bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Degeneration of the Basalocortical Pathway from the Cortex Induces a Functional Increase in Galaninergic Markers in the Nucleus Basalis Magnocellularis of the Rat
Authors: Barbelivien Alexandra , Vaussy Claire , Marchalant Yannick , Maubert Eric , Bertrand Nathalie , Beley Alain , Roussel Simon , MacKenzie Eric T. , Dauphin François
Published: November 2004

The present work aimed 1) to evaluate whether an increase in galanin or galanin receptors could be induced in the nucleus basalis magnocellularis (nbm) by degeneration of the basalocortical neurons from the cortex and 2) to analyze the consequences of such an increase on cortical activity. First, a mild ischemic insult to the frontoparietal cortex was performed to induce the degeneration of the basalocortical system; galanin immunoreactivity, galanin binding sites, and cholinergic muscarinic receptors were quantified through immunocytochemistry and autoradiography. Second, galanin infusions in the nbm were undertaken to mimic a local increase of the galaninergic innervation; cortical acetylcholine release, cerebral glucose use, and cerebral blood flow were then measured as indices of cortical activity. As a result of the cortical ischemic lesion, the postsynaptic M1 and presynaptic M2 muscarinic receptors were found to be reduced in the altered cortex. In contrast, galaninergic binding capacity and fiber density were found to be increased in the ipsilateral nbm in parallel with a local decrease in the cholinergic markers such as the muscarinic M1 receptor density. Galanin infusion into the nbm inhibited the cortical acetylcholine release and cerebral blood flow increases elicited by the activation of the cholinergic basalocortical system but failed to affect acetylcholine release, cerebral blood flow, and cerebral glucose use when injected alone in the nbm. These results demonstrate that degeneration of the basalocortical system from the cortex induces an increase in galaninergic markers in the nbm, a result that might suggest that the galaninergic overexpression described in the basal forebrain of patients with Alzheimer's disease can result from a degeneration of the cholinergic basalocortical system from the cortex. Because galanin was found to reduce the activity of the basalocortical cholinergic system only when this one is activated, galanin might exert its role rather during activation deficits than under resting conditions such as the resting cortical hypometabolism, which is characteristic of Alzheimer's disease.
Activation of Proinflammatory Caspases by Cathepsin B in Focal Cerebral Ischemia
Authors: Benchoua Alexandra , Braudeau Jérôme , Reis Aurélia , Couriaud Cécile , Onténiente Brigitte
Published: November 2004

Cathepsins and caspases are two families of proteases that play pivotal roles in ischemic cell death. This study investigated the existence of a cross-talk between cathepsin B and proinflammatory caspases in stroke-induced cell death, as recently suggested by in vitro data. Cortical ischemic damage was induced in mice by distal and permanent occlusion of the middle cerebral artery. Cytoplasmic activation of cathepsin B was observed from the early stages of infarction, and displayed an activation pattern parallel to the activation pattern of caspase-1 and −11. Immunohistochemistry revealed the colocalization of cathepsin B with each caspase in cells of the infarct core. The apical position of cathepsin B in both caspase-activation cascades was confirmed by pretreatment of the animals with the cathepsin B inhibitor CA-074, which also potently protected cortical structures from ischemic damage, indicating involvement of the proteases in the lesion process. The results show that cathepsin B release is an early event following occlusion of cerebral arteries, which eventually triggers the activation of proinflammatory caspases in the absence of reperfusion. This new pathway may play a critical role in brain infarction by promoting inflammatory responses, and/or by amplifying the apoptotic process.
Retroviral Delivery of Homeobox D3 Gene Induces Cerebral Angiogenesis in Mice
Authors: Chen Yongmei , Xu Bin , Arderiu Gemma , Hashimoto Tomoki , Young William L. , Boudreau Nancy , Yang Guo-Yuan
Published: November 2004

Angiogenesis is regulated by concerted actions of angiogenic and angiostatic factors. Homeobox D3 gene ( HOXD3) is a potent proangiogenic transcription factor that promotes angiogenesis by modulating the expression of matrix-degrading proteinases, integrins, and extracellular matrix components. Application of HOXD3 can promote angiogenesis in the skin, but its role in other vascular beds has not been examined. The authors examined HOXD3 expression in human brain vessels by in situ hybridization. Although little or no HOXD3 mRNA was detected in normal brain vessels, increased levels of HOXD3 and its target gene, αVβ3, were found in angiogenic vessels in human brain arteriovenous malformations. The authors further investigated whether HOXD3 plays a role in cerebral angiogenesis in a murine model. Expression of HOXD3 in mouse brain was achieved through retroviral vector—mediated HOXD3 gene transfer. HOXD3 expression lead to a significant induction of cerebral angiogenesis as shown by quantitative microvessel counting (HOXD3: 241 ± 19 vessels/mm2 vs. saline: 150 ± 14 vessels/mm2, P < 0.05). The data also showed that focal cerebral blood flow was increased in the angiogenic region with less vascular leakage. Moreover, expression of HOXD3 led to an increase in the expression of a direct downstream target gene αVβ3 integrin. The data suggest that HOXD3 may play an important role in regulating cerebral angiogenesis, and that gene transfer of HOXD3 may provide a novel and potent means to stimulate angiogenesis.
Research initiatives in Mauritius
Authors: Persand Sharveen
Published: November 2004

Mauritius forms part of the Mascarene Islands of the Indian Ocean and is situated
ca.
700 km to the east of Madagascar at latitude 20° S and longitude 57.5° E. Mauritius has jurisdiction over a proclaimed Exclusive Economic Zone that stretches over 1900000 km
2
. This extensive area holds an immense potential for exploration and presents a wide range of scientific and industrial challenges and opportunities. At present, ocean–related activities are undertaken by various governmental and para–statal institutions as well as non–governmental organizations. Mauritius recognizes the need to coordinate all efforts in order to eliminate wasteful duplication and focus on potential for development, and this has seen the establishment of different forums and committees. This paper gives a brief overview of the different institutions involved in marine science and oceanography in Mauritius and lists the major projects that are being undertaken as well as some of the projects or new research initiatives that are in the pipeline.
Review article: diagnosis and management of night‐time reflux
Authors: McGuigan J. E. , Belafsky P. C. , Fromer L. , McCarthy D. , Nostrant T. , Postma G. N. , Welage L. S. , Wolfe M. M.
Published: November 2004

Symptoms of gastro‐oesophageal reflux disease (GERD) range from mild to severe and, when they occur during night‐time hours, can interfere with sleep patterns and reduce overall quality of life. The clinical presentation of GERD is characterized by oesophageal as well as supra‐oesophageal symptoms, including otolaryngologic and pulmonary complications. However, GERD may be overlooked as the cause of a patient's supra‐oesophageal symptoms because these complaints can occur in the absence of oesophageal symptoms or endoscopic changes. The role of available tools used for GERD diagnosis, including endoscopy, oesophageal pH monitoring and an empirical course of proton pump inhibitor therapy, is discussed. Interventions available to achieve the therapeutic goals of symptom relief and prevention include specific lifestyle modifications and over‐the‐counter as well as prescription pharmacological agents. Patient‐initiated, as‐needed treatment may not be the best choice for managing persistent night‐time reflux because it requires patient arousal from sleep. Proton pump inhibitor therapy remains the treatment of choice for patients with more severe symptoms and those with erosive oesophagitis. Few studies have specifically evaluated the role of pharmacological agents in the management of night‐time reflux and comparisons are difficult due to the variability in study design and endpoints assessed.
Where Have All the Trials Gone? Settlements, Nontrial Adjudications, and Statistical Artifacts in the Changing Disposition of Federal Civil Cases
Authors: Hadfield Gillian K.
Published: November 2004

If trials have been “vanishing” from the federal courts in the past few decades, it matters, from a normative perspective, whether this trend reflects an increase in private settlements (as many assume) or an increase in public nontrial adjudication. In this article I investigate the coding of “disposition” by the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts as the first step in an effort to assess changes in the use of trial, nontrial adjudication (such as summary judgment and dismissal), and settlement to resolve federal civil cases. Based on audits of the 2000 data using electronic docket information available through PACER, I identify substantial “error” rates—as high as 70 percent—in the most ambiguous and relevant disposition codes, making simple interpretation of the raw codes highly unreliable. Using the sample frequencies of true dispositions determined from these audits, I correct the 2000 data. Comparing this corrected data to the raw 1970 data would lead to the surprising conclusions that a smaller percentage of cases were disposed of through settlement in 2000 than was the case in 1970, that vanishing trials have been replaced not by settlements but by nontrial adjudication, and that it is the bench, not jury, trial that has been transformed in this way. These conclusions are suggestive only, but they point to the importance of performing the more onerous task of auditing the pre‐PACER data produced by the federal courts in order to assess whether we are witnessing a fundamental shift out of public adjudication into private settlements or merely a shift in how and when judges decide cases.
Autophagy in Health and Disease: A Double-Edged Sword
Authors: Shintani Takahiro , Klionsky Daniel J.
Published: November 2004

Autophagy, the process by which cells recycle cytoplasm and dispose of excess or defective organelles, has entered the research spotlight largely owing to the discovery of the protein components that drive this process. Identifying the autophagy genes in yeast and finding orthologs in other organisms reveals the conservation of the mechanism of autophagy in eukaryotes and allows the use of molecular genetics and biology in different model systems to study this process. By mostly morphological studies, autophagy has been linked to disease processes. Whether autophagy protects from or causes disease is unclear. Here, we summarize current knowledge about the role of autophagy in disease and health.
Real-Time PCR for Detection and Quantification of the Protistan Parasite
Perkinsus marinus
in Environmental Waters
Authors: Audemard Corinne , Reece Kimberly S. , Burreson Eugene M.
Published: November 2004

The protistan parasite
Perkinsus marinus
is a severe pathogen of the oyster
Crassostrea virginica
along the east coast of the United States. Very few data have been collected, however, on the abundance of the parasite in environmental waters, limiting our understanding of
P. marinus
transmission dynamics. Real-time PCR assays with SybrGreen I as a label for detection were developed in this study for quantification of
P. marinus
in environmental waters with
P. marinus
species-specific primers and of
Perkinsus
spp. with
Perkinsus
genus-specific primers. Detection of DNA concentrations as low as the equivalent of 3.3 × 10
−2
cell per 10-μl reaction mixture was obtained by targeting the multicopy internal transcribed spacer region of the genome. To obtain reliable target quantification from environmental water samples, removal of PCR inhibitors and efficient DNA recovery were two major concerns. A DNA extraction kit designed for tissues and another designed for stool samples were tested on environmental and artificial seawater (ASW) samples spiked with
P. marinus
cultured cells. The stool kit was significantly more efficient than the tissue kit at removing inhibitors from environmental water samples. With the stool kit, no significant difference in the quantified target concentrations was observed between the environmental and ASW samples. However, with the spiked ASW samples, the tissue kit demonstrated more efficient DNA recovery. Finally, by performing three elutions of DNA from the spin columns, which were combined prior to target quantification, variability of DNA recovery from different samples was minimized and more reliable real-time PCR quantification was accomplished.
Complete Type III Secretion System of a Mesophilic
Aeromonas hydrophila
Strain
Authors: Vilches Silvia , Urgell Cecilia , Merino Susana , Chacón Matilde R. , Soler Lara , Castro-Escarpulli Graciela , Figueras Maria Jose , Tomás Juan M.
Published: November 2004

We have investigated the existence and genetic organization of a functional type III secretion system (TTSS) in a mesophilic
Aeromonas
strain by initially using the
Aeromonas hydrophila
strain AH-3. We report for the first time the complete TTSS DNA sequence of an
Aeromonas
strain that comprises 35 genes organized in a similar disposition as that in
Pseudomonas aeruginosa
. Using several gene probes, we also determined the presence of a TTSS in clinical or environmental strains of different
Aeromonas
species:
A. hydrophila
,
A. veronii
, and
A. caviae
. By using one of the TTSS genes (
ascV
), we were able to obtain a defined insertion mutant in strain AH-3 (AH-3AscV), which showed reduced toxicity and virulence in comparison with the wild-type strain. Complementation of the mutant strain with a plasmid vector carrying
ascV
was fully able to restore the wild-type toxicity and virulence.
Age-Related Decline in Carriage of Ampicillin-ResistantEscherichia coliin Young Calves
Authors: Hoyle Deborah V. , Shaw Darren J. , Knight Hazel I. , Davison Helen C. , Pearce Michael C. , Low J. Chris , Gunn George J. , Woolhouse Mark E. J.
Published: November 2004

The presence of ampicillin-resistantEscherichia coli(AmprE. coli) in the fecal flora of calves was monitored on a monthly basis in seven cohorts of calves. Calves were rapidly colonized by AmprE. coli, with peak prevalence in cohort calves observed in the 4 months after the calves were born. The prevalence of calves yielding AmprE. coliin cohorts consistently declined to low levels with increasing age of the calves (P< 0.001).
Verocytotoxin-Producing
Escherichia coli
in Wild Birds and Rodents in Close Proximity to Farms
Authors: Nielsen Eva Møller , Skov Marianne N. , Madsen Jesper J. , Lodal Jens , Jespersen Jørgen Brøchner , Baggesen Dorte L.
Published: November 2004

Wild animals living close to cattle and pig farms (four each) were examined for verocytotoxin-producing
Escherichia coli
(VTEC; also known as Shiga toxin-producing
E. coli
). The prevalence of VTEC among the 260 samples from wild animals was generally low. However, VTEC isolates from a starling (
Sturnus vulgaris
) and a Norway rat (
Rattus norvegicus
) were identical to cattle isolates from the corresponding farms with respect to serotype, virulence profile, and pulsed-field gel electrophoresis type. This study shows that wild birds and rodents may become infected from farm animals or vice versa, suggesting a possible role in VTEC transmission.
THE MAXIMUM ENERGY OF ħω INDUCED BY N+, N2+ AND N3+ IONS
Authors: Hsu C.C. , Chu T.C. , Chang Y.C. , Hsu H.H.
Published: November 2004

The continuous X-ray of Be, Ni, and Cd targets induced by N +, N 2+, N 3+ ions were measured at the projectile energies of 50-, 70-, 100-, 150-, and 200-keV. Since the energy of the projectile is so low and the detecting limit of the detector is about one keV, the continuous X-ray would be the X-rays of nuclear and atomic bremsstrahlung (NB, AB). From the result of maximum energy of ħω. the relationship of a maximum energy ħω of below: [Formula: see text] Which indicates that the maximum energy of ħω depends on (-3/5) power of the atomic number of projectile, Zp. and on (-1/3q) power of the atomic number of target atom, Zt, and on the energy of projectile. Where q expresses the number of charge state of the projectile.
PIXE ANALYSIS OF TRACE ELEMENTS IN CLAM SHELLS MARKED WITH IRON RUSTING
Authors: KOSHIKAWA YOSHINORI , ARAI NOBUAKI , SAKAMOTO WATARU , YOSHIDA KOJI
Published: November 2004

Trace element concentrations in short necked clam Ruditapes philippinarum marked shells with iron rusting were determined by particle induced X-ray emission (PIXE) method. Element such as Ca, Mn, Fe, Zn, Sr, and Br were detected in the shells. The Fe/Ca X-ray intensity ratio decreased exponentially on the day after marking. It was concluded that the higher Fe concentration on marked clams was caused by attached iron rusting. The concentrations of Fe, Br, and Sr differed among the 3 stations (Kamaya, Shigaki, and Iwatani), suggesting that elemental concentrations may be related to the growth of clams.
ENVIRONMENTAL MINERALS IN KII AMYOTROPHIC LATERAL SCLEROSIS IN JAPAN: A PIXE ANALYSIS FEATURING ALUMINUM
Authors: YOSHIDA SOHEI , WAKAYAMA IKURO , KIHIRA TAMEKO , SASAJIMA KAZUHISA , YOSHIDA KOJI
Published: November 2004

To evaluate a participatory role of environmental minerals in the pathogenesis of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) in the Kii Peninsula of Japan, one of the three high-incidence foci, elemental and neuropathological investigations of lumbar spinal cord and hippocampal tissues were conducted, using particle-induced x-ray emission (PIXE) spectrometry and histomorphometric analysis. The PIXE analysis revealed extremely high contents of Al in both tissues of Kii ALS cases as compared with sporadic ALS and control cases. Morphometric analysis in the hippocampus showed abundant Alzheimer’s neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs) in the Kii ALS cases as compared with the other cases. Al content significantly correlated with the density of NFTs in all ALS cases ( r =0.765, p < 0.0001). Interestingly, both Al content and density of NFTs in the hippocampus of all ALS cases significantly and negatively correlated with Ca and Mg contents in the birthplace area’s rivers. The extremely low Ca and Mg content in the focus rivers was confirmed along with the high ratio of Al 2 O 3/ CaO in the soil. Thus, Kii ALS patients may reflect the geochemical environment of their birthplace, i.e., long term Ca and Mg deficiencies and excess Al accumulation along with widespread NFT formation in the brain.
PIXE MICROANALYSIS OF AN ANTIMONY MINERAL, STIBNITE
Authors: ISHIBASHI K. , HU X. , MURAO S.
Published: November 2004

For the purpose of establishing an effective exploration model of antimony deposit as a final goal. minor elements in stibnite ( Sb 2 S 3) were analyzed by micro-PIXE. Samples were taken from the largest antimony mine in the world. Xikuangshan. Hunan. China. Measurements were carried out using 1 MeV proton to avoid the problem where low energy tail of K X-ray peaks of antimony could mask small peaks of interest. As a result. arsenic at a concentration of around 0.2 wt % was successfully detected for the stibnite crystals that contact calcite but not those that contact quartz.
COMPLEXIFICATIONS OF HOLOMORPHIC ACTIONS AND THE BERGMAN METRIC
Authors: IANNUZZI ANDREA , SPIRO ANDREA , TRAPANI STEFANO
Published: November 2004

Let G=(ℝ,+) act by biholomorphisms on a Stein manifold X which admits the Bergman metric. We show that X can be regarded as a G-invariant domain in a "universal" complex manifold X* on which the complexification [Formula: see text] of G acts. The analogous result holds for actions of a larger class of real Lie groups containing, e.g. abelian and certain nilpotent ones. For holomorphic actions of such groups on Stein manifolds, necessary and sufficient conditions for the existence of X* are given.
STUDY OF ITINERANT HOLES IN PLANAR AND APICAL OXYGEN IN TWO DIFFERENT BSCCO (2212) SINGLE CRYSTALS USING POLARISED X-RAY ABSORPTION
Authors: DALELA B. , DALELA S. , Saini N. L. , SINGHAL R. K. , Chen C. T. , GARG K. B.
Published: November 2004

X-ray absorption measurements have been made on Cu L 3 and O K-edge on BSCCO (2212) single crystals annealed under two different conditions at 1 bar O 2 (under-doped) and another annealed in 1:4 ratio of O 2: Ar (optimally doped) using the F. Y. detection technique. Our results clearly indicate that hole density decreases while going towards c-axis from the ab plane. Our results shows that the doping holes have predominantly x, y symmetry compared to those having pz symmetry. The T c for both the crystals does not depend on the density of doping holes in the apical oxygen. However, the matter needs to be further explored.
XANES STUDY OF THE DEPENDENCE OF THE ITINERANT HOLE DENSITY IN THE SUPERCONDUCTING Hg0.5Bi0.5Sr2Ca1-xRxCu2O7-δ (R=NdandPr) SYSTEM
Authors: GAUR S. K. , CHATURVEDI D. , SINGHAL R. K. , DALELA B. , DALEL S. , SAINI N. L. , PELLOQUIN D. , STUDER F. , CHEN C. T. , GUPTA ANURAG , AGRAWAL S. K. , GARG K. B.
Published: November 2004

X-ray absorption measurements have been made at the Cu L 3 and O K-edge on ( Hg 0.5 Bi 0.5) Sr 2( Ca 1-x Pr x) Cu 2 O 7-δ (x=0.35,0.50) and ( Hg 0.5 Bi 0.5) Sr 2( Ca 0.65 Nd 0.35)- Cu 2 O 7-δ superconducting systems. Our results clearly indicate that hole density decreases with increase in Pr content. The values of T c for Pr and Nd (x=0.35) systems are the same but the itinerant hole density is found to be larger in the latter case. In view of the fact that the density of holes depends more upon diamagnetic fraction than the T c in these superconducting systems, we can conclude that superconducting properties are different for these two cases.
PHASE SYNCHRONIZATION IN DOUBLY DRIVEN CHAOTIC OSCILLATORS
Authors: GAO JIAN , ZHENG ZHIGANG
Published: November 2004

Phase synchronization of a chaotic oscillator that is driven by two chaotic signals is investigated. The anti-biased PS in the presence of biased coupling is found, i.e., the response oscillator can be phase synchronized by the drive with a weaker coupling rather than the stronger driver. The mechanism for this behavior is explored. In the non-PS region, alternating phase-locking is observed.
THEORY OF MAGNETIZATION IN Pb1-xMnxTe AND Pb1-xEuxTe
Authors: HOTA R. L.
Published: November 2004

We present in this work a theory of magnetization (M) in diluted magnetic semiconductors and express it as sum of contributions due to magnetic impurities (M i ) and band effects which include lattice diamagnetism (M dia ) and spin density due to carriers (M c ). In addition to the contribution of isolated magnetic ions (Ms), M i includes the contributions of three types of small clusters: pairs (M p ), open triplets (M ot ) and closed triplets (M ct ). The contributions due to impurity spin interactions were calculated using modified Heisenberg's Hamiltonian as applicable to these clusters within the nearest neighbor interaction approximation. The band effects include contributions due to lattice diamagnetism and spin density due to carriers. The lattice diamagnetism χ dia was calculated using a two band model for the host system and a modified one for the alloy systems. χ dia for the host system compare well with the available experimental results. M c was calculated using a formula derived from first principles for an interacting electronic system. This is modified to calculate M c in the p-type Pb 1-x Mn x Te and Pb 1-x Eu x Te . Although the band effects are found to be small in the context of analyzing magnetization, they are intrinsically important in the sense that these quantities shed light on the nature of mechanisms contributing to lattice diamagnetism and the carrier spin densities in these systems.
EPR AND MAGNETIC SUSCEPTIBILITY STUDIES OF COPPER IONS IN THE 2B2O3·Ag2O GLASS MATRIX
Authors: LUCACEL R. CICEO , ARDELEAN I.
Published: November 2004

Glasses of the x CuO ·(100-x)[2 B 2 O 3· Ag 2 O ] system, with 0<x≤30 mol %, were investigated by means of EPR and magnetic susceptibility measurements. The influence of a gradual increase in CuO content on the glass structure and magnetic interactions that involved copper ions, have been discussed. EPR absorption spectra show Cu 2+ ions in axially distorted octahedral environments. Both EPR and magnetic measurements data pointed out the simultaneous presence in the glasses with x>5 mol % of Cu 2+ and Cu + ionic species. The Curie behavior of magnetic susceptibility indicates the absence of the superexchange interactions in these glasses.
ENTANGLED STATE REPRESENTATIONS FOR DESCRIBING 2-DIMENSIONAL ELECTRON SYSTEM IN UNIFORM MAGNETIC FIELD
Authors: FAN HONG-YI
Published: November 2004

We review how to rely on the quantum entanglement idea of Einstein–Podolsky–Rosen and the developed Dirac's symbolic method to set up two kinds of entangled state representations for describing the motion and states of an electron in uniform magnetic field. The entangled states can be employed for conveniently expressing Landau wave function and Laughlin wave function with a fresh look. We analyze the entanglement involved in electron's coordinates (or momenta) eigenstates, and in the angular momentum-orbit radius entangled state. Various applications of these two representations, such as in developing angular momentum theory, squeezing mechanism, Wigner function and tomography theory for this system are presented. Thus the present review systematically summarizes a distinct approach for tackling this physical system.
A SIMPLE EXAMPLE OF CLUSTERING FOR A GRANULAR GAS MODEL
Authors: MORGADO W. A. M. , VERNEK E.
Published: November 2004

We propose a model for two identical granular fluids separated by a piston that can present clustering (volume tending to zero) for a range of parameters. This model is based on point granular particles. For a convenient range of parameters, a granular fluid-cluster collapse is then possible and permits us to get an insight on the physics of granular clusters based on the behavior of the fluid phase itself.
IMPLEMENTATION OF NON-LOCAL CNOT WITH MULTIPLE TARGETS OPERATION BY GHZ STATE AND ENTANGLED PURIFICATION
Authors: CHEN LIBING , LU HONG , CHEN WEICHENG
Published: November 2004

We show how a non-local quantum CNOT with (N-1)-target operation can be implemented with unit fidelity and unit probability by using a N-qubit maximally entangled GHZ state as quantum channel. We also put forward two schemes for probabilistic implementing the operation with unit fidelity by employing a partially entangled pure GHZ state as quantum channel. The overall physical resources required for accomplishing these schemes are different, and the successful implementation probabilities are also different. We also point out the non-local CNOT with (N-1)-target operation can be used as a purification protocol to concentrate entanglement from an ensemble of partially entangled GHZ states into a subensemble of maximally entangled ones.
INFLUENCE OF BOTH ELECTRIC AND MAGNETIC FIELDS ON THE POLARON IN A CYLINDRICAL QUANTUM DOT
Authors: WANG RUI-QIANG , XIE HONG-JING , YU YOU-BIN
Published: November 2004

The polaronic correction to the ground-state energy of the electron confined in a cylindrical quantum dot (QD) subject to electric and magnetic fields along the growth axis has been investigated. Using a combinative approach of perturbative theory and variational wavefunction, calculations are performed for an infinitely deep confinement potential outside the QD within the effective mass and adiabatic approximation. We have treated the system by taking into consideration the interaction of the electron with the confined longitudinal optical (LO) phonons as well as the side surface (SSO) and the top surface (TSO) optical phonons.1,2 The ground-state energy shift is obtained as a function of the cylindrical radius and the strength of electric and magnetic fields. The results show that the magnetic field heavily enhances the three types of phonon mode contribution to the correction of the electron ground-state energy while the electric field only improves the contribution of surface phonons (SSO and TSO) but decreases the contribution of LO phonons.
HIGHLY NONLOCAL OPTICAL SOLITONS AND THEIR OBSERVATION IN NEMATIC LIQUID CRYSTALS
Authors: ASSANTO GAETANO , CONTI CLAUDIO , PECCIANTI MARCO
Published: November 2004

We investigate 2-dimensional spatial optical solitons in media exhibiting a large nonlocal response coupled with a self-focusing nonlinearity. To this extent, with reference to a specific system in undoped nematic liquid crystals, we develop a general theory of spatial solitons in media with an arbitrary degree of nonlocality and carry out experimental observations to validate the model. The remarkable agreement between predictions and data yields evidence of narrow-waist solitons, revealing an important connection between nonparaxiality and nonlocality and emphasizing the role of nonlocality.
GENERATION OF COLLECTIVE-ACTIVITY STRUCTURES IN A HOMOGENEOUS NEURON-LIKE MEDIUM II: DYNAMICS OF PROPAGATING AND PULSATING STRUCTURES
Authors: PELINOVSKY DMITRY E. , YAKHNO VLADIMIR G.
Published: November 2004

The correspondence between a general model of the neuron-like medium with a self-consistent activation threshold and a broad class of active two-component ("activator-inhibitor") diffusion systems is established. The transformation of static collective-activity structures into dynamical (propagating and pulsating) structures is investigated for two types of active systems with positive and negative diffusion.
THE INITIAL VALUE PROBLEM FOR THE DEEP BÉNARD CONVECTION EQUATIONS WITH DATA IN Lq
Authors: CHARKI Z.
Published: November 2004

A fixed point argument is used to prove the existence and uniqueness of solutions for the unsteady deep Bénard convection equations in [Formula: see text] for [Formula: see text].
THE TWO-DIMENSIONAL PACKING PROBLEM FOR IRREGULAR OBJECTS
Authors: CHEN PING , FU ZHAOHUI , LIM ANDREW , RODRIGUES BRIAN
Published: November 2004

Packing and cutting problems arise in a wide variety of industrial situations. The basic problem is that of determining a good arrangement of objects in a region without any overlap. Much research has been done on two and three dimensional rectangular packing while there has been little work done on irregular packing. In this work, we study the two-dimensional irregular packing problem and provide heuristic solutions which use rectilinear and piecewise-linear representations of objects. These heuristics include Genetic Algorithms and Tabu Search. Experimentation gives good results.
A HOPFIELD-TYPE NEURAL NETWORK BASED MODEL FOR TEMPORAL CONSTRAINTS
Authors: MOUHOUB MALEK
Published: November 2004

In this paper we present an approximation method based on discrete Hopfield neural network (DHNN) for solving temporal constraint satisfaction problems. This method is of interest for problems involving numeric and symbolic temporal constraints and where a solution satisfying the constraints of the problem needs to be found within a given deadline. More precisely the method has the ability to provide a solution with a quality proportional to the allocated process time. The quality of the solution corresponds here to the number of satisfied constraints. This property is very important for real world applications including reactive scheduling and planning and also for over constrained problems where a complete solution cannot be found. Experimental study, in terms of time cost and quality of the solution provided, of the DHNN based method we propose provides promising results comparing to the other exact methods based on branch and bound and approximation methods based on stochastic local search.
TEMPORAL VERSUS LATEST SNAPSHOT WEB USAGE MINING USING KOHONEN SOM AND MODIFIED KOHONEN SOM BASED ON THE PROPERTIES OF ROUGH SETS THEORY
Authors: HOGO MOFREH , SNOREK MIROSLAV , LINGRAS PAWAN
Published: November 2004

Temporal Web usage mining involves application of data mining techniques on temporal Web usage data to discover temporal usage patterns, which describe the temporal behavior of users on the Internet Web site, to understand the temporal users' behavior during different time slices. Clustering and classification are two important functions in Web mining. Classes, and associations in Web mining do not necessarily have crisp boundaries. Therefore the conventional clustering techniques became unsuitable to find such clusters and associations, where these conventional classification algorithms provide crisp classes, which are not suitable in real world applications. This gives the chance of using the non-conventional clustering techniques as fuzzy and rough sets in Web mining clustering applications. Recent research introduced the adaptation of Kohonen SOM based on the properties of rough sets theory to find the interval set clusters for the users on the Internet. This paper introduces the comparison between the latest snapshot Web usage mining and the temporal Web usage mining, and. the comparison between the temporal Web usage mining using the conventional Kohonen SOM and the modified Kohonen SOM based on the properties of sets theory.
A SYSTEM FOR LOGIC-BASED INTELLIGENT VIRTUAL AGENTS
Authors: ANASTASSAKIS G. , PANAYIOTOPOULOS T.
Published: November 2004

Combination of logic-based artificial intelligence with virtual reality in intelligent agent systems is an approach not extensively sought after to date. It is our belief that significant gain is to be expected if the technical challenges involved are overcome. In this paper, we describe the mVlTAL intelligent agent system, which is our latest effort towards this direction. The system is a contemporary intelligent agent system with applications in numerous areas, including intelligent virtual environments and formal artificial intelligence research. The system focuses largely on logic-based approaches, which are present in almost every aspect of it, including modeling, knowledge representation, definition of agent behaviors and inter-agent communication. In addition, virtual manifestation of the world and agents is also an inherent characteristic of the system. The system, even if still in a development and evaluation stage, has already been employed in experimental and educational applications, demonstrating the potential benefits of such an approach.
THE COMPUTATION OF INVERSE TIME VARIANT FUNCTIONS VIA PROPER PSEUDOINVERSE BOUNDING: A RADIAL BASIS FUNCTION NETWORK APPROACH
Authors: MAYORGA RENÉ V. , CARRERA JONATHAN
Published: November 2004

In this article a Radial Basis Function Network (RBFN) approach for fast and efficient computation of inverse continuous time variant functions is presented. The approach is based on using a novel RBFN approach for computing inverse continuous time variant functions via a damped least squares formulation and also on a non-conventional implementation of an original approach for singularities prevention and conditioning improvement. The singularities avoidance approach in turn consists on establishing some characterizing matrices, in order to obtain a performance index and a null space vector, and then properly including it in the overall RBFN approach.
PERTINENT KNOWLEDGE EXTRACTION FROM A SEMANTIC NETWORK: APPLICATION OF FUZZY SETS THEORY
Authors: OMRI M. N.
Published: November 2004

In this paper we describe an approach to define flexible Knowledge Extraction Systems able to deal with the inherent vagueness and uncertainty of the Extraction process. We also present a short survey of fuzzy and semantic approaches to knowledge extraction. The goal of such approaches is to address if and how some approaches met their goal.
A KNOWLEDGE LEARNING APPROACH TO INFORMATION EXTRACTION FROM MULTIPLE TEXT BASED WEB SITES
Authors: GAO XIAOYING , ZHANG MENGJIE
Published: November 2004

This paper describes a learning/adaptive approach to automatically building knowledge bases for information extraction from text based web pages. A frame based representation is introduced to represent domain knowledge as knowledge unit frames. A frame learning algorithm is developed to automatically learn knowledge unit frames from training examples. Some training examples can be obtained by automatically parsing a number of tabular web pages in the same domain, which greatly reduced the amount of time consuming manual work. This approach was investigated on ten web sites of real estate advertisements and car advertisements and nearly all the information was successfully extracted with very few false alarms. These results suggest that both the knowledge unit frame representation and the frame learning algorithm work well, domain specific knowledge bases can be learned from training examples, and the domain specific knowledge base can be used for information extraction from flexible text-based semi-structured Web pages on multiple Web sites. The investigation of the knowledge representation on five other domains suggests that this approach can be easily applied to other domains by simply changing the training examples.
MANAGING AND MINING MULTIMEDIA DATABASES
Authors: THURAISINGHAM BHAVANI
Published: November 2004

Several advances have been made on managing multimedia databases as well as on data mining. Recently there is active research on mining multimedia databases. This paper provides an overview of managing multimedia databases and then describes issues on mining multimedia databases. In particular mining text, image, audio and video data are discussed.
Role of interleukin-6 in murine airway responses to ozone
Authors: Johnston Richard A. , Schwartzman Igor N. , Flynt Lesley , Shore Stephanie A.
Published: November 2004

This study sought to examine the role of interleukin-6 (IL-6) in ozone (O3)-induced airway injury, inflammation, and hyperresponsiveness (AHR). Subacute (72 h) exposure to 0.3 ppm O3significantly elevated bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) protein, neutrophils, and soluble TNF receptors (sTNFR1 and sTNFR2) in wild-type C57BL/6 (IL-6+/+) mice; however, all four outcome indicators were significantly reduced in IL-6-deficient (IL-6−/−) compared with IL-6+/+mice. Acute O3exposure (2 ppm for 3 h) increased BALF protein, KC, macrophage inflammatory protein(MIP)-2, eotaxin, sTNFR1, and sTNFR2 in IL-6+/+mice. However, MIP-2 and sTNFR2 were not significantly increased following O3exposure in IL-6−/−mice. Increases in BALF neutrophils induced by O3(2 ppm for 3 h) were also significantly reduced in IL-6−/−vs. IL-6+/+mice. Airway responsiveness to methacholine was measured by whole body plethysmography before and following acute (3 h) or subacute (72 h) exposure to 0.3 ppm O3. Acute O3exposure caused AHR in both groups of mice, but there was no genotype-related difference in the magnitude of O3-induced AHR. AHR was absent in mice of either genotype exposed for 72 h. Our results indicate that IL-6 deficiency reduces airway neutrophilia, as well as the levels of BALF sTNFR1 and sTNFR2 following acute high dose and/or subacute low-dose O3exposure, but has no effect on O3-induced AHR.
Lysophospholipid generation and phosphatidylglycerol depletion in phospholipase A2-mediated surfactant dysfunction
Authors: Hite R. Duncan , Seeds Michael C. , Safta Anca M. , Jacinto Randolph B. , Gyves Julianna I. , Bass David A. , Waite B. Moseley
Published: November 2004

Pulmonary surfactant's complex mixture of phospholipids and proteins reduces the work of breathing by lowering alveolar surface tension during respiration. One mechanism of surfactant damage appears to be the hydrolysis of phospholipid by phospholipases activated in the inflamed lung. Humans have several candidate secretory phospholipase A2(sPLA2) enzymes in lung cells and infiltrating leukocytes that could damage extracellular surfactant. We considered two mechanisms of surfactant disruption by five human sPLA2s, including generation of lysophospholipids and the depletion of specific phospholipids. All five sPLA2s studied ultimately caused surfactant dysfunction. Each enzyme exhibited a different pattern of hydrolysis of surfactant phospholipids. Phosphatidylcholine, the major phospholipid in surfactant and the greatest potential source for generation of lysophospholipids, was susceptible to hydrolysis by group IB, group V, and group X sPLA2s, but not group IIA or IID. Group IIA hydrolyzed both phosphatidylethanolamine and phosphatidylglycerol, whereas group IID was active against only phosphatidylglycerol. Thus, with groups IB and X, the generation of lysophospholipids corresponded with surfactant dysfunction. However, hydrolysis of and depletion of phosphatidylglycerol had a greater correlation with surfactant dysfunction for groups IIA and IID. Surfactant dysfunction caused by group V sPLA2is less clear and may be the combined result of both mechanisms.
MKK3 and -6-dependent activation of p38α MAP kinase is required for cytoskeletal changes in pulmonary microvascular endothelial cells induced by ICAM-1 ligation
Authors: Wang Qin , Yerukhimovich Michael , Gaarde William A. , Popoff Ian J. , Doerschuk Claire M.
Published: November 2004

Previous studies demonstrated that neutrophil adherence induces ICAM-1-dependent cytoskeletal changes in TNF-α-treated pulmonary microvascular endothelial cells that are prevented by a pharmacological inhibitor of p38 MAP kinase. This study determined whether neutrophil adherence induces activation of p38 MAP kinase in endothelial cells, the subcellular localization of phosphorylated p38, which MAP kinase kinases lead to p38 activation, which p38 isoform is activated, and what the downstream targets may be. Confocal microscopy showed that neutrophil adhesion for 2 or 6 min induced an increase in phosphorylated p38 in endothelial cells that was punctate and concentrated in the central region of the endothelial cells. Studies using small interfering RNA (siRNA) to inhibit the protein expression of MAP kinase kinase 3 and 6, either singly or in combination, showed that both MAP kinase kinases were required for p38 phosphorylation. Studies using an antisense oligonucleotide to p38α demonstrated that inhibition of the protein expression of p38α 1) inhibited activation of p38 MAP kinase without affecting the protein expression of p38β; 2) prevented phosphorylation of heat shock protein 27, an actin binding protein that may induce actin polymerization upon phosphorylation; 3) attenuated cytoskeletal changes; and 4) attenuated neutrophil migration to the EC borders. Thus MAP kinase kinase3- and 6-dependent activation of the α-isoform of p38 MAP kinase is required for the cytoskeletal changes induced by neutrophil adherence and influences subsequent neutrophil migration toward endothelial cell junctions.
Voltage-gated proton channels help regulate pHiin rat alveolar epithelium
Authors: Murphy Ricardo , Cherny Vladimir V. , Morgan Deri , DeCoursey Thomas E.
Published: November 2004

Voltage-gated proton channels are expressed highly in rat alveolar epithelial cells. Here we investigated whether these channels contribute to pH regulation. The intracellular pH (pHi) was monitored using BCECF in cultured alveolar epithelial cell monolayers and found to be 7.13 in nominally HCO3−-free solutions [at external pH (pHo) 7.4]. Cells were acid-loaded by the NH4+prepulse technique, and the recovery was observed. Under conditions designed to eliminate the contribution of other transporters that alter pH, addition of 10 μM ZnCl2, a proton channel inhibitor, slowed recovery about twofold. In addition, the pHiminimum was lower, and the time to nadir was increased. Slowing of recovery by ZnCl2was observed at pHo7.4 and pHo8.0 and in normal and high-K+Ringer solutions. The observed rate of Zn2+-sensitive pHirecovery required activation of a small fraction of the available proton conductance. We conclude that proton channels contribute to pHirecovery after an acid load in rat alveolar epithelial cells. Addition of ZnCl2had no effect on pHiin unchallenged cells, consistent with the expectation that proton channels are not open in resting cells. After inhibition of all known pH regulators, slow pHirecovery persisted, suggesting the existence of a yet-undefined acid extrusion mechanism in these cells.
Pseudomonas aeruginosaprotease IV degrades surfactant proteins and inhibits surfactant host defense and biophysical functions
Authors: Malloy Jaret L. , Veldhuizen Ruud A. W. , Thibodeaux Brett A. , O'Callaghan Richard J. , Wright Jo Rae
Published: November 2004

Pulmonary surfactant has two distinct functions within the lung: reduction of surface tension at the air-liquid interface and participation in innate host defense. Both functions are dependent on surfactant-associated proteins. Pseudomonas aeruginosa is primarily responsible for respiratory dysfunction and death in cystic fibrosis patients and is also a leading pathogen in nosocomial pneumonia. P. aeruginosa secretes a number of proteases that contribute to its virulence. We hypothesized that P. aeruginosa protease IV degrades surfactant proteins and results in a reduction in pulmonary surfactant host defense and biophysical functions. Protease IV was isolated from cultured supernatant of P. aeruginosa by gel chromatography. Incubation of cell-free bronchoalveolar lavage fluid with protease IV resulted in degradation of surfactant proteins (SP)-A, -D, and -B. SPs were degraded in a time- and dose-dependent fashion by protease IV, and degradation was inhibited by the trypsin-like serine protease inhibitor Nα- p-tosyl-l-lysine-chloromethyl ketone (TLCK). Degradation by protease IV inhibited SP-A- and SP-D-mediated bacterial aggregation and uptake by macrophages. Surfactant treated with protease IV was unable to reduce surface tension as effectively as untreated surfactant, and this effect was inhibited by TLCK. We speculate that protease IV may be an important contributing factor to the development and propagation of acute lung injury associated with P. aeruginosa via loss of surfactant function within the lung.
Vascular growth and remodeling in compensatory lung growth following right lobectomy
Authors: Le Cras Timothy D. , Fernandez Lucas G. , Pastura Patricia A. , Laubach Victor E.
Published: November 2004

Studies in animal models have shown that, following lobectomy (LBX), there is compensatory growth in the remaining lung. The vascular growth response following right LBX (R-LBX) is poorly understood. To test the hypothesis that arterial growth and remodeling occur in response to LBX, in proportion to the amount of right lung tissue removed, two (24% of lung mass; R-LBX2 group) or three right lobes (52% of lung mass; R-LBX3 group) were removed via thoracotomy from adult rats. Sham control animals underwent thoracotomy only. Arteriograms were generated 3 wk after surgery. The areas of the left lung arteriogram, arterial branching, length of arterial branches, arterial density, and arterial-to-alveolar ratios were measured. To determine whether R-LBX causes vascular remodeling and pulmonary hypertension, muscularization of arterioles and right ventricular hypertrophy were assessed. Lung weight and volume indexes were greater in R-LBX3. Arterial area of the left lung increased 26% in R-LBX2 and 47% in R-LBX3. The length of large arteries increased in R-LBX3 and to a lesser extent in R-LBX2. The ratio of distal pulmonary arteries to alveoli was similar after R-LBX2 compared with sham but was 30% lower in R-LBX3. Muscularization of arterioles increased after R-LBX3, but not in R-LBX2. Right ventricular hypertrophy increased 50–70% in R-LBX3, but not in R-LBX2. Whereas removal of three right lung lobes induced arterial growth in the left lungs of adult rats, which was proportionate to the number of lobes removed, the ratio of distal pulmonary arteries to alveoli was not normal, and vascular remodeling and pulmonary hypertension developed.