bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Type 1 interferon augments DNA‐based vaccination against hepatitis C virus core protein
Authors: Gehring Stephan , Gregory Stephen H. , Kuzushita Noriyoshi , Wands Jack R.
Published: December 2004

Eradication of chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection depends upon a broad‐based cellular immune response. Genetic immunization stimulates such a response, but the resultant activity is generally weak. Type 1 interferons (IFNs), which are known for their direct anti‐viral and anti‐proliferative properties, possess vigorous immunomodulatory properties. The aim of this study was to assess the capacity of IFN‐α to augment the cellular immune response to DNA vaccination against HCV core protein. Three types of IFN‐α were investigated: the non‐species‐specific hybrid IFN A/D, human pegylated IFN‐α, and a plasmid that expressed murine IFN‐α. Low doses of hIFN‐A/D and hPegIFN‐α augmented three to fourfold the cellular immune response to DNA‐based vaccination, determined in conventional CTL assays, as well as in an in vivo tumor challenge model. Importantly, augmentation occurred within a narrow concentration range; a further increase in IFN dosage suppressed the CTL response significantly. Humoral immunity showed a very similar pattern of augmentation. These findings demonstrate that the immunomodulatory properties of IFN‐α can be exploited to augment DNA based immunization, but it is important to consider the effects of dose on both cellular and humoral immune response for optimal augmentation. J. Med. Virol. 75:249–257, 2005. © 2004 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Andes virus stimulates interferon‐inducible MxA protein expression in endothelial cells
Authors: Khaiboullina Svetlana F. , Rizvanov Albert A. , Deyde Varough M. , St. Jeor Stephen C.
Published: December 2004

MxA is a cellular protein activated in cells treated with type I interferons. MxA protein is a member of the dynamin superfamily of large guanosine triphosphatases. A unique property of Mx1 GTPases is their antiviral activity against a wide range of RNA viruses. Replication of several hantavirus strains is inhibited in cells constitutively expressing MxA protein. We have found that Andes virus (ANDV) infection up regulates transcription of MxA RNA and expression of MxA protein in human endothelial cells in vitro. Activation of MxA gene expression requires virus replication. Up‐regulation of MxA gene expression in hantavirus infected cells varies depending on the cell type. The degree of activation of MxA gene expression is inversely correlated with the efficiency of hantavirus replication. Additionally, MxA protein is co‐localized with hantavirus nucleocapsid protein in infected cell. Our data suggest that MxA by interacting with the virus nucleocapsid protein inhibits production of new infectious virus particles. J. Med. Virol. 75:267–275, 2005. © 2004 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
A comparison of epidemiologic and immunologic features of bronchiolitis caused by influenza virus and respiratory syncytial virus
Authors: Garofalo Roberto P. , Hintz Karen H. , Hill Vanessa , Patti John , Ogra Pearay L. , Welliver Robert C.
Published: December 2004

We studied epidemiologic and immunologic factors in infants with bronchiolitis caused by influenza virus. The proportion of these infants who were male and who had an immediate family member with a history of asthma was similar to that of a control group of infants with respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) bronchiolitis. In subjects with influenza virus infection, concentrations of the beta chemokine macrophage inflammatory protein‐1alpha (MIP‐1α), but not other beta chemokines, in nasopharyngeal secretions (NPS) were greater among infants with more severe, hypoxic bronchiolitis than in subjects with mild, nonhypoxic bronchiolitis, or upper respiratory tract infection alone. Quantities of MIP‐1α were also correlated with lower values of oxygen saturation. These findings point out epidemiologic and immunologic similarities between bronchiolitis caused by influenza and RSV, and suggest that host factors are more important than the nature of the infecting virus in the development of severe forms of bronchiolitis caused by influenza and RSV. J. Med. Virol. 75:282–289, 2005. © 2004 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Isoconversional kinetic study of alachlor and metolachlor vaporization by thermal analysis
Authors: Sbirrazzuoli Nicolas , Vecchio Stefano , Catalani Alessia
Published: December 2004

The vaporization kinetics of two acetamide pesticides, namely alachlor and metolachlor, was studied by thermogravimetric analysis under nonisothermal conditions (using heating rates between 1.0 and 10 K min−1). A model‐free isoconversional method of kinetic analysis was proposed, and activation energy dependences on the extent of conversion α for nonisothermal experiments were given. An increase in activation energy is shown for alachlor from 50 to 60 kJ mol−1, while E values do not significantly vary in the range α > 0.1: 63 kJ mol−1 for metolachlor while 60 kJ mol−1 for alachlor. At the end of vaporization (0.9 < α < 1.0), the activation energies are in close agreement with the enthalpies of vaporization calculated from DSC measurements. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Chem Kinet 37: 74–80, 2005
Absence of spin superradiance in resonatorless magnets
Authors: Yukalov V I , Yukalova E P
Published: December 2004

A spin system is considered with a Hamiltonian typical
of molecular magnets, having dipole-dipole interactions and a
single-site magnetic anisotropy. In addition, spin interactions
through the common radiation field are included. A fully
quantum-mechanical derivation of the collective radiation rate is
presented. An effective narrowing of the dipole-dipole
attenuation, due to high spin polarization is taken into account.
The influence of the radiation rate on spin dynamics is carefully
analysed. It is shown that this influence is completely
negligible. No noticeable collective effects, such as
superradiance, can appear in molecular magnets, being caused by
electromagnetic spin radiation. Spin superradiance can arise in
molecular magnets only when these are coupled to a resonant
electric circuit, as has been suggested earlier by one of the
authors in Laser Phys. 12, 1089 (2002).
Novel microstrip bandpass filter using one equilateral triangular‐patch resonator
Authors: Jianxin Chen , Quan Xue
Published: December 2004

A novel compact microstrip bandpass filter using one equilateral triangular‐patch resonator with a small cut is proposed. This filter has the advantages of compact size, low insertion loss in the passband, and sharp rejection in the stopband. Moreover, without coupling gaps, this novel bandpass filter can reduce uncertainty in fabrication. One transmission zero is realized in the low stopband. The theoretical and measured results are presented. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 44: 222–223, 2005; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/mop.20594
Two‐dimensional transverse‐magnetic time‐domain scattering using a predictor/corrector‐based Nyström method
Authors: Wildman Raymond A. , Weile Daniel S.
Published: December 2004

The Nyström method is used to numerically solve the time‐domain integral equations of two‐dimensional transverse‐magnetic electromagnetic scattering. The kernels of the equations are temporally filtered to control aliasing and weaken the singularity. This filtering results in a noncausal kernel, so a simple predictor/corrector approach is used to recover the time‐marching capability. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 44: 231–236, 2005; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/mop.20596
Stopband improvement of a dual‐mode ring bandpass filter using DGS
Authors: Weng Min Hung , Wu Hung Wei
Published: December 2004

This paper presents the improved stopband of a novel dual‐mode bandpass filter (BPF) using an etched H‐shaped defected ground structure (DGS) at 2 GHz. The wide‐stopband characteristic results from the rejection‐band resonant characteristic of the DGS in the harmonic frequency of the dual‐mode BPF. The proposed BPF is designed and fabricated with the following frequency characteristics: central frequency f0 = 2 GHz, 3‐dB bandwidth of 3%, and wide stopband from 2.5 to 5 GHz at −40 dB. The measured results of the fabricated filter show good agreement with the simulation results. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 44: 247–249, 2005; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/mop.20600
On a polarization‐independent frequency‐selective surface (FSS)
Authors: Ditti Sandip Kumar , Das Santanu
Published: December 2004

The frequency‐selective property of an array of rectangular microstrip elements that are resonant at a single frequency and show polarization independency is investigated both theoretically and experimentally. Investigation of the conventional frequency‐selective surface (FSS) of an array of rectangular microstrip patches resonant at a single frequency shows that if the source polarization is changed, the response of the FSS changes very distinctly. But in our modified structure, the frequency response of the FSS remains independent of the source polarization. The measured data indicate a prominent band separation between the transmission and reflection bands of the FSS in the transmission coefficient versus frequency plot. The simulation of the above polarization‐independent FSS has also been carried out in the transmission coefficient versus frequency plot by using a new algorithm of the finite‐difference time‐domain (FDTD) method. It is observed that the simulated result comes very close to the experimental result. This FSS may find applications in satellite communication, especially in the field of radio astronomy where polarization from the source is completely unpredictable or need not be known. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 44: 249–251, 2005; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/mop.20601
A GaAs monolithic linear‐in‐dB wide‐dynamic‐range variable‐gain amplifier with matching compensation for 1.95‐GHz applications
Authors: Detratti M. , Pascual J. P. , de la Fuente M. L. , Cabo J. , García J. L.
Published: December 2004

This paper describes a method to design a compact linear‐in‐dB variable‐gain amplifier (VGA) with good input/output matching in a wide gain‐control range. The method is theoretically supported and has been validated with the design of a 1.95‐GHz GaAs fully monolithic VGA. Measured maximum gain is 18.8 dB with associated noise figure of 6.3 dB and 40‐dB dynamic range with lower than ±1.5‐dB deviation from linearity, under a low control voltage from −0.4 V to −1.5 V. Good linearity with an output 1‐dB compression of 12 dBm at maximum gain and associated 3rd‐order intercept point better than 22 dBm are also shown. The adjacent channel power ratio (ACPR) was measured at the 1.95‐GHz WCDMA band, showing values better than −48 dBc at 885‐KHz offset and −70 dBc at 1.98‐Mhz offset over the whole control range. The chip size is 2 × 1.0 mm2 and consumes only 34 mA from a supply voltage of 3.5 V. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 44: 251–257, 2005; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/mop.20602
A novel variable optical attenuator and temperature sensor based on high‐birefringence fiber‐loop mirror
Authors: Yan Y. , Zhao Q. , Chen S. , Liu L. , Zhang H. , Dong X.
Published: December 2004

A novel variable optical attenuator (VOA) based on high‐birefringence (HiBi) fiber‐loop mirror is proposed. The HiBi fiber‐loop mirror is put into the temperature‐controlling box. As the temperature increases, the transmission spectrum shifts with nearly unaltered shape. The attenuation at 1558 nm is more than 30 dB with about 2.5‐dB insertion loss. Meanwhile, the wavelength shift with the temperature is vigorously linear. In this scheme, we propose a temperature sensor with fairly good linearity of 0.9997. Moreover, using theoretical analysis and numerical simulation, we explicitly explain our experimental results. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 44: 259–261, 2005; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/mop.20604
Narrowband ASE feedback gain‐clamped EDFA characterization
Authors: Haoken H. , Poopalan P. , Ahmad H.
Published: December 2004

A new and novel type of gain‐clamped erbium‐doped fiber amplifier (EDFA) is characterized the using conventional amplified spontaneous emission interpolation (ASE‐I) method and the relatively new time‐domain extinction (TDE) technique. The performance difference resulting from the measurement technique gives a gain deviation of 1.3 and 1.8 dB and noise‐figure deviation of 0.8 and 1.3 dB for 1550.9‐nm and 1553.3‐nm input‐signal wavelengths, respectively. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 44: 261–264, 2005; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/mop.20605
Compact hybrid defected ground plane
Authors: Mollah Md. Nurunnabi , Karmakar Nemai Chandra
Published: December 2004

A novel hybrid defected ground structure (DGS), which interleaves a photonic bandgap structure (PBGS), is investigated theoretically as well as experimentally. It yields distinct multiple passbands and stopbands. The novel structure can be used either a compact diplexer or a dual stopband filter. With Chebyshev distributions on the interleaved PBGS, the passband and stopband performances improve significantly. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 44: 266–270, 2005; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/mop.20607
A new reflectarray cell using microstrip patches loaded with slots
Authors: Cadoret D. , Laisné A. , Gillard R. , Legay H.
Published: December 2004

In this paper, a new reflectarray cell consisting of a variable‐length slot etched in a microstrip patch is presented. The phase shift is achieved by controlling the length of the slot. Two different structures are proposed: the first one uses a single patch with a single slot while the second involves three coupled patches sharing two slots. Good agreement between the simulations and measurements is obtained for passive structures designed at 5.7 GHz in a waveguide. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 44: 270–272, 2005; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/mop.20608
Familial gigantiform cementoma with brittle bone disease, pathologic fractures, and osteosarcoma: A possible explanation of an ancient mystery
Authors: Rossbach Hans‐Christoph , Letson Douglas , Lacson Atilano , Ruas Ernesto , Salazar Peter
Published: December 2004

We describe four individuals of an African‐American family with a predominantly diaphyseal bone disease associated with familial gigantiform cementoma (FGC), a disorder typically seen in Caucasians. The mother and her children presented with deformities of the jaws, abnormalities of the long bones, and pre‐pubertal pathologic fractures. The index patient carried the diagnosis of osteosarcoma (OS). In addition, we provide a possible explanation for the jaw abnormalities of King Tutankhamen's father in the 18th dynasty in Egypt around 1350 BC. © 2004 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Mucoepidermoid carcinoma of the parotid gland as a second malignant neoplasm
Authors: Savelli Stephanie L. , Klopfenstein Kathryn J. , Termuhlen Amanda M.
Published: December 2004

We report two second malignant neoplasms (SMNs) of the parotid gland. Patient 1 was initially diagnosed with precursor B‐cell lymphoblastic lymphoma of the scalp. Eight years after her initial diagnosis she presented with a small, painless mass in the region of her parotid gland. Patient 2 was diagnosed with pre‐B‐cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). Thirteen years after her initial diagnosis she presented with a painless mass in her right cheek. Both patients underwent superficial parotidectomies following excisional biopsies. Pathology revealed low‐grade mucoepidermoid carcinoma (MEC) in both cases. Both patients are currently tumor free. © 2004 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Investigation of spatial gusts with extreme rise time on the extreme loads of pitch‐regulated wind turbines
Authors: Bierbooms Wim
Published: December 2004

It is assumed that the extreme loading of pitch‐regulated turbines is caused by gusts with an extreme rise time rather than an extreme gust amplitude. A special kind of wind field simulation, so‐called constrained stochastic simulation, is dealt with in order to generate the desired gusts. Just as in wind field simulation for fatigue purposes, it is assumed that turbulence is Gaussian; a possibility is mentioned of how to deal with non‐Gaussian behaviour. On the basis of the presented theory it can be stated that the stochastic gusts produced in this way are, in a statistical sense, not distinguishable from gusts selected from a (very long) time series. An example of a spatial gust as well as the mean spatial gust shape is shown. For a reference turbine the maximum blade root flapping moment has been determined as a function of the gust centre in the rotor plane; the maximum response is obtained in the case where the gust hits one of the rotor blades at 75% of the radius. When the gust duration is large compared with the integral time constant of the controller, the controller can handle the gust as expected. However, even for small rise times it turns out that the maximum flap moment due to the gust is not significantly higher than that due to the background turbulence and 1P excitations. This may indicate that perhaps extreme rise time gusts do not lead to extreme loading of pitch‐regulated wind turbines. For a final judgement a proper probabilistic approach is necessary; an outline of such an approach has been sketched. Furthermore, it is recommended to do research on other gust types in order to find out the type which leads to the extreme wind turbine loading. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Fifth dimension of life and the 4/5 allometric scaling law for human brain
Authors: He Ji‐Huan , Zhang Juan
Published: December 2004

Brain cells are not spherical. The basal metabolic rate (B) of a spherical cell scales as B ∼ r2, where r is the radius of the cell; that of a brain cell scales as B ∼ rd, where r is the characteristic radius of the cell and d is the fractal dimensionality of its contour. The fractal geometry of the cell leads to a 4/5 allometric scaling law for human brain, uniquely endowing humans with a 5th dimension and successfully explains why the scaling exponent varies during rest and exercise. A striking analogy between Kleiber's 3/4 law and Newton's second law is heuristically illustrated. A physical explanation is given for the 4th dimension of life for three‐dimensional organisms and the 5th dimension for human brain.
The application of image cytometry to viability assessment in dual fluorescence‐stained fish spermatozoa
Authors: Flajšhans Martin , Cosson Jacky , Rodina Marek , Linhart Otomar
Published: December 2004

The viability of spermatozoa has been assessed using SYBR 14 staining for DNA of living cells and propidium iodide staining for DNA of degenerate cells. This dual staining was performed on four fish species (Siberian sturgeon, Acipenser baerii; common carp, Cyprinus carpio; tench, Tinca tinca and wels, Silurus glanis) and the proportions of live and dead spermatozoa were assessed by epifluorescence microscopy and image cytometry. Ten phase contrast and epifluorescent images were recorded per sample, corresponding images were overlaid, and the blended images were evaluated for live and dead spermatozoa, represented by green and red fluorescence signals. Live/dead proportions were assessed, after dual threshholding, by imaging software that counted absolute numbers of objects and computed their frequencies. All sperm heads were found to be labelled, emitting either green or red light. Mean numbers of spermatozoa per image were in the ranges 32–113, 61–105, 48–104 and 29–91 for Siberian sturgeon, common carp, tench and wels, respectively. The corresponding proportions of live spermatozoa were in the ranges 83.56–94.59%, 93.92–97.02%, 76.14–97.76% and 79.45–83.76%. Standard deviations did not exceed 5% of the means. The image cytometric system using dual staining with SYBR 14 and propidium iodide was clearly suitable for assessing the viability of freshwater fish spermatozoa.
A direct comparison of the natriuretic peptides and their relationship to survival in chronic heart failure of a presumed non‐ischaemic origin
Authors: Stanton Eric , Hansen Mark , Wijeysundera Hairinda C. , Kupchak Peter , Hall Christian , Rouleau Jean L. ,   On behalf of the PRAISE‐2 study investigators
Published: December 2004

The natriuretic peptides have been validated as sensitive and specific markers of left ventricular dysfunction; brain natriuretic peptide (BNP), N‐terminal atrial natriuretic peptide (NT‐proANP) and N‐terminal brain natriuretic peptide (NT‐proBNP) elevations have been associated with New York Heart Association (NYHA) Class I–IV heart failure. We directly compared the association of each of these markers with 1‐year survival in 173 patients with chronic heart failure of a presumed nonischaemic origin entering the PRAISE‐2 Trial, a clinical study which assessed the therapeutic effect of Amlodipine in patients with NYHA Class III and IV heart failure and a left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) <30%. BNP, NT‐proBNP, and NT‐proANP levels were all correlated with 1‐year mortality by univariate Cox proportional hazards analyses. With respect to multivariate Cox proportional hazards regression models containing variables deemed significant in univariate analyses, NT‐proANP alone was identified as an independent predictor of 1‐year mortality when log‐transformed continuous covariates were utilized in the analysis. When the analysis was repeated using dichotomous covariates, NT‐proANP remained the most significant predictor of 1‐year mortality, followed by NT‐proBNP, NYHA classification and BNP. We conclude that all three natriuretic peptides are significant predictors of short‐term mortality in subjects with chronic congestive heart failure (CHF) of a presumed nonischaemic origin. Larger prospective studies are required to validate the clinical utility of NT‐proANP as a discriminating marker of short‐term survival, and to validate proposed cutoffs of approximately 2300 pmol/l for NT‐proANP, 1500 pg/ml for NT‐proBNP, and 50 pmol/l for BNP as prognostic indicators of adverse short‐term outcome.
A case report of informal cognitive therapy of delusions by a carer: a novel treatment paradigm?
Authors: George Sanju , Bandopadhay Sumithra , Cowan Colin
Published: December 2004

Cognitive therapy has been effectively used in the treatment of psychotic symptoms like delusions and hallucinations. Most of the work in this area has focused only on the patient. We describe a patient with schizophrenia, whose delusions were well managed by his mother using informal cognitive therapy principles. Primary carers could be more involved as ‘co-therapists’ in the cognitive treatment of psychotic symptoms in some patients. Future work needs to explore the effectiveness and feasibility of more structured cognitive therapy input for carers (as co-therapists) of patients with psychosis.
Acquisition of essential somatic cell cycle regulatory protein expression and implied activity occurs at the second to third cell division in mouse preimplantation embryos
Authors: Xie Yufen , Sun Tong , Wang Q. Tian , Wang Yingchun , Wang Fangfei , Puscheck Elizabeth , Rappolee Daniel A.
Published: December 2004

It is clear that G1–S phase control is exerted after the mouse embryo implants into the uterus 4.5 days after fertilization (E4.5); null mutants of genes that control cell cycle commitment such as max, rb (retinoblastoma), and dp1 are embryonic lethal after implantation with proliferation phenotypes. But, a number of studies of genes mediating proliferation control in the embryo after fertilization‐implantation have yielded confusing results. In order to understand when embryos might first exert G1–S phase regulatory control, we assayed preimplantation mouse embryos for the acquisition of expression of mRNA, protein, and phospho‐protein for max, Rb, and DP‐1, and for the proliferation‐promoting phospho‐protein forms of mycC (thr58/ser62) and Rb (ser795). The key findings are that: (1) DP‐1 protein was present in the nucleus as early as the four‐cell stage onwards, (2) max protein was in the nucleus, suggesting function from the four‐cell stage onwards, (3) both mycC and Rb all form protein was present at increasing quantities in the cytoplasm from the 2 cell and 4/8 cell stage, respectively, (4) the phosphorylated form of mycC phospho was present in the nucleus at high levels from the two‐cell stage through blastocyst‐stage, and (5) the phosphorylated form of Rb was detected at low levels in the two‐cell stage embryo and was highly expressed at the 4/8‐cell stage through the blastocyst stage. Taken together, these data suggest that activation of mycC phospho/max dimer pairs, (E2F)/DP‐1 dimer pairs, and repression of Rb inhibition of cell cycle progression via phosphorylation at ser795 occurs at the earliest stages of embryonic development. In addition, the presence of max, mycC phospho, DP‐1, and Rb phospho in the nuclei of embryonic and placental lineage cells in the blastocyst and in trophoblast stem cells suggests that a similar type of cell cycle regulation is present throughout preimplantation development and in both embryonic and extra‐embryonic cell lineages.
Different dietary fatty acids have dissimilar effects on activity and gene expression of mitochondrial tricarboxylate carrier in rat liver
Authors: Siculella Luisa , Sabetta Simona , Damiano Fabrizio , Giudetti Anna Maria , Gnoni Gabriele Vincenzo
Published: December 2004

The tricarboxylate carrier (TCC), an integral protein of the mitochondrial inner membrane, transports mitochondrial acetyl‐CoA into the cytosol, where lipogenesis occurs. We investigated in rat liver mitochondria the effect of diets enriched with saturated fatty acids (beef tallow, BT), monounsaturated fatty acids (olive oil, OO) or n
− 3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (fish oil, FO), respectively, on the activity and expression of TCC. TCC activity decreased, in parallel with TCC mRNA abundance, only upon FO‐feeding. The TCC transcription rate, mRNA turnover and RNA processing indicated that FO administration regulates TCC gene at transcriptional and post‐transcriptional steps, whereas BT‐ and OO‐feeding do not seem to affect either TCC activity or gene expression.
Mitochondrial targeting sequence of the influenza A virus PB1‐F2 protein and its function in mitochondria
Authors: Yamada Hiroshi , Chounan Ritsu , Higashi Youichirou , Kurihara Naoki , Kido Hiroshi
Published: December 2004

The influenza A virus PB1‐F2 protein predominantly localizes in the mitochondria of virus‐infected cells. A series of cDNAs encoding N‐ and C‐terminal deletion mutants and site‐directed mutagenesis of the basic residues of PB1‐F2 appended to 3xFLAG revealed the domain from residues 46 to 75 to be both necessary and sufficient for mitochondrial targeting. In addition, the subdomain residues 63–75 and both Lys73 and Arg75 are minimally required for mitochondrial localization. Transfection of untagged‐ and 3xFLAG tagged‐PB1‐F2 into Vero, HeLa and MDCK cells changed the mitochondrial morphology from a filamentous to a dotted structure and suppressed the inner‐membrane potential.
Proteasome inhibition and Tau proteolysis: an unexpected regulation
Authors: Delobel P. , Leroy O. , Hamdane M. , Sambo A.V. , Delacourte A. , Buée L.
Published: December 2004

Increasing evidence suggests that an inhibition of the proteasome, as demonstrated in Parkinson's disease, might be involved in Alzheimer's disease. In this disease and other Tauopathies, Tau proteins are hyperphosphorylated and aggregated within degenerating neurons. In this state, Tau is also ubiquitinated, suggesting that the proteasome might be involved in Tau proteolysis. Thus, to investigate if proteasome inhibition leads to accumulation, hyperphosphorylation and aggregation of Tau, we used neuroblastoma cells overexpressing Tau proteins. Surprisingly, we showed that the inhibition of the proteasome led to a bidirectional degradation of Tau. Following this result, the cellular mechanisms that may degrade Tau were investigated.
Influence of a mitochondrial genetic defect on capacitative calcium entry and mitochondrial organization in the osteosarcoma cells
Authors: Szczepanowska Joanna , Zabłocki Krzysztof , Duszyński Jerzy
Published: December 2004

Effects of T8993G mutation in mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA), associated with neurogenical muscle weakness, ataxia and retinitis pigmentosa (NARP), on the cytoskeleton, mitochondrial network and calcium homeostasis in human osteosarcoma cells were investigated. In 98% NARP and ρ
0 (lacking mtDNA) cells, the organization of the mitochondrial network and actin cytoskeleton was disturbed. Capacitative calcium entry (CCE) was practically independent of mitochondrial energy status in osteosarcoma cell lines. The significantly slower Ca2+ influx rates observed in 98% NARP and ρ
0, in comparison to parental cells, indicates that proper actin cytoskeletal organization is important for CCE in these cells.
Characterization and application of the selective strand annealing activity of the N terminal domain of hepatitis delta antigen
Authors: Huang Zhi-Shun , Chen Albert You-Ju , Wu Huey-Nan
Published: December 2004

We used synthetic DNA oligos to investigate the nucleic acid chaperone properties of the N terminal domain of hepatitis delta antigen (NdAg). We found that NdAg possessed a bona fide chaperone activity. NdAg could distinguish subtle differences in the thermal stability of the base pairing region, and enabled DNA oligos to form a more stable duplex among competing sequences through facilitating strand annealing selectively, stimulating duplex conversion selectively, and stabilizing the more stable duplex. The property of NdAg identified in this study could be applied to improve the efficiency and specificity of dot blot hybridization under conditions of low stringency.
Inhibitors of protein phosphatase‐2A from human brain structures, immunocytological localization and activities towards dephosphorylation of the Alzheimer type hyperphosphorylated tau
Authors: Tsujio Ichiro , Zaidi Tanweer , Xu Jiliu , Kotula Leszek , Grundke-Iqbal Inge , Iqbal Khalid
Published: December 2004

Protein phosphatase (PP)‐2A, which regulates the phosphorylation of tau, is regulated by two endogenous inhibitor proteins, and , in mammalian tissues. Here, we report the cloning of and from human brain, and show that in PC12 cells and in or transfected NIH3T3 and human neural progenitor cells, is localized mostly in the cell cytoplasm and mostly in the nucleus. The recombinant and inhibit PP‐2A activity towards hyperphosphorylated tau in vitro; the dephosphorylation of the hyperphosphorylated tau at specific sites is selectively inhibited. Overexpression of as well as results in tau hyperphosphorylation and degeneration of PC 12 cells.
Sphingomyelinase causes endothelium‐dependent vasorelaxation through endothelial nitric oxide production without cytosolic Ca2+ elevation
Authors: Mogami Kimiko , Kishi Hiroko , Kobayashi Sei
Published: December 2004

Neutral sphingomyelinase (N‐SMase) elevated nitric oxide (NO) production without affecting intracellular Ca2+ concentration ([Ca2+]i) in endothelial cells in situ on aortic valves, and induced prominent endothelium‐dependent relaxation of coronary arteries, which was blocked by N
ω
‐monomethyl‐L‐arginine, a NO synthase (NOS) inhibitor. N‐SMase induced translocation of endothelial NOS (eNOS) from plasma membrane caveolae to intracellular region, eNOS phosphorylation on serine 1179, and an increase of ceramide level in endothelial cells. Membrane‐permeable ceramide (C8‐ceramide) mimicked the responses to N‐SMase. We propose the involvement of N‐SMase and ceramide in Ca2+‐independent eNOS activation and NO production in endothelial cells in situ, linking to endothelium‐dependent vasorelaxation.
Expression and subcellular targeting of canine parvovirus capsid proteins in baculovirus‐transduced NLFK cells
Authors: Gilbert Leona , Välilehto Outi , Kirjavainen Sanna , Tikka Päivi J. , Mellett Mark , Käpylä Pirjo , Oker-Blom Christian , Vuento Matti
Published: December 2004

A mammalian baculovirus delivery system was developed to study targeting in Norden Laboratories feline kidney (NLFK) cells of the capsid proteins of canine parvovirus (CPV), VP1 and VP2, or corresponding counterparts fused to EGFP. VP1 and VP2, when expressed alone, both had equal nuclear and cytoplasmic distribution. However, assembled form of VP2 had a predominantly cytoplasmic localization. When VP1 and VP2 were simultaneously present in cells, their nuclear localization increased. Thus, confocal immunofluorescence analysis of cells transduced with the different baculovirus constructs or combinations thereof in the absence or presence of infecting CPV revealed that the VP1 protein is a prerequisite for efficient targeting of VP2 to the nucleus. The baculovirus vectors were functional and the genes of interest efficiently introduced to this CPV susceptible mammalian cell line. Thus, we show evidence that the system could be utilized to study targeting of the CPV capsid proteins.
Mammalian CHORD‐containing protein 1 is a novel heat shock protein 90‐interacting protein
Authors: Wu Jianchun , Luo Shouqing , Jiang Hai , Li Honglin
Published: December 2004

With two tandem repeated cysteine‐ and histidine‐rich domains (designated as CHORD), CHORD‐containing proteins (CHPs) are a novel family of highly conserved proteins that play important roles in plant disease resistance and animal development. Through interacting with suppressor of the G2 allele of Skp1 (SGT1) and Hsp90, plant CHORD‐containing protein RAR1 (required for Mla resistance 1) plays a critical role in disease resistance mediated by multiple R genes. Yet, the physiological function of vertebrate CHORD‐containing protein‐1 (Chp‐1) has been poorly investigated. In this study, we provide the first biochemical evidence demonstrating that mammalian Chp‐1 is a novel Hsp90‐interacting protein. Mammalian Chp‐1 contains two CHORD domains (I and II) and one CS domain (a domain shared by CHORD‐containing proteins and SGT1). With sequence and structural similarity to Hsp90 co‐chaperones p23 and SGT1, Chp‐1 binds to the ATPase domain of Hsp90, but the biochemical property of the interaction is unique. The Chp‐1–Hsp90 interaction is independent of ATP and ATPase‐coupled conformational change of Hsp90, a feature that distinguishes Chp‐1 from p23. Furthermore, it appears that multiple domains of Chp‐1 are required for stable Chp‐1–Hsp90 interaction. Unlike SGT1 whose CS domain is sufficient for Hsp90 binding, the CS domain of Chp‐1 is essential but not sufficient for Hsp90 binding. While the CHORD‐I domain of Chp‐1 is dispensable for Hsp90 binding, the CHORD‐II domain and the linker region are essential. Interestingly, the CHORD‐I domain of plant RAR1 protein is solely responsible for Hsp90 binding. The unique Chp‐1–Hsp90 interaction may be indicative of a distinct biological activity of Chp‐1 and functional diversification of CHORD‐containing proteins during evolution.
New target-strength model indicates more krill in the Southern Ocean
Authors: Demer David A. , Conti Stéphane G.
Published: December 2004

Antarctic krill, Euphausia superba, comprises the foundation of the foodweb in the Southern Ocean and is the target of a large fishery. Recently, the total abundance of krill in the Scotia Sea was estimated from an international echosounder and net survey (CCAMLR 2000) to be 44.3 million metric tonnes (Mt; CV 11.4%) (Hewitt et al., 2002). The new biomass estimate prompted the Antarctic Treaty's Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR) to revise the precautionary catch level for krill in the area from 1.5 to 4 Mt (SC-CAMLR, 2000). These survey results are based on the total echo energy attributed to krill, scaled by the Greene et al. (1991) model of krill acoustical reflectivity or target strength (TS). Presented here is a re-analysis of the CCAMLR 2000 data incorporating recent improvements in the characterization of krill TS. The results indicate that the estimated krill biomass in the Scotia Sea may be as high as 192.4 Mt (CV = 11.7%), or as low as 109.4 Mt (CV = 10.4%), depending solely on the expected distribution of krill orientations. The new Stochastic, Distorted-Wave, Born-Approximation (SDWBA) TS model solved with an empirically estimated distribution of in situ orientations leads to a krill-biomass estimate that is nearly 2.5 times the previous estimate. In consequence, revisions may be warranted of the standard krill TS model, the CCAMLR 2000 biomass estimate, and the associated precautionary catch level for krill in the Scotia Sea.
Gestational diabetes mellitus in Chinese women
Authors: Wu Q.K. , Luo L.M. , Li P. , Gu J.H. , Feng J.
Published: December 2004

Objective: To determine whether foreign diagnostic criteria for the diagnosis of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) are suitable for Chinese pregnant women. Methods: The study participants were 340 pregnant women receiving obstetric care at the Shanghai Jiaotong University–Affiliated Sixth People's Hospital in Shanghai, China. The normal‐pregnancy group comprised 190 women with no risk factor for GDM and the high‐risk pregnancy group comprised 150 women who had at least one high‐risk factor for GDM. All women took the diagnostic 100‐g, 3‐h oral glucose tolerance test (100‐g 3‐h OGTT) between 24 and 28 weeks of pregnancy. The results of the 100‐g 3‐h OGTT were classified according to three different sets of diagnostic criteria: (1) new, “Chinese” diagnostic criteria based on the results from the 100‐g 3‐h OGTT performed in the 190 healthy participating women; (2) the Carpenter and Coustan criteria; and (3) the National Diabetes Data Group (NDDG) criteria. Venous plasma glucose (VPG) was measured by the glucose oxidase method. A consistency check was used for analysis. Obstetric and neonatal outcomes were recorded. Results: With 97.5% as the statistical cutoff value for the 100‐g 3‐h OGTT, the new diagnostic criteria for this study, based on data obtained from the 100‐g 3‐h OGTT performed on the 190 participating healthy pregnant women, were 5.2, 10.3, 8.9, and 7.7 mmol/L at 0, 60, 120, and 180 min. The ê value was 0.83 for the new criteria vs. the Carpenter and Coustan criteria (P<0.001) and 0.70 for the new criteria vs. the NDDG criteria (P<0.001). In women with GDM and gestational‐impaired glucose tolerance (GIGT), the incidence rates of macrosomia by the new criteria and the Carpenter and Coustan criteria were similar, but higher than the rates calculated with the NDDG criteria (P<0.05). Conclusion: With venous plasma glucose level measured by the glucose oxidase method, the Carpenter and Coustan criteria are applicable to Chinese pregnant women for diagnosis of GDM.
Prospective Randomized Trial Comparing Absorbable and Non-Absorbable Sutures in Open Carpal Tunnel Release
Authors: KHARWADKAR N. , NAIQUE S. , MOLITOR P. J. A.
Published: December 2004

A prospective randomized trial was undertaken to compare the influence of absorbable and non-absorbable sutures on pillar pain, scar tenderness, extent of wound inflammation and overall outcome of the surgery following open carpal tunnel release. Forty hands in 33 patients (mean age, 51 years; range, 31–74 years) were randomized into group A (absorbable sutures) or group B (non-absorbable sutures). Clinical assessment was done at 2, 6 and 12 weeks follow-up. The outcome of surgery in terms of improvement of severity of symptoms and functional status of patients was assessed using a self-administered Boston Questionnaire. There was no significant difference between the two groups for any of our outcome measures at the final follow-up.
Estimation of surface‐based duct parameters from surface clutter using a ray trace approach
Authors: Barrios Amalia
Published: December 2004

This paper describes a technique to estimate, from measured surface clutter, parameters defining a surface‐based duct using a simple ray trace method. The approach is novel in that it incorporates a rank correlation scheme between the observed surface clutter and the surface ray density for a given propagation path. While more sophisticated methods for duct parameter estimation have been developed with successful results, these have concentrated on using observations entirely from sea surface clutter. The technique described here looks at using land clutter also as an added source of information to adequately estimate surface‐based duct parameters.
Imprints of secondary heat sources on the stream temperature/equilibrium temperature relationship
Authors: Bogan Travis , Stefan Heinz G. , Mohseni Omid
Published: December 2004

A model has been developed that takes weekly stream temperature and weather data and determines the potential effects of stream channel shading, wind sheltering, and secondary (hydrologic) sources of heat on the observed stream temperatures. The partitioning (parameterization) of these effects is done via an empirical optimization procedure known as the shuffled complex evolution global optimization method. On the basis of data from 596 stream gauging stations in the eastern and central United States, the results of this analysis indicate that, on average, the effect of shading is stronger than the effect of sheltering and that the inclusion of a parameter for secondary heat input improves the simulation of the stream temperatures. The results increase our understanding of annual and seasonal controls on stream temperature at a regional spatial scale. By providing the above information for a large number of streams in the eastern and central United States, we have learned about typical values and ranges of stream shading and sheltering and have learned that hydrologic heat inputs cannot be ignored for many stream reaches. We have developed more realistic expectations of secondary heat inputs to streams. With this information, we will be better prepared to estimate and appreciate the effects of land use changes or climate changes on stream temperatures and hence on stream habitats.
Observations of carbon monoxide and aerosols from the Terra satellite: Northern Hemisphere variability
Authors: Edwards D. P. , Emmons L. K. , Hauglustaine D. A. , Chu D. A. , Gille J. C. , Kaufman Y. J. , Pétron G. , Yurganov L. N. , Giglio L. , Deeter M. N. , Yudin V. , Ziskin D. C. , Warner J. , Lamarque J.‐F. , Francis G. L. , Ho S. P. , Mao D. , Chen J. , Grechko E. I. , Drummond J. R.
Published: December 2004

Measurements from the Terra satellite launched in December of 1999 provide a global record of the recent interannual variability of tropospheric air quality: carbon monoxide (CO) from the Measurement of Pollution in the Troposphere (MOPITT) instrument and aerosol optical depth (AOD) from the Moderate‐Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS). This paper compares and contrasts these data sets with a view to understanding the general features of the overall pollutant loading of the Northern Hemisphere (NH). We present a detailed examination of the seasonal and recent interannual variability of the fine mode AOD and CO column, first considering the variation of the global zonal average for both quantities, and then concentrating on several geographical regions with the aim of isolating different emissions. In a zonal sense, the principal NH sources are related to anthropogenic urban and industrial activity. We show that both the CO and the AOD zonal seasonal variations reflect the atmospheric oxidant concentration, which determines the primary sink of CO and the production of sulfate aerosol. As a consequence, the seasonal cycles are several months out of phase, with perturbations resulting from sporadic wildfire or biomass‐burning emissions. In these cases, carbonaceous particles dominate the AOD, and this results in the best correlation with the CO column. Of the 4 years of data available from the Terra satellite, the winter and spring of 2002–2003 showed anomalously high NH pollution compared to the previous years. This was a result of fires in western Russia in the late summer and fall of 2002 and intense fires in the southeast of Russia in the spring and summer of 2003. We examine these events using fire counts from MODIS to indicate the burning regions and investigate how the timing of the fires in relation to atmospheric oxidant concentrations affects the resultant seasonal pollutant loadings. Finally, we trace the emissions from these fires to indicate how intense local pollution sources can impact continental‐ and global‐scale air quality.
Optimal removal of spurious pits in grid digital elevation models
Authors: Soille Pierre
Published: December 2004

Spurious pits in grid digital elevation models are often removed by filling them up to the level of their outflow point. Recently, an alternative approach called carving has been proposed to suppress each single pit by creating a descending path from it to the nearest point having a lower elevation value. In this paper, we propose an optimal method combining both approaches and minimizing the cost necessary for transforming an input digital elevation model into a pitless digital elevation model. The cost of this transformation is defined by the sum of the altitude differences between the input and output pitless digital elevation models. Experimental results are presented for a digital elevation model of continental Europe with a grid cell size of 250 m.
Weak field reduction in teleparallel coframe gravity: Vacuum case
Authors: Itin Yakov
Published: December 2004

The teleparallel coframe gravity may be viewed as a generalization of the standard GR. A coframe (a field of four independent 1-forms) is considered, in this approach, to be a basic dynamical variable. The metric tensor is treated as a secondary structure. The general Lagrangian, quadratic in the first order derivatives of the coframe field is not unique. It involves three dimensionless free parameters. We consider a weak field approximation of the general coframe teleparallel model. In the linear approximation, the field variable, the coframe, is covariantly reduced to the superposition of the symmetric and antisymmetric field. We require this reduction to be preserved on the levels of the Lagrangian, of the field equations, and of the conserved currents. This occurs if and only if the pure Yang–Mills-type term is removed from the Lagrangian. The absence of this term is known to be necessary and sufficient for the existence of the viable (Schwarzschild) spherical-symmetric solution. Moreover, the same condition guarantees the absence of ghosts and tachyons in particle content of the theory. The condition above is shown recently to be necessary for a well-defined Hamiltonian formulation of the model. Here we derive the same condition in the Lagrangian formulation by means of the weak field reduction.
Formation of glass fiber tips for scanning near-field optical microscopy by sealed- and open-tube etching
Authors: Shi J. , Qin X. R.
Published: December 2004

A method, sealed-tube etching, for fabricating glass fiber tips used in scanning near-field optical microscopy is reported. Two glass tips are formed simultaneously inside the acrylate jacket of an optical fiber that is sealed at the bottom end with plastic prior to etching in hydrofluoric acid. The qualities of the tips generated from this and conventional tube etching methods are compared in terms of their taper length, surface smoothness, as well as time evolution of the tip shapes. Etching mechanisms are proposed for this method, which provides more insight into the conventional tube etching method than previously considered.