bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Photopolymerization-induced crystallization and phase separation in poly(ethylene oxide)/triacrylate blends
Authors: Park Soo Jeoung , Kyu Thein
Published: December 2008

The present article describes experimental and theoretical investigations of miscibility and crystallization behavior of blends of poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) and triacrylate monomer (TA) using differential scanning calorimetry and optical microscopy. The PEO/TA blends manifested a single Tg varying systematically with composition suggestive of a miscible character in their amorphous states. Moreover, there occurs melting point depression of PEO crystals with increasing TA. A phase diagram was subsequently established that exhibited a solid+liquid coexistence region bound by the liquidus and solidus lines, followed by an upper critical solution temperature (UCST) at a lower temperature. The emerging phase morphology was investigated to verify the coexistence regions. Upon photopolymerization in the isotropic melt above the melting point depression curve, both the UCST and the melting temperatures move upward and eventually surpass the reaction temperature, resulting in phase separation as well as crystallization of PEO driven by the changing supercooling, i.e., the thermodynamic driving force. Of particular interest is the interplay between photopolymerization-induced phase separation and crystallization, which eventually determines the final phase morphology of the PEO/TA blend such as crystalline lamellae, sheaf, or spherulites in isotropic liquid, phase separated domains, and viscous fingering liquids.
Translation-rotation decoupling of colloidal clusters of various symmetries
Authors: Anthony Stephen M. , Kim Minsu , Granick Steve
Published: December 2008

Single-particle tracking was used to measure the diffusion in aqueous suspension of dilute colloidal clusters, 2–9 μm in size, fabricated by joining 1.57 μm spheres into planar arrangements of various particle numbers and symmetries (doublet, trimer, square, pentamer, hexamer, and so forth). They were allowed to sediment close to a glass surface and their Brownian motion parallel to the surface, effectively in a two dimensional (2D) geometry, was imaged in a microscope in the presence of 3 mM monovalent salt to essentially screen electrostatic interactions. Geometric asymmetry produced systematically increasing discrepancy between the equivalent hydrodynamic radius of translation and rotation—tabulated in this paper. Our observations include cases where the effective hydrodynamic radius changes more rapidly for translation than rotation, the converse, and also cases where the effective hydrodynamic radius for translation changes significantly, while that of rotation is effectively constant. The significance is to document the connection between translational and rotational 2D mobilities for geometrical shapes not described by the Stokes–Einstein–Debye equations for spherical particles.
Sensitivity of field-effect biosensors to charge, pH, and ion concentration in a membrane model
Authors: McKinnon W. R. , Landheer D. , Aers G.
Published: December 2008

In field-effect transistors used to detect charged biomolecules (BioFETs), the biomolecules form a charged membrane on the transistor surface. In this paper, the one-dimensional Poisson–Boltzmann equation is used to calculate the charge sensitivity (the sensitivity of the BioFET to changes in biomolecule charge), ion sensitivity (to changes in ion concentration of the solution), or pH sensitivity (to changes in pH of the solution), both analytically and numerically, and the results are compared to models where the charged molecules are represented as an infinitely thin plane. Complexation of ions with the oxide surface is shown to have a negligible effect on parameters typical of devices, but the layer used to tether the charged molecules to the surface could modify the sensitivity considerably.
Influence of carbon on the thermoluminescence and optically stimulated luminescence of α-Al2O3:C crystals
Authors: Yang Xin-Bo , Li Hong-Jun , Bi Qun-Yu , Cheng Yan , Tang Qiang , Xu Jun
Published: December 2008

α -Al 2 O 3 : C crystal shows excellent thermoluminescence (TL) and optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) properties but the real role carbon plays in this crystal is still not clearly understood so far. In this work, α-Al2O3:C crystal doping with different amounts of carbon were grown by the temperature gradient technique, and TL and OSL properties of as-grown crystals were investigated. Additionally, a mechanism was proposed to explain the role of carbon in forming the TL and OSL properties of α-Al2O3:C. TL and OSL intensities of as-grown crystals increase with the increasing amount of carbon doping in the crystal, but no shift is found in the glow peak location at 465 K. As the amount of carbon doping in the crystals decreases, OSL decay rate becomes faster. With the increase in heating rate, the integral TL response of as-grown crystals decreases and glow peak shifts to higher temperatures. TL response decrease rate increases with the increasing amount of carbon doping in the crystals. All the TL and OSL response curves of as-grown crystals show linear-sublinear-saturation characteristic, and OSL dose response exhibits higher sensitivity and wider linear dose range than that of TL. The crystal doping with 5000 ppm carbon shows the best dosimetric properties. Carbon plays the role of a dopant in α-Al2O3:C crystal and four-valent carbon anions replace the two-valent anions of oxygen during the crystal growth process, and large amounts of oxygen vacancies were formed, which corresponds to the high absorption coefficient of F and F+ centers in the crystals.
Self-synchronizing pairwise production of monodisperse droplets by microfluidic step emulsification
Authors: Chokkalingam Venkatachalam , Herminghaus Stephan , Seemann Ralf
Published: December 2008

The in situ generation of pairs of droplets with excellent monodispersity is essential for quantitative (bio-)chemical reactions in a droplet based microfluidic chip. In the present paper, we demonstrate the simultaneous self-synchronized production of droplets with two different contents by step emulsification. The synchronization is achieved by a pressure cross talk of two connected production units while retaining all relevant properties of a single-step-emulsification unit. Pairs and triplets of droplets can be achieved. While the drop volumes of the two droplet types may be different up to a factor of 2, the excellent monodispersity of each type is retained.
Magnetic nanowire-enhanced optomagnetic tweezers
Authors: Mehta Karan K. , Wu Ting-Hsiang , Chiou Eric P. Y.
Published: December 2008

We report an optomagnetic tweezers technique that utilizes the highly localized magnetic field gradients induced near the tip of a magnetic nanowire to provide strong trapping forces on magnetic nanoparticles with high spatial resolution. Integral to our approach is a method to trap, translate, and rotate a single magnetic nanowire in three dimensions. Our simulation predicts that forces in the range of 100 pN can be generated on 200 nm magnetic particles within 0.2 μm from a 200 nm diameter nickel nanowire. Such forces are relevant in many biological processes, suggesting that this approach will be of value in biophysical studies.
Nanoscale doping fluctuation resolved by electrostatic force microscopy via the effect of surface band bending
Authors: Chin Shu-Cheng , Chang Yuan-Chih , Chang Chia-Seng , Woon Wei-Yen , Lin Li-Te , Tao Hun-Jan
Published: December 2008

A technique for profiling doping fluctuation around source/drain regions on a sub-45-nm device is demonstrated. The mapping is achieved through the amplitude measurement of electrostatic force microscopy (EFM). A discovery was found that the EFM amplitude signal would reverse due to strong band bending at the doped semiconductor surface. We have illustrated this phenomenon to show its sensitive dependence on the local doping density. Combined with a tailored carbon nanotube modified cantilever, the EFM measurement operated near the critical bias voltage can resolve dopant features <10 nm along the effective channel length.
Magnetoelectric coupling susceptibility from magnetodielectric effect
Authors: Jang Hyun M. , Park Jung H. , Ryu Sangwoo , Shannigrahi S. R.
Published: December 2008

A multiferroic material with a pronounced degree of the magnetoelectric (ME) coupling at room temperature is of great technological importance. A widely used method of indirectly assessing the ME coupling is based on the magnetodielectric (MD) effect, which accounts for the variation in dielectric permittivity under an applied bias magnetic field. At the present stage, however, there is no systematic guideline on evaluating the ME coupling susceptibility from the MD effect. Here we propose a simple theoretical method of estimating the ME coupling susceptibility using the MD data. This alternative approach is applied to an epitaxially grown La-doped BiFeO3 thin film as an illustrative example.
‘Just Duck’: The Role of Vision in the Production of Prison Spaces
Authors: van Hoven Bettina , Sibley David
Published: December 2008

This paper is concerned with the ways in which prisoners talk about the production of space within a prison in New Mexico. We focus specifically on the role of vision in interpersonal relations, including relations between inmates and between inmates and officers, and we attempt to assess the significance of seeing and being seen in the ‘personal projects’ of prisoners working their way through the system. This involves examining the roles of looking and of surveillance in the organization and control of space. In our study, interpersonal relations are not divorced from the material geographies of the prison. Rather, the breeze-block walls and the steel gates are integral elements of the scopic regime as it affects relations between prisoners and their relations with the prison staff. In our account, the complex connections between actors, architecture, and technologies of surveillance are voiced by the inmates. We provide just one perspective on the making of space in the prison but it is one which has been neglected.
Macao, Capital of the 21st Century?
Authors: Simpson Tim
Published: December 2008

After nearly 450 years of colonial administration, Portugal returned the territory of Macao to the People's Republic of China in 1999. Following the handover, Macao's postcolonial government dismantled the forty-year-old local gambling monopoly and opened Macao to investment by gaming companies from North America, Australia, and Hong Kong. These companies are collectively spending $25 billion to tap the increasingly affluent and mobile market of tourists just across the border in mainland China. This investment has prompted remarkable economic development in the tiny city as well as a phantasmagoric transformation of the cityscape and a concomitant transmutation of Macao's social landscape. Understanding contemporary Macao requires attending to how the legacies of Portuguese colonialism and fascism and Chinese communism and market socialism merge in the spaces of the city today. Drawing inspiration from Walter Benjamin's dialectical analysis of the obsolete commodities of mass culture, this paper meditates through text and photographs on four copresent moments of Macao—socialist fossil, colonial ruin, capitalist dream, and Utopian wish. A form of physiognomic urban ‘dream analysis’ rescues these multiple contradictory meanings of Macau and investigates the city's crucial role in both China's economic reforms and its Utopian desires.
Anomalous news translation
Authors: Valdeón Roberto A.
Published: December 2008

In recent years, several authors have underlined the need to enforce a critical approach to translation studies in order to explore ideologies in both source and target languages and cultures (Hermans 1999; Baker 2006). In this article we shall study BBCMundo’s news web texts and their source English BBCWorld reports from a critical approach. The article is divided into three sections. Firstly, we analyse two series of news texts. We shall discuss the use of headlines in the STs and TTs and proceed to study the strategies used in the main bodies of the reports, notably omissions, additions and permutations. Secondly, we shall concentrate on a case study in an attempt to gain further insight into the interplay of translational and editorial procedures within the Spanish service of the BBC. In a final section, we shall carry out the discussion about the ideological implications of the translational strategies identified in the previous sections.
Group gradings on simple Lie algebras in positive characteristic
Authors: Bahturin Yuri , Kochetov Mikhail , Montgomery Susan
Published: December 2008

In this paper we describe all gradings by a finite abelian group

G
G

on the following Lie algebras over an algebraically closed field

F
F

of characteristic

p
≠
2

p\neq 2

:

s
l

n

(
F
)

\mathfrak {sl}_n(F)

(

n
n

not divisible by

p
p

),

s
o

n

(
F
)

\mathfrak {so}_n(F)

(

n
≥
5

n\geq 5

,

n
≠
8

n\neq 8

) and

s
p

n

(
F
)

\mathfrak {sp}_n(F)

(

n
≥
6

n\geq 6

,

n
n

even).
Congruence properties of Hermitian modular forms
Authors: Kikuta Toshiyuki , Nagaoka Shoyu
Published: December 2008

We study the existence of a modular form satisfying a certain congruence relation. The existence of such modular forms plays an important role in the determination of the structure of a ring of modular forms modulo

p
p

. We give a criterion for the existence of such a modular form in the case of Hermitian modular forms.
Linearly approximatable functions
Authors: De Pauw Thierry , Koeller Amos
Published: December 2008

The notion of uniform linear approximatability generalizes that of being continuously differentiable. It occurs, e.g., in viscosity solutions of some degenerate partial differential equations. We establish the Hölder continuity of uniformly linearly approximatable functions, and we show that functions which are nowhere linearly approximatable form a residual collection of the appropriate Hölder space. Finally, we prove an analog of the implicit function theorem applied to level sets.
On endomorphism rings and dimensions of local cohomology modules
Authors: Schenzel Peter
Published: December 2008

Let

(
R
,

m

)

(R,\mathfrak m)

denote an

n
n

-dimensional complete local Gorenstein ring. For an ideal

I
I

of

R
R

let

H
I
i

(
R
)
,
i
∈

Z

,

H^i_I(R), i \in \mathbb Z,

denote the local cohomology modules of

R
R

with respect to

I
.

I.

If

H
I
i

(
R
)
=
0

H^i_I(R) = 0

for all

i
≠
c
=
height
⁡
I
,

i \not = c = \operatorname {height} I,

then the endomorphism ring of

H
I
c

(
R
)

H^c_I(R)

is isomorphic to

R
R

. Here we prove that this is true if and only if

H
I
i

(
R
)
=
0

H^i_I(R) = 0

for

i
=
n
,
n
−
1

i = n, n-1

, provided

c
≥
2

c \geq 2

and

R

/

I

R/I

has an isolated singularity, resp. if

I
I

is set-theoretically a complete intersection in codimension at most one. Moreover, there is a vanishing result of

H
I
i

(
R
)

H^i_I(R)

for all

i
>
m
,
m

i > m, m

a given integer, and an estimate of the dimension of

H
I
i

(
R
)
.

H^i_I(R).
A characterization of finite prehomogeneous vector spaces associated with products of special linear groups and Dynkin quivers
Authors: Nagura Makoto , Otani Shin-ichi , Takeda Daisuke
Published: December 2008

For a given finite-type quiver

Γ
\varGamma

, we will consider scalar-removed representations

(

S

d

,

R

d

(
Γ
)
)

(S_{d}, R_{d}(\varGamma ))

, where

S

d

S_{d}

is a direct product of special linear algebraic groups and

R

d

(
Γ
)

R_{d}(\varGamma )

is the representation defined naturally by

Γ
\varGamma

and a dimension vector

d
d

. In this paper, we give a necessary and sufficient condition on

d
d

that

R

d

(
Γ
)

R_{d}(\varGamma )

has only finitely many

S

d

S_{d}

-orbits. This condition can be paraphrased as a condition concerning lattices of small rank spanned by positive roots of

Γ
\varGamma

. To determine such scalar-removed representations having only finitely many orbits is very fundamental to the open problem of classification of the so-called semisimple finite prehomogeneous vector spaces. We consider everything over an algebraically closed field of characteristic zero.
On the topology of pointwise convergence on the boundaries of 𝐿₁-preduals
Authors: Moors Warren , Spurný Jiří
Published: December 2008

In this paper we prove a theorem more general than the following: “If

(
X
,
‖
⋅
‖
)

(X,\|\cdot \|)

is an

L
1

L_1

-predual,

B
B

is any boundary of

X
X

and

{

x
n

:
n
∈

N

}

\{x_n:n \in \mathbb {N} \}

is any subset of

X
X

, then the closure of

{

x
n

:
n
∈

N

}

\{x_n:n \in \mathbb {N} \}

with respect to the topology of pointwise convergence on

B
B

is separable with respect to the topology generated by the norm, whenever

Ext

(

B

X
∗

)

\textrm {Ext}(B_{X^*})

is weak

∗

^*

Lindelöf.” Several applications of this result are also presented.
On genus change in algebraic curves over imperfect fields
Authors: Schröer Stefan
Published: December 2008

We give a new proof, in scheme-theoretic language, of Tate’s classical result on genus change of curves over imperfect fields in characteristic

p
>
0

p>0

. Namely, for normal geometrically integral curves, the difference between arithmetic and geometric genus over the algebraic closure is divisible by

(
p
−
1
)

/

2

(p-1)/2

.
Transcendence of power series for some number theoretic functions
Authors: Borwein Peter , Coons Michael
Published: December 2008

We give a new proof of Fatou’s theorem: if an algebraic function has a power series expansion with bounded integer coefficients, then it must be a rational function. This result is applied to show that for any non–trivial completely multiplicative function from

N

\mathbb {N}

to

{
−
1
,
1
}

\{-1,1\}

, the series

∑

n
=
1

∞

f
(
n
)

z
n

\sum _{n=1}^\infty f(n)z^n

is transcendental over

Z

(
z
)

\mathbb {Z}(z)

; in particular,

∑

n
=
1

∞

λ
(
n
)

z
n

\sum _{n=1}^\infty \lambda (n)z^n

is transcendental, where

λ
\lambda

is Liouville’s function. The transcendence of

∑

n
=
1

∞

μ
(
n
)

z
n

\sum _{n=1}^\infty \mu (n)z^n

is also proved.
Long-term Survival and Seed Transmission of Acidovorax avenae subsp. citrulli in Melon and Watermelon Seed
Authors: Block C. C. , Shepherd L. M.
Published: December 2008

Seed transmission of A. avenae subsp. citrulli is key in the dissemination of bacterial fruit blotch of cucurbits. This study reports its survival and seed transmission from watermelon and melon seed lots that were more than 30 yr old. The longest previously-reported survival of A. avenae subsp. citrulli was from 19-yr-old watermelon seed and the longest reported survival for any seedborne bacterial plant pathogen was 24 yr for Curtobacterium flaccumfaciens pv. flaccumfaciens from common bean seed.

Accepted for publication 19 September 2008. Published 19 December 2008.
Catechin, green tea component, causes caspase‐independent necrosis‐like cell death in chronic myelogenous leukemia
Authors: Iwasaki Reo , Ito Kinji , Ishida Takaomi , Hamanoue Makoto , Adachi Souichi , Watanabe Toshiki , Sato Yuko
Published: December 2008

Management strategies of chronic phase chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) have been revolutionized due to the discovery of a selective tyrosine kinase inhibitor, imatinib (Gleevec, STI571), which is substantially improving median survival. However, emergence of imatinib‐resistance has put up a serious problem that requires novel treatment methods. Catechins, polyphenolic compounds in green tea, are gathering much attention due to their potential antitumor effects. So far (–)‐epigallocatechin‐3‐gallate (EGCG), the most abundant component of catechin, has been shown to cause typical apoptosis in several tumor cell lines in most cases through activation of caspases. In this study, we showed that EGCG predominantly caused necrosis‐like cell death via a caspase‐independent mechanism in CML cells, K562 and C2F8, whereas imatinib induced the typical apoptotic cell death. Moreover, this caspase‐independent cell death partially mediated the release of apoptosis‐inducing factor, AIF, and serine protease, HtrA2/Omi, from the mitochondria to cytosol. In addition, EGCG enhanced the imatinib‐induced cell death (P < 0.01) resulting in additive cell death in K562 cells and EGCG alone, effectively reduced the viability of imatinib‐resistant K562 cells (P < 0.01). Catechin is a possible candidate for an antitumor agent that causes cell death in CML cells via a caspase‐independent mechanism. (Cancer Sci 2009; 100: 349–356)
Large‐scale quantitative clinical proteomics by label‐free liquid chromatography and mass spectrometry
Authors: Negishi Ayako , Ono Masaya , Handa Yasushi , Kato Hidenori , Yamashita Kohki , Honda Kazufumi , Shitashige Miki , Satow Reiko , Sakuma Tomohiro , Kuwabara Hideya , Omura Ken , Hirohashi Setsuo , Yamada Tesshi
Published: December 2008

We previously reported the development of an integrated proteome platform, namely 2‐Dimensional Image Converted Analysis of Liquid chromatography and mass spectrometry (2DICAL), for quantitative comparison of large peptide datasets generated by nano‐flow liquid chromatography (LC) and mass spectrometry (MS). The key technology of 2DICAL was the precise adjustment of the retention time of LC by dynamic programming. In order to apply 2DICAL to clinical studies that require comparison of a large number of patient samples we further refined the calculation algorithm and increased the accuracy and speed of the peptide peak alignment using a greedy algorithm, which had been used for fast DNA sequence alignment. The peptide peaks of each sample with the same m/z were extracted every 1 m/z and displayed with along the horizontal axis. Here we report a precise comparison of more than 150 000 typtic peptide ion peaks derived from 70 serum samples (40 patients with uterine endometrial cancer and 30 controls). The levels of 49 MS peaks were found to differ significantly between cancer patients and controls (P < 0.01, Welch's t‐test and interquartile range [IQR] of >40), and the differential expression and identification of selected three proteins was validated by immunoblotting. 2DICAL was is highly advantageous for large‐scale clinical proteomics because of its simple procedure, high throughput, and quantification accuracy. (Cancer Sci 2009; 100: 514–519)
Ethnic differences in F cell levels in Jamaica: a potential tool for identifying new genetic loci controlling fetal haemoglobin
Authors: Creary Lisa E. , McKenzie Colin A. , Menzel Stephan , Hanchard Neil A. , Taylor Veronica , Hambleton Ian , Spector Tim D. , Forrester Terrence E. , Thein Swee Lay
Published: December 2008

High levels of fetal haemoglobin (HbF) are protective in β‐haemoglobinopathies. The proportion of erythrocytes containing HbF (F‐cells, FC) was measured in healthy adults of African and Caucasian ancestry to assess the feasibility of localizing genes for the FC trait using admixture mapping. Participants were Afro‐Caribbean (AC) blood donors and residents of a rural enclave with a history of recent German admixture (Afro‐German, AG) recruited in Jamaica, and Caucasian Europeans recruited in Jamaica and the UK. FC levels were significantly different between groups (P < 0·001); the geometric mean FC level in the AC sample (n = 176) was 3·75% [95% confidence interval (CI) 3·36–4·18], AG sample (n = 631) was 2·77% (95% CI 2·63–2·92), and among Caucasians (n = 1099) was 3·26% (95% CI 3·13–3·39). After adjustment for age, sex, haemoglobin electrophoresis pattern, and HBG2 genotype, FC levels in the AC group remained significantly different (P < 0·001) from those in the Caucasian and the AG group but the difference between the Caucasian and AG groups became non‐significant (P = 0·46) despite substantial differences in average ancestry. The data confirm ethnic differences in FC levels and indicate the potential usefulness of these populations for admixture mapping of genes for FC levels.
Regulation of iron metabolism through GDF15 and hepcidin in pyruvate kinase deficiency
Authors: Finkenstedt Armin , Bianchi Paola , Theurl Igor , Vogel Wolfgang , Witcher Derrick R. , Wroblewski Victor J. , Murphy Anthony T. , Zanella Alberto , Zoller Heinz
Published: December 2008

Iron absorption is inadequately increased in patients with chronic haemolytic anaemia, which is commonly complicated by iron overload. Growth differentiation factor 15 (GDF15) has been identified as a bone marrow‐derived factor that abrogates hepcidin‐mediated protection from iron overload under conditions of increased erythropoiesis. Increased concentrations of GDF15 have been reported in β‐thalassaemia patients and GDF15 has been found to suppress hepcidin expression in vitro. To further study the interdependencies of iron metabolism and erythropoiesis in vivo, the concentrations of hepcidin and GDF15 were determined in sera from 22 patients with pyruvate kinase deficiency (PKD) and 21 healthy control subjects. In PKD patients, serum hepcidin levels were 13‐fold lower than in controls (2·0 ng/ml vs. 26·2 ng/ml) and GDF15 was significantly higher (859 pg/ml vs. 528 pg/ml). Serum hepcidin concentrations correlated positively with haemoglobin and negatively with serum GDF15. These results suggest that GDF15 contributes to low hepcidin expression and iron loading in PKD.
Post‐stack velocity analysis in the dip‐angle domain using diffractions
Authors: Reshef Moshe , Landa Evgeny
Published: December 2008

Interval velocity analysis in complex geological areas is often considered as an unresolved problem. A novel approach to improve the velocity analysis process is to perform the analysis in a non‐conventional domain and to use seismic events that are usually ignored during standard data processing and imaging. In this study, a method to analyse diffraction data for migration velocity analysis in the time‐ or depth‐domain is presented. The method is based on the clear distinction between diffractions and reflections in the post‐migration dip‐angle domain. The attractive possibility to perform the analysis, using only stacked data as an input, is demonstrated on synthetic and real data examples.
Airborne gravity tests in the Italian area to improve the geoid model of Italy
Authors: Barzaghi R. , Borghi A. , Keller K. , Forsberg R. , Giori I. , Loretti I. , Olesen A.V. , Stenseng L.
Published: December 2008

Airborne gravimetry is an important method for measuring gravity over large unsurveyed areas. This technology has been widely applied in Canada, Antarctica and Greenland to map the gravity fields of these regions and in recent years, in the oil industry. In 2005, two tests in the Italian area were performed by ENI in cooperation with the Politecnico di Milano and the Danish National Space Center. To the knowledge of the authors, these were the first experiments of this kind in Italy and were performed over the Ionian coasts of Calabria and the Maiella Mountains. The Calabria test field is characterized by strong gravity variations due to the geophysical and topographic structure of the area. The ground gravity coverage is also quite dense. It was thus possible to compare airborne gravity with the ground observed values in order to check the precision of the airborne gravimetry. The second campaign was performed in an unsurveyed area centred on the Maiella Mountains, thus filling the data gap of this zone. Comparisons with existing ground data were also carried out in this area.

After smoothing, the collected data have an accuracy of 2–3 mgal, as derived by cross‐over analysis. Moreover, the collocation method applied to compare and merge ground‐based and airborne data proved to be efficient and reliable. The standard deviation of the discrepancies between airborne data and collocation upward continued gravity is, in both cases, less than 8 mgal. In the Maiella test, the gravity field obtained by merging airborne and ground data using collocation also provides a more detailed description of the high‐frequency pattern of the geopotential field in this area.
High α‐defensin levels in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus
Authors: Sthoeger Zev M. , Bezalel Shira , Chapnik Nava , Asher Ilan , Froy Oren
Published: December 2008

Innate immunity plays a role in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Our objective was to determine the levels of defensins, which are antimicrobial and immunomodulatory polypeptides, in SLE. Sera from SLE patients and healthy controls were tested for pro‐inflammatory human β‐defensin 2 (hBD‐2) and for α‐defensin human neutrophil peptide 1 (HNP‐1). hBD‐2 could not be detected by enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and its mRNA levels were low in SLE patients and similar to those found in controls. In contrast, the mean α‐defensin level in the sera of all SLE patients (11·07 ± 13·92 ng/μl) was significantly higher than that of controls (0·12 ± 0·07 ng/μl). Moreover, 60% of patients demonstrated very high serum levels (18·5 ± 13·36 ng/μl) and 50% showed elevated gene expression in polymorphonuclear cells. High α‐defensin levels correlated with disease activity, but not with neutrophil count. Thus, activation and degranulation of neutrophils led to α‐defensin secretion in SLE patients. Given the immunomodulatory role of α‐defensins, it is possible that their secretion may activate the adaptive immune system leading to a systemic response.
Comparison of the efficacy and safety of bilastine 20 mg vs desloratadine 5 mg in seasonal allergic rhinitis patients
Authors: Bachert C. , Kuna P. , Sanquer F. , Ivan P. , Dimitrov V. , Gorina M. M. , Van De Heyning P. , Loureiro A. ,   The Bilastine International Working Group
Published: December 2008

Background:  Bilastine is a novel, nonsedating H1‐antihistamine developed for symptomatic treatment of Allergic Rhinitis and Chronic Idiopathic Urticaria. The objective of this study was to compare the efficacy and safety of bilastine 20 mg vs placebo and desloratadine 5 mg in subjects with seasonal allergic rhinitis (SAR).

Methods:  This randomized, double blind, placebo‐controlled, parallel‐group multicentre study evaluated the effect of 2 weeks’ treatment with bilastine 20 mg, desloratadine 5 mg or matched placebo once daily, in 12–70 years old symptomatic SAR patients. All subjects assessed the severity of nasal (obstruction, rhinorrhoea, itching, and sneezing) and nonnasal (ocular itching, tearing, ocular redness, itching of ears and/or palate) symptoms on a predetermined scale to provide a total symptom score (TSS), composed of nasal and nonnasal symptom scores (NSS and NNSS, respectively). The primary efficacy measure was the area under the curve (AUC) for the TSS over the entire treatment period.

Results:  Bilastine 20 mg significantly reduced the AUC of TSS to a greater degree from baseline compared to placebo (98.4 with bilastine vs 118.4 with placebo; P < 0.001), but not compared to desloratadine 5 mg (100.5). Bilastine 20 mg was not different from desloratadine 5 mg but significantly more effective than placebo in improving the NSS, NNSS, and rhinitis‐associated discomfort scores (P < 0.05), and rhinoconjunctivitis quality of life questionnaire total (P < 0.005) and four out of seven individual domain (P < 0.05) scores. The incidence of treatment emergent adverse events was similar for bilastine (20.6%), desloratadine (19.8%), and placebo (18.8%).

Conclusion:  Bilastine 20 mg once daily was efficacious, safe and not different from desloratadine 5 mg once daily in the treatment of SAR symptoms.
Generation of Buffalo (Bubalus bubalis) Transgenic Chimeric and Nuclear Transfer Embryos Using Embryonic Germ‐Like Cells Expressing Enhanced Green Fluorescent Protein
Authors: Huang B , Cui K , Li T , Wang X , Lu F , Liu Q , Da Silva FM , Shi D
Published: December 2008

Contents

The possibility of producing transgenic buffalo embryos by chimera and nuclear transfer (NT) using buffalo embryonic germ (EG)‐like cells expressing enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP) has been explored in this study. Buffalo EG‐like cells and fibroblasts with two to eight passages were transfected with the lined plasmid (pCE‐EGFP‐IRES‐Neo‐dNdB) using LipofectamineTM 2000 and selected by culturing in 200 μg/ml G418 for 6–8 days. G418 resistant fibroblasts and EG‐like cells were used for embryo chimera and NT. To produce blastocysts by chimera, 8–16 cells embryos were injected with EG‐like and fibroblast cells. Then, to produce blastocysts by NT, in vitro maturated oocytes were enucleated and afterwards EG‐like/fibroblast cells transferred into the perivitelline space. No statistical differences were observed for the total blastocyst produced by the chimeric method, using EG‐like and fibroblasts as donor cells, resulting on an accomplishment of 35.6% vs 33.3%, respectively. Nevertheless, besides from the 37 blastocysts produced, 23 (62.2%) from EG‐like cells expressed EGFP, none of blastocysts from foetal fibroblasts expressed this protein. When the NT method was used, no statistical difference among different generations was observed in the percentage of oocytes fused, cleaved, and developed to blastocysts after NT for EG‐like cells. On average, the percentage of oocytes fused, cleaved, and developed to blastocysts after NT was respectively 81.8%, 67.7% and 10.7%. For the expression of EGFP, from the 12 blastocysts produced by NT, 7 of them were positive, while none of NT embryos from EGFP positive fibroblasts developed to blastocysts. Results of the present study clearly demonstrated that gene transfected buffalo EG‐like cells have the ability to form chimeric embryos after injecting into buffalo early embryos and reprogramming ability after NT, which can be employed to produce transgenic buffalos through either embryo chimera or NT.
SNARE‐OVER‐THE‐WIRE TECHNIQUE FOR SAFE EXCHANGE OF A STENT FOLLOWING ENDOSONOGRAPHY‐GUIDED BILIARY DRAINAGE
Authors: Fujita Naotaka , Sugawara Toshiki , Noda Yutaka , Kobayashi Go , Ito Kei , Obana Takashi , Horaguchi Jun , Takasawa Osamu
Published: December 2008

Endosonography‐guided biliary drainage (ESBD) is a new option that allows establishment of biliary drainage. Due to the diameter of the working channel of an echoendoscope, it is necessary to replace a small caliber stent with a larger one to lessen the risk of stent occlusion. However, insertion of a guidewire into the bile duct via the hole of the sinus tract following direct removal of a previously placed stent is not always possible, resulting in guidewire passage outside the fistula and bile leakage. Cannulation of the previously deployed stent, guidewire insertion into the bile duct via the cannula and the stent, and removal of the stent with the snare over the guidewire leaving the guidewire in place (the snare‐over‐the‐wire technique [SOW]) for stent exchange following ESBD was attempted. Four patients who required stent exchange following ESBD were included in the present study to evaluate the feasibility and usefulness of SOW. SOW was successful in all the cases. A new stent was also successfully deployed over the guidewire in all the cases. No complications were encountered. The snare‐over‐the‐wire technique is feasible and useful in stent exchange following ESBD for the reduction of the risk of guidewire migration.
PROSPECTIVE COMPARISON BETWEEN SEDATED HIGH‐DEFINITION ORAL AND UNSEDATED ULTRATHIN TRANSNASAL ESOPHAGOGASTRODUODENOSCOPY IN THE SAME SUBJECTS: PILOT STUDY
Authors: Horiuchi Akira , Nakayama Yoshiko , Hidaka Nao , Ichise Yasuyuki , Kajiyama Masashi , Tanaka Naoki
Published: December 2008

Background:  Recently, quality as well as acceptability has been a concern regarding endoscopy. The aim of the present study was to compare the acceptability and quality of sedated high‐definition esophagogastroduodenoscopy (sHD‐EGD) using a newly developed high‐definition videoscope with those of unsedated ultrathin esophagogastroduodenoscopy (uUT‐EGD) using a 5.2 mm videoscope.

Methods:  Twenty‐two volunteers underwent both peroral sHD‐EGD and transnasal uUT‐EGD on the same day. Sedation consisted of 40 mg of propofol i.v. Both endoscopist and subject satisfaction levels were assessed using a 10 cm visual analogue scale.

Results:  All 22 subjects completed the sHD‐EGD and 21 subjects completed the uUT‐EGD. The endoscopist and subject satisfaction levels of sHD‐EGD were significantly better than those of uUT‐EGD (overall endoscopist satisfaction: 9 vs 4, P < 0.0001; overall subject satisfaction: 9 vs 3, P < 0.0001). The optical quality of the endoscopic images of sHD‐EGD was significantly higher than that of uUT‐EGD except in the duodenal bulb (overall quality: 8 vs 7, P < 0.0001). The interobserver agreement for EGD findings in sHD‐EGD was better than with uUT‐EGD, although the EGD findings in both sHD‐EGD and uUT‐EGD were similar. After undergoing both procedures, 91% were willing to have sHD‐EGD again compared to 9% with uUT‐EGD.

Conclusions:  The endoscopist and subject satisfaction levels and image quality of sHD‐EGD were better than those of uUT‐EGD. The routine use of high‐definition videoscopes would be expected to provide better acceptability than that obtained with unsedated endoscopy.
EARLY CARCINOMA OF THE APPENDIX VERMIFORMIS
Authors: Oya Shingo , Miyata Kanji , Yuasa Norihiro , Takeuchi Eiji , Goto Yasutomo , Miyake Hideo , Nagasawa Keiichi , Kobayashi Yoichiro , Ito Terutomo , Ito Masafumi
Published: December 2008

It is difficult to preoperatively diagnose early carcinoma of the vermiform appendix because of its rarity and few specific clinical features. In the present study, we report a preoperatively diagnosed mucosal carcinoma of the vermiform appendix.
Enrichment and photoperiod interact to affect spatial learning and hippocampal dendritic morphology in white‐footed mice (Peromyscus leucopus)
Authors: Workman Joanna L. , Bowers Stephanie L. , Nelson Randy J.
Published: December 2008

In seasonally changing environments, individuals must coordinate endogenous processes with ambient conditions. Winter is a challenging time to survive and reproduce. In order to anticipate decreased food availability and low temperatures in winter, many rodents use decreasing day lengths as a precise temporal cue. Short day lengths alter several adaptations, including reproduction, immune function, aggressive behavior and spatial learning in non‐tropical rodents. Specifically, short days impair spatial learning in white‐footed mice (Peromyscus leucopus) and alter dendritic complexity in the hippocampus. The goal of the current study was to determine whether short days constrain neural plasticity. If short days limit the capacity for plasticity, then environmental enrichment, a manipulation that induces morphological changes, should alter dendritic morphology in long, but not short, days. Male white‐footed mice were assigned to long (16 : 8 LD) or short (8 : 16 LD) photoperiod in either enriched or standard cages. Enrichment consisted of a large cage, cage mates, Habitrail® tubes, a nest box and a running wheel. Mice were tested in the Morris water maze. Reproductive tissues were collected and weighed; brains were processed for dendritic morphology. Short days impaired spatial learning. Short days also reduced spine density on apical dendrites within the CA3 region of the hippocampus. However, enrichment prevented short‐day‐induced deficits in learning and also increased hippocampal spine density in the CA1 and CA3 regions in short‐day mice. These results suggest that day length and other non‐photic environmental factors interact to regulate dendritic morphology, and that short photoperiods do not constrain the capacity for functional neural plasticity.
Pervasive canopy dynamics produce short‐term stability in a tropical rain forest landscape
Authors: Kellner James R. , Clark David B. , Hubbell Stephen P.
Published: December 2008

A fundamental property of all forest landscapes is the size frequency distribution of canopy gap disturbances. But characterizing forest structure and changes at large spatial scales has been challenging and most of our understanding is from permanent inventory plots. Here we report the first application of light detection and ranging remote sensing to measurements of canopy disturbance and regeneration in an old‐growth tropical rain forest landscape. Pervasive local height changes figure prominently in the dynamics of this forest. Although most canopy gaps recruited to higher positions during 8.5 years, size frequency distributions were similar at two points in time and well‐predicted by power‐laws. At larger spatial scales (hundreds of ha), height increases and decreases occurred with similar frequency and changes to canopy height that were analysed using a height transition matrix suggest that the distribution of canopy height at the beginning of the study was close to the projected steady‐state equilibrium under the recent disturbance regime. Taken together, these findings show how widespread local height changes can produce short‐term stability in a tropical rain forest landscape.
The rapid‐acting properties of insulin aspart are preserved in elderly people with type 2 diabetes*
Authors: Krones R. , Schütte C. , Heise T.
Published: December 2008

Aims:  Elderly type 2 diabetes patients may face increased risk of hypoglycaemic episodes because of unpredictable eating habits. The pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of insulin aspart (IAsp) were studied in elderly patients to examine the potential for postprandial dosing.

Methods:  Nineteen type 2 diabetes subjects, aged ≥65 years, were enrolled in this randomized, double‐blind, crossover trial. Subjects received 0.3 U/kg IAsp or regular human insulin during a glucose clamp procedure.

Results:  IAsp showed a faster onset of action with significantly higher values for area under the glucose infusion rate curves, AUCGIR(0–120 min) and AUCGIR(0–300 min) (p = 0.0001). Maximum metabolic activity was higher (4.4 vs. 3.8 mg/kg/min, p = 0.0039) and occurred earlier with IAsp (196 vs. 278 min, p < 0.0001). Late metabolic activity (AUCGIR (300–600 min)) was significantly lower with IAsp (p = 0.0006).

Conclusion:  Clinical studies are required to confirm whether postprandial administration of IAsp is appropriate for elderly patients.
Laser treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia in patients on oral anticoagulant therapy: a review
Authors: Descazeaud Aurélien , Robert Gregoire , Azzousi Abdel Rahmene , Ballereau Charles , Lukacs Bertrand , Haillot Olivier , Dumonceau Olivier , Devonec Marian , Fourmarier Marc , Saussine Christian , De La Taille Alexandre
Published: December 2008

We assessed the therapeutic efficacy and safety of laser prostatectomy (LP) for treating benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) in patients on oral anticoagulation. We systematically reviewed previous reports, using the Pubmed database and bibliographies of retrieved articles and reviews. The oral anticoagulation included coumarin derivatives and platelet‐aggregation inhibitors (PAI). Previous studies do not allow the establishment of definitive conclusions for managing patients on oral anticoagulation and who require BPH surgery. No randomized studies are available. Nevertheless, compared to transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP), LP seems to decrease the risk of haemorrhage in patients taking PAI or coumarin derivatives. Therefore, LP is a useful alternative to TURP for managing patients on oral anticoagulation, and could be proposed as the first intention for those patients. Continuing PAI during the procedure is feasible. A replacement of coumarin derivatives by low molecular weight heparin is preferable. No conclusion can be reached on the preferred type of laser technique to treat these patients, but data on laser enucleation is much less abundant and conclusive than that on laser vaporization.
Elevated plasma prostaglandins and acetylated histone in monocytes in Type 1 diabetes patients
Authors: Chen S. S. H. , Jenkins A. J. , Majewski H.
Published: December 2008

Aims/hypothesis  Inflammation is implicated in diabetes and cyclooxygenase (COX) is involved in vascular inflammatory processes, participating in both atherosclerosis and thrombosis. The aims were to determine whether levels of monocyte COX and plasma COX metabolites are increased in Type 1 diabetic patients and to determine whether these could be linked to histone hyperacetylation.

Materials and methods  Monocytes from 19 Type 1 diabetic and 39 non‐diabetic control subjects were probed for COX and acetylated histone H4 proteins by immunoblotting. Plasma COX metabolite levels [thromboxane B2 (TXB2) and prostaglandin E2 (PGE2)] were determined by enzyme immunoassay.

Results  Monocyte COX‐2 expression was significantly up‐regulated (1.3‐fold) in diabetic relative to the non‐diabetic control subjects and plasma PGE2 was markedly elevated (2.7‐fold). In diabetic subjects, monocyte acetylated histone H4 levels were significantly elevated; sub‐group analysis indicated that the increased histone acetylation was found only in the complication‐free group.

Conclusions  Results support increased inflammatory activity in Type 1 diabetes that involves COX‐2 and increased prostaglandin production, which may predispose patients to cardiovascular events. The observation of elevated histone acetylation only in complication‐free diabetic subjects suggests that this may be a protective mechanism. This merits further investigation as histone hyperacetylation has been associated with reduced expression of factors involved in vascular injury and remodelling.
Past and future range shifts and loss of diversity in dwarf willow (Salix herbacea L.) inferred from genetics, fossils and modelling
Authors: Alsos Inger Greve , Alm Torbjørn , Normand Signe , Brochmann Christian
Published: December 2008

Aim  Climate change may cause loss of genetic diversity. Here we explore how a multidisciplinary approach can be used to infer effects of past climate change on species distribution and genetic diversity and also to predict loss of diversity due to future climate change. We use the arctic‐alpine plant Salix herbacea L. as a model.

Location  Europe, Greenland and eastern North America.

Methods  We analysed 399 samples from 41 populations for amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) to identify current patterns of genetic structure and diversity and likely historical dispersal routes. Macrofossil records were compiled to infer past distribution, and species distribution models were used to predict the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) and future distribution of climatically suitable areas.

Results  We found strong genetic differentiation between the populations from Europe/East Greenland and those from Canada/West Greenland, indicating a split probably predating the LGM. Much less differentiation was observed among the four genetic groups identified in Europe, and diversity was high in the Scandinavian as well as in southern alpine populations. Continuous distribution in Central Europe during the last glaciation was inferred based on the fossil records and distribution modelling. A 46–57% reduction in suitable areas was predicted in 2080 compared to present. However, mainly southern alpine populations may go extinct, causing a loss of about 5% of the genetic diversity in the species.

Main conclusions  From a continuous range in Central Europe during the last glaciation, northward colonization probably occurred as a broad front maintaining diversity as the climate warmed. This explains why potential extinction of southern populations by 2080 will cause a comparatively low loss of the genetic diversity in S. herbacea. For other species with different glacial histories, however, the expected climate‐change induced regional extinction may cause a more severe loss of genetic diversity. We conclude that our multidisciplinary approach may be a useful tool for assessing impact of climate change on loss of genetic diversity.