expressed uniquely in melanocytic cells. The sulfur homolog of tyrosine, 4‐S‐cysteaminylphenol (4‐S‐CAP), was shown to be a substrate of melanoma tyrosinase and can cause selective cytotoxicity of melanocytes and melanoma cells. Previously, in order to improve the adsorption of magnetite nanoparticles to target cell surfaces, and generate heat in an alternating magnetic field (AMF) for cancer hyperthermia, we produced hyperthermia using magnetite cationic liposomes (MCL) that have a positive charge at the liposomal surface. In the present study, we constructed 4‐S‐CAP‐loaded MCL (4‐S‐CAP/MCL), which act as a novel modality, combining melanoma‐specific chemotherapy by 4‐S‐CAP with intracellular hyperthermia mediated by MCL. The 4‐S‐CAP/MCL exerted 4‐S‐CAP‐mediated anticancer effects on B16 melanoma cells in vitro and in vivo. Moreover, after intratumoral injection of 4‐S‐CAP/MCL in vivo, the melanoma nodules were heated to 45°C under an AMF. Significantly higher therapeutic effects were observed in mice treated with the combination therapy mediated by 4‐S‐CAP/MCL plus AMF irradiation compared with mice treated with 4‐S‐CAP/MCL alone (without AMF) or mice treated with hyperthermia alone (MCL + AMF irradiation). These results suggest that this novel therapeutic tool is applicable to the treatment of malignant melanoma. (Cancer Sci 2007; 98: 424–430)
Specific overexpression of OLFM4GW112/hGC−1 mRNA in colon, breast and lung cancer tissues detected using quantitative analysis
Authors: Koshida Saori , Kobayashi Daisuke , Moriai Ryosuke , Tsuji Naoki , Watanabe Naoki
Published: January 2007

Overexpression of the olfactomedin 4 (OLFM4GW112,/hGC−1) gene was recently reported to inhibit various apoptotic pathways and promote proliferation of cancer cells, suggesting that OLFM4 might serve as a diagnostic marker for human cancers. Therefore, we examined cancer‐specific OLFM4 overexpression. OLFM4 mRNA was highly expressed in cancerous tissues obtained from the colon, breast and lung. Positivity for OLFM4 mRNA, defined as the mean + 2 SD in non‐cancerous colon and breast tissues, was observed in 68 and 50% of the studied colon and breast cancer tissues. OLFM4 mRNA expression was not detected in non‐cancerous lung tissues but was evident in 62% of the lung cancer tissues. On comparing paired samples, the expression of OLFM4 mRNA was observed to be elevated in 90, 69 and 85% of colon, breast and lung cancer tissues, respectively. OLFM4 mRNA expression was observed even in the early stages of each cancer type. The expression of OLFM4 mRNA did not correlate with that of the antiapoptotic molecule survivin, indicating that it can be used independently in cancer diagnosis. Combining OLFM4 and survivin resulted in higher positivity. Thus, OLFM4 mRNA might be a useful tool to support the diagnosis of cancer, irrespective of the clinical stages. (Cancer Sci 2007; 98: 315–320)
Amrubicin, a novel 9‐aminoanthracycline, enhances the antitumor activity of chemotherapeutic agents against human cancer cells in vitro and in vivo
Authors: Hanada Mitsuharu , Noguchi Toshihiro , Yamaoka Takashi
Published: January 2007

Amrubicin, a completely synthetic 9‐aminoanthracycline derivative, is an active agent in the treatment of untreated extensive disease‐small‐cell lung cancer and advanced non‐small‐cell lung cancer. Amrubicin administered intravenously at 25 mg/kg substantially prevented the growth of five of six human lung cancer xenografts established in athymic nude mice, confirming that amrubicin as a single agent was active in human lung tumors. To survey which antitumor agent available for clinical use produces a synergistic interaction with amrubicin, we examined the effects in combinations with amrubicinol, an active metabolite of amrubicin, of several chemotherapeutic agents in vitro using five human cancer cell lines using the combination index (CI) method of Chou and Talalay. Synergistic effects were obtained on the simultaneous use of amrubicinol with cisplatin, irinotecan, gefitinib and trastuzumab, with CI values after 3 days of exposure being <1. Additive effect was observed with the combination containing vinorelbine with CI values indistinguishable from 1, while the combination of amrubicinol with gemcitabine was antagonistic. All combinations tested in vivo were well tolerated. The combinations of cisplatin, irinotecan, vinorelbine, trastuzumab, tegafur/uracil, and to a lesser extent, gemcitabine with amrubicin caused significant growth inhibition of human tumor xenografts without pronouncedly enhancing body weight loss, compared with treatment using amrubicin alone at the maximum tolerated dose. Growth inhibition of tumors by gefitinib was not antagonized by amrubicin. These results suggest that amrubicin appears to be a possible candidate for combined use with cisplatin, irinotecan, vinorelbine, gemcitabine, tegafur/uracil or trastuzumab. (Cancer Sci 2007; 98: 447–454)
Interventional radiological removal of a foreign body from a peripheral bronchus
Authors: Arawwawala D. , Lane C. , Jackson J. , Patel P.
Published: January 2007

We describe the extraction of an impacted tooth from a bronchiole of a ventilated, critically ill patient. Following failed attempts using flexible and rigid bronchoscopy a radiological approach was explored. The successful method described below used guiding catheters, an extraction basket and an occlusion balloon, deployed under fluoroscopic guidance.
Simulators for use in anaesthesia
Authors: Cumin D. , Merry A. F.
Published: January 2007

There are many simulators available for use in anaesthetic‐related education and research. Those who wish to purchase a simulator or to establish a simulation facility face a daunting task in understanding the differences between simulators. Recent reviews have focused on narrower areas of simulation, such as airway management or basic life support, or on the application of simulators. It would be difficult to deal in detail with every simulator ever made for anaesthesia, but in the present review we cover the spectrum of currently available anaesthetic simulators, provide an overview of different types of simulator, and discuss a selection of simulators of particular interest, including some of historical significance and some examples of ‘home made’ simulators. We have found no common terminology amongst authors for describing or classifying simulators, and propose a framework for describing (or classifying) them that is simple, clear and applicable to any simulator.
Correlation between heart rate variability and haemodynamic fluctuation during induction of general anaesthesia: comparison between linear and non‐linear analysis*
Authors: Fujiwara Y. , Kurokawa S. , Asakura Y. , Wakao Y. , Nishiwaki K. , Komatsu T.
Published: January 2007

The objective of this study was to compare linear and non‐linear analysis of heart rate variability (HRV) in terms of correlation with haemodynamic fluctuation during induction of general anaesthesia. Pre‐operatively, HRV was estimated by the MemCalc method in 114 patients scheduled for general anaesthesia. After anaesthesia was induced with propofol, fentanyl and vecuronium bromide, tracheal intubation was performed. Haemodynamic fluctuations during induction of anaesthesia were recorded and the correlation between pre‐operative HRV and haemodynamic fluctuation was examined using logistic regression analysis. As an index of non‐linear analysis of HRV, ultra short‐term entropy (UsEn) correlated better with blood pressure fluctuation than did the ratio of the power of low frequency component of HRV to that of high frequency component (LF/HF). In contrast, although LF/HF significantly correlated with heart rate increase caused by tracheal intubation, the correlation between UsEn and heart rate fluctuation was not significant.
The effect of skin surface warming on pre‐operative anxiety in neurosurgery patients*
Authors: Kimberger O. , Illievich U. , Lenhardt R.
Published: January 2007

Skin surface warming of patients not only improves thermal comfort, but has been shown to reduce anxiety in a pre‐hospital setting. We tested the hypothesis that pre‐operative warming can reduce pre‐operative anxiety as effectively as a conventional dose of intravenous midazolam in patients undergoing neurosurgery. We randomly allocated 80 patients to four groups in the pre‐operative holding area. Treatment was applied for 30–45 min with (1) passive insulation and placebo; (2) passive insulation and intravenous midazolam (30 μg.kg−1); (3) warming with forced‐air and placebo; and (4) warming with forced‐air and intravenous midazolam (30 μg.kg−1). Thermal comfort levels (VAS 0–100 mm) and anxiety levels (VAS 0–100 mm, Spielberger State‐Trait Anxiety Inventory) were assessed twice: before the designated treatment was started and before induction of anaesthesia. In the midazolam and the midazolam/warming groups, anxiety VAS and Spielberger state anxiety scores decreased by − 19 (95% CI: − 29 to − 9, p < 0.01) and − 10 (95% CI: − 14 to − 6, p < 0.01), respectively. In the warming and the combined groups, thermal VAS increased by + 26 (95% CI: 17–34, p < 0.01). Pre‐operative warming did not reduce anxiety VAS (p = 0.11) or Spielberger state anxiety (p = 0.19). The results of our study indicate that pre‐operative warming can be recommended solely to improve thermal comfort, not to replace anxiolytic premedication regimens.
An update on the management of severe idiopathic aplastic anaemia in children
Authors: Davies Jeffrey K. , Guinan Eva C.
Published: January 2007

The current outlook for a child with severe idiopathic aplastic anaemia (AA) is very much better than in previous decades. In part, this may reflect better differentiation of idiopathic and inherited marrow failure. For children with idiopathic AA and a human leucocyte antigen (HLA)‐matched sibling donor (MSD), allogeneic haematopoietic stem‐cell transplantation (AHSCT) is the primary therapy of choice, offering long‐term disease‐free survival of 90%, although graft‐versus‐host disease remains a cause of long‐term morbidity. A greater treatment challenge remains for those children without a MSD. Combination immunosuppressive therapy (IST) is associated with response rates of 70% or more. However, relapse and clonal evolution with transformation to myelodysplasia or acute myeloid leukaemia remain significant problems after IST and long‐term event‐free survival rates are less impressive. For children who do not have a sustained response to IST, alternate donor AHSCT should be considered. New HLA typing technologies, novel stem cell sources, reduced‐intensity conditioning and graft engineering have reduced toxicity and improved the outcome after alternate donor AHSCT. Emerging therapies that capitalise on recent advances in our understanding of the pathophysiology of idiopathic AA and the immunobiology of AHSCT and IST may further improve the long‐term outcome of this disease.
Evaluation of reticulocyte parameters in iron deficiency, vitamin B12 deficiency and β‐thalassemia minor patients
Authors: CEYLAN C. , MISKIOĞLU M. , ÇOLAK H. , KILIÇÇIOĞLU B. , ÖZDEMIR E.
Published: January 2007

The aim of this study was to test the clinical utility of reticulocyte parameters in differential diagnosis in iron deficiency anemia (IDA), vitamin B12 deficiency (B12) and β‐thalassemia minor (TM). We analyzed the percentage of reticulocyte, absolute reticulocyte count, mean content hemoglobin of reticulocyte (CHr), mean corpuscular volume of reticulocyte (MCVr), corpuscular hemoglobin concentration mean of reticulocyte (CHCMr), MCVr/MCV ratio, CHr/CH ratio and CHCMr/CHCM ratio in healthy donors (n = 34), iron deficiency (IDA) (n = 41), vitamin B12 deficiency (B12) (n = 22), and TM (n = 34). This study demonstrates that the cutoff value of CHr was 25.7 as indicative of IDA (85.4% sensitivity, 97.1% specificity). CHr and MCVr may be useful for TM (cutoff value ≤ 24.8 for CHr) and B12 (>102.1, cutoff value for MCVr), respectively. Sensitivity and specificity of these parameters were 90.9, 86.4% and 97.1, 82.4%, respectively. CHCMr is useful to differentiate IDA and TM from B12. While CHr was low value in microcytic groups (mean 21.8 ± 3.3 for IDA, 21.0 ± 2.9 for TM), it was high in B12 (mean 32.1 ± 5.7). However, that of CHr/CH ratio was only significantly in IDA group compared with the control (P < 0.05, mean 0.98). Therefore, there are limitations regarding CHr and CHr/CH ratio differential diagnosis in microcytic and macrocytic groups. CHr, MCVr, and CHCMr are not sufficiently sensitive and specific to differentiate TM from IDA. We conclude that measurement of reticulocyte count and parameters may be a very useful implement in the diagnosis of IDA and TM.
Spontaneous resolution of acquired factor V inhibitor associated with ovarian carcinoma
Authors: MAUGHAN E. O. , WILSON J. , WILDE J. T.
Published: January 2007

A 74‐year‐old lady who presented initially with loin pain and haematuria, then melaena was found to have a prothrombin time ratio (PTR) > 10 and activated partial thromboplastin time ratio (APTTR) > 7. A factor V inhibitor was diagnosed. She was managed with supportive care and the FV inhibitor resolved. A few weeks later she developed abdominal swelling and ascites and was found to have an ovarian tumour. This is the first case, as far as we are aware, of a malignancy‐associated FV antibody that has spontaneously remitted before overt presentation of the tumour and illustrates the value of adopting an expectant approach to the management of acquired FV inhibitors.
Comparison of soluble and placental transferrin receptors as standards for the determination of soluble transferrin receptor in humans
Authors: KOGAN A. E. , FILATOV V. L. , KARA A. N. , LEVINA A. A. , KATRUKHA A. G.
Published: January 2007

Transferrin receptor is a transmembrane protein that mediates iron transport from blood into cells. The extracellular part of this receptor circulates in blood as soluble transferrin receptor (sTfR) and the immunological determination of this parameter is widely used in clinical practice. This study aimed at comparing the properties of sTfR and placental TfR (pTfR) and to evaluate the validity of pTfR as a standard for the determination of sTfR in human serum. sTfR and pTfR were studied by immunofluorescent assay and fast protein liquid chromatography (FPLC) gel filtration. Serum sTfR levels were calculated using sTfR or pTfR as a standard. The immunological activity of pTfR was lower than that of sTfR in all anti‐TfR monoclonal antibody pairs. Upon FPLC gel filtration, pTfR eluted in a void volume of the column as a protein with a molecular weight (MW) of >1500 kDa, whereas the MW of sTfR corresponded to 237 kDa. This could be a result of micelle formation by pTfR because of its hydrophobic intracellular part. The serum sTfR levels calculated against sTfR were 2.5 times lower than those calculated against pTfR. Serum sTfR levels are overestimated when pTfR is used as the standard.
Carbon dioxide balance of a tropical peat swamp forest in Kalimantan, Indonesia
Authors: HIRANO TAKASHI , SEGAH HENDRIK , HARADA TSUYOSHI , LIMIN SUWIDO , JUNE TANIA , HIRATA RYUICHI , OSAKI MITSURU
Published: January 2007

Tropical peatlands, which coexist with swamp forests, have accumulated vast amounts of carbon as soil organic matter. Since the 1970s, however, deforestation and drainage have progressed on an enormous scale. In addition, El Niño and Southern Oscillation (ENSO) drought and large‐scale fires, which grow larger under the drought condition, are accelerating peatland devastation. That devastation enhances decomposition of soil organic matter and increases the carbon release to the atmosphere as CO2. This phenomenon suggests that tropical peatlands have already become a large CO2 source, but related quantitative information is limited. Therefore, we evaluated the CO2 balance of a tropical peat swamp forest in Central Kalimantan, Indonesia, using 3 years of CO2 fluxes measured using the eddy covariance technique from 2002 through 2004. The forest was disturbed by drainage; consequently, groundwater level (GL) was reduced. The net ecosystem CO2 production (NEP) measurements showed seasonal variation, which was slightly positive or almost zero in the early dry season, and most‐negative late in the dry season or early the rainy season. This seasonality is attributable to the seasonal pattern of climate, tree phenology and fires. Slightly positive NEP resulted from smaller ecosystem respiration (RE) and larger gross primary production (GPP) under conditions of high photosynthetic photon flux density (PPFD) and large leaf area index (LAI). The most‐negative NEP resulted from smaller GPP and larger RE. The smaller GPP was related to high vapor pressure deficit (VPD), small LAI and low PPFD because of smoke from fires. The larger RE was related to low GL. Annual NEP values were estimated respectively as −602, −382 and −313 g C m−2 yr−1 for 2002, 2003 and 2004. These negative NEP values show that the tropical peat swamp forest, disturbed by drainage, functioned as a CO2 source. That source intensity was highest in 2002, an ENSO year, mainly because of low PPFD caused by dense smoke emitted from large fires.
Climate, food, density and wildlife population growth rate
Authors: HONE JIM , CLUTTON‐BROCK TIM H.
Published: January 2007

The aim of this study was to derive and evaluate a priori models of the relationship between annual instantaneous population growth rate (r) and climate. These were derived from the numerical response of annual r and food, and the effect of climate on a parameter in the numerical response. The goodness of fit of a range of such deductive models to data on annual r of Soay sheep and red deer were evaluated using information‐theoretic (AICc‐based) analyses.

The analysis for sheep annual r showed negative effects of abundance and negative effects of the interaction of abundance and climate, measured as March rainfall (and winter NAO) in the best fitting models. The analysis for deer annual r showed a negative effect of deer abundance and a positive effect of climate measured as March rainfall (but a negative effect of winter NAO), but no interaction of abundance and climate in the best fitting models.

There was most support in the analysis of sheep dynamics for the ratio numerical response and the assumption that parameter J (equilibrium food per animal) was influenced by climate. In the analysis of deer dynamics there was most support for the numerical responses assuming effects of food and density (Ivlev and density, food and density, and additive responses) and slightly less support for the ratio numerical response. The evaluation of such models would be aided by the collection of and incorporation of food data into the analyses.