bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Investigation of phase miscibility of CoCrPt thin films using anomalous x-ray scattering and extended x-ray absorption fine structure
Authors: Sun C. J. , Chow G. M. , Han S.-W. , Wang J. P. , Hwu Y. K. , Je J. H.
Published: March 2006

The phase miscibility of Co, Cr and Pt in oriented nanostructured CoCrPt magnetic thin films was investigated using anomalous x-ray scattering (AXS) from the (002) reflection and extended x-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) at CoK, CrK and PtLIII edges. The AXS measurements at CoK edge clearly showed the presence of Co in the crystalline region. However, Cr was not detected in the lattice. The EXAFS at CoK edge indicated that the nearest neighboring atoms of Co were mixed with 80% Co and 20% Pt, consistent with the results of EXAFS at PtLIII edge. Our observations suggested that only Pt and Co were at the Co (002) lattice of the nanotextured CoCrPt thin films. This indicated that the AXS alone may not be reliable to determine the phase miscibility in textured thin films. Complementary information from the EXAFS was useful to understand the phase miscibility of nanoscale materials.
Structural and optical properties of ZnO nanotower bundles
Authors: Tong Y. H. , Liu Y. C. , Shao C. L. , Mu R. X.
Published: March 2006

ZnO nanotower bundles have been grown on the electrochemically deposited ZnO thin film by a simple hydrothermal process. The influence of surface/interface defects on the structural and optical properties is studied by x-ray diffraction, selected area electron diffraction, and photoluminescence techniques. The formation of ZnO nanotowers and defects may be attributed to kinetic confinement and thermodynamic processes. A wide visible emission band covering nearly the entire visible region is related with the surface/interface defects. By controlling the surface area-to-volume ratio and the width change of the single ZnO nanotower, the emission properties of ZnO nanotowers can be well modified.
Exact solution of the Eigen model with general fitness functions and degradation rates
Authors: Saakian David B. , Hu Chin-Kun
Published: March 2006

We present an exact solution of Eigen’s quasispecies model with a general degradation rate and fitness functions, including a square root decrease of fitness with increasing Hamming distance from the wild type. The found behavior of the model with a degradation rate is analogous to a viral quasispecies under attack by the immune system of the host. Our exact solutions also revise the known results of neutral networks in quasispecies theory. To explain the existence of mutants with large Hamming distances from the wild type, we propose three different modifications of the Eigen model: mutation landscape, multiple adjacent mutations, and frequency-dependent fitness in which the steady-state solution shows a multicenter behavior.
Probing mucin-type O-linked glycosylation in living animals
Authors: Dube Danielle H. , Prescher Jennifer A. , Quang Chi N. , Bertozzi Carolyn R.
Published: March 2006

Changes in O-linked protein glycosylation are known to correlate with disease states but are difficult to monitor in a physiological setting because of a lack of experimental tools. Here, we report a technique for rapid profiling of O-linked glycoproteins in living animals by metabolic labeling with
N
-azidoacetylgalactosamine (GalNAz) followed by Staudinger ligation with phosphine probes. After injection of mice with a peracetylated form of GalNAz, azide-labeled glycoproteins were observed in a variety of tissues, including liver, kidney, and heart, in serum, and on isolated splenocytes. B cell glycoproteins were robustly labeled with GalNAz but T cell glycoproteins were not, suggesting fundamental differences in glycosylation machinery or metabolism. Furthermore, GalNAz-labeled B cells could be selectively targeted with a phosphine probe by Staudinger ligation within the living animal. Metabolic labeling with GalNAz followed by Staudinger ligation provides a means for proteomic analysis of this posttranslational modification and for identifying O-linked glycoprotein fingerprints associated with disease.
LHP1, the
Arabidopsis
homologue of HETEROCHROMATIN PROTEIN1, is required for epigenetic silencing of
FLC
Authors: Mylne Joshua S. , Barrett Lynne , Tessadori Federico , Mesnage Stéphane , Johnson Lianna , Bernatavichute Yana V. , Jacobsen Steven E. , Fransz Paul , Dean Caroline
Published: March 2006

Vernalization is the acceleration of flowering by prolonged cold that aligns the onset of reproductive development with spring conditions. A key step of vernalization in
Arabidopsis
is the epigenetic silencing of
FLOWERING LOCUS C
(
FLC
), which encodes a repressor of flowering. The vernalization-induced epigenetic silencing of
FLC
is associated with histone deacetylation and H3K27me2 and H3K9me2 methylation mediated by VRN/VIN proteins. We have analyzed whether different histone methyltransferases and the chromodomain protein LIKE HETEROCHROMATIN PROTEIN (LHP)1 might play a role in vernalization. No single loss-of-function mutation in the histone methyltransferases studied disrupted the vernalization response; however,
lhp1
mutants revealed a role for LHP1 in maintaining epigenetic silencing of
FLC
. Like LHP1, VRN1 functions in both flowering-time control and vernalization. We explored the localization of VRN1 and found it to be associated generally with
Arabidopsis
chromosomes but not the heterochromatic chromocenters. This association did not depend on vernalization or
VRN2
function and was maintained during mitosis but was lost in meiotic chromosomes, suggesting that VRN1 may contribute to chromatin silencing that is not meiotically stable.
Directed antigen delivery as a vaccine strategy for an intracellular bacterial pathogen
Authors: Bouwer H. G. Archie , Alberti-Segui Christine , Montfort Megan J. , Berkowitz Nathan D. , Higgins Darren E.
Published: March 2006

We have developed a vaccine strategy for generating an attenuated strain of an intracellular bacterial pathogen that, after uptake by professional antigen-presenting cells, does not replicate intracellularly and is readily killed. However, after degradation of the vaccine strain within the phagolysosome, target antigens are released into the cytosol for endogenous processing and presentation for stimulation of CD8+effector T cells. Applying this strategy to the model intracellular pathogenListeria monocytogenes, we show that an intracellular replication-deficient vaccine strain is cleared rapidly in normal and immunocompromised animals, yet antigen-specific CD8+effector T cells are stimulated after immunization. Furthermore, animals immunized with the intracellular replication-deficient vaccine strain are resistant to lethal challenge with a virulent WT strain ofL. monocytogenes. These studies suggest a general strategy for developing safe and effective, attenuated intracellular replication-deficient vaccine strains for stimulation of protective immune responses against intracellular bacterial pathogens.
Venezuelan encephalitis emergence mediated by a phylogenetically predicted viral mutation
Authors: Anishchenko Michael , Bowen Richard A. , Paessler Slobodan , Austgen Laura , Greene Ivorlyne P. , Weaver Scott C.
Published: March 2006

RNA viruses are notorious for their genetic plasticity and propensity to exploit new host-range opportunities, which can lead to the emergence of human disease epidemics such as severe acute respiratory syndrome, AIDS, dengue, and influenza. However, the mechanisms of host-range change involved in most of these viral emergences, particularly the genetic mechanisms of adaptation to new hosts, remain poorly understood. We studied the emergence of Venezuelan equine encephalitis virus (VEEV), an alphavirus pathogen of people and equines that has had severe health and economic effects in the Americas since the early 20th century. Between epidemics, VEE disappears for periods up to decades, and the viral source of outbreaks has remained enigmatic. Combined with phylogenetic analyses to predict mutations associated with a 1992–1993 epidemic, we used reverse genetic studies to identify an envelope glycoprotein gene mutation that mediated emergence. This mutation allowed an enzootic, equine-avirulent VEEV strain, which circulates among rodents in nearby forests to adapt for equine amplification. RNA viruses including alphaviruses exhibit high mutation frequencies. Therefore, ecological and epidemiological factors probably constrain the frequency of VEE epidemics more than the generation, via mutation, of amplification-competent (high equine viremia) virus strains. These results underscore the ability of RNA viruses to alter their host range, virulence, and epidemic potential via minor genetic changes. VEE also demonstrates the unpredictable risks to human health of anthropogenic changes such as the introduction of equines and humans into habitats that harbor zoonotic RNA viruses.
Elk-1 associates with the mitochondrial permeability transition pore complex in neurons
Authors: Barrett L. E. , Van Bockstaele E. J. , Y. Sul J. , Takano H. , Haydon P. G. , Eberwine J. H.
Published: March 2006

The nuclear transcription factor E-26-like protein 1 (Elk-1) is thought to impact neuronal differentiation [Sharrocks, A. D. (2001)
Nat. Rev. Mol. Cell Biol.
2, 827–837], cell proliferation [Sharrocks, A. D. (2002)
Biochem. Soc. Trans.
30, 1–9], tumorigenesis [Chai, Y. L., Chipitsyna, G., Cui, J., Liao, B., Liu, S., Aysola, K., Yezdani, M., Reddy, E. S. P. & Rao, V. N. (2001)
Oncogene
20, 1357–1367], and apoptosis [Shao, N., Chai, Y., Cui, J., Wang, N., Aysola, K., Reddy, E. S. P. & Rao, V. N. (1998)
Oncogene
17, 527–532]. In addition to its nuclear localization, Elk-1 is found throughout the cytoplasm, including localization in neuronal dendrites [Sgambato, V., Vanhoutte, P., Pages, C., Rogard, M., Hipskind, R., Besson, M. J. & Caboche, J. (1998)
J. Neurosci.
18, 214–226], raising the possibility that Elk-1 may have alternative extranuclear functions in neurons. Using coimmunoprecipitation and reciprocal coimmunoprecipitation from adult rat brain, we found an association between Elk-1 protein and the mitochondrial permeability transition pore complex (PTP), a structure involved in both apoptotic and necrotic cell death. Electron microscopy in adult rat brain sections confirmed this association with mitochondria. Elk-1 was also identified from purified mitochondrial fractions by using Western blotting, and Elk-1 increased its association with mitochondria following proapoptotic stimuli. Consistent with a role for Elk-1 in neuron viability, overexpression of Elk-1 in primary neurons decreased cell viability, whereas Elk-1 siRNA-mediated knockdown increased cell viability. This decrease in viability induced by Elk-1 overexpression was blocked with application of a PTP inhibitor. These results show an association of the nuclear transcription factor Elk-1 with the mitochondrial PTP and suggest an additional extranuclear function for Elk-1 in neurons.
Mechanisms of chromosome number reduction inArabidopsis thalianaand related Brassicaceae species
Authors: Lysak Martin A. , Berr Alexandre , Pecinka Ales , Schmidt Renate , McBreen Kim , Schubert Ingo
Published: March 2006

Evolution of chromosome complements can be resolved by genome sequencing, comparative genetic mapping, and comparative chromosome painting. Previously, comparison of genetic maps and gene-based phylogenies suggested that the karyotypes ofArabidopsis thaliana(n= 5) and of related species with six or seven chromosome pairs were derived from an ancestral karyotype with eight chromosome pairs. To test this hypothesis, we applied multicolor chromosome painting using contiguous bacterial artificial chromosome pools ofA. thalianaarranged according to the genetic maps ofArabidopsis lyrataandCapsella rubella(bothn= 8) toA. thaliana,A. lyrata,Neslia paniculata,Turritis glabra, andHornungia alpina. This approach allowed us to map theA. lyratacentromeres as a prerequisite to defining a putative ancestral karyotype (n= 8) and to elucidate the evolutionary mechanisms that shaped the karyotype ofA. thalianaand its relatives. We conclude that chromosome “fusions” inA. thalianaresulted from (i) generation of acrocentric chromosomes by pericentric inversions, (ii) reciprocal translocation between two chromosomes (one or both acrocentric), and (iii) elimination of a minichromosome that arose in addition to the “fusion chromosome.” Comparative chromosome painting applied toN. paniculata(n= 7),T. glabra(n= 6), andH. alpina(n= 6), for which genetic maps are not available, revealed chromosomal colinearity between all species tested and allowed us to reconstruct the evolution of their chromosomes from a putative ancestral karyotype (n= 8). Although involving different ancestral chromosomes, chromosome number reduction followed similar routes as found within the genusArabidopsis.
Galectin-3 regulates myofibroblast activation and hepatic fibrosis
Authors: Henderson Neil C. , Mackinnon Alison C. , Farnworth Sarah L. , Poirier Francoise , Russo Francesco P. , Iredale John P. , Haslett Christopher , Simpson Kenneth J. , Sethi Tariq
Published: March 2006

Central to fibrogenesis and the scarring of organs is the activation of fibroblasts into matrix-secreting myofibroblasts. We demonstrate that Galectin-3 expression is up-regulated in established human fibrotic liver disease and is temporally and spatially related to the induction and resolution of experimental hepatic fibrosis. Disruption of theGalectin-3gene blocks myofibroblast activation and procollagen (I) expressionin vitroandin vivo, markedly attenuating liver fibrosis. Addition of exogenous recombinant Galectin-3in vitroreversed this abnormality. The reduction in hepatic fibrosis observed in theGalectin-3−/−mouse occurred despite equivalent liver injury and inflammation, and similar tissue expression of TGF-β. TGF-β failed to transactivateGalectin-3−/−hepatic stellate cells, in contrast with WT hepatic stellate cells; however, TGF-β-stimulated Smad-2 and -3 activation was equivalent. These data suggest that Galectin-3 is required for TGF-β mediated myofibroblast activation and matrix production. Finally,in vivosiRNA knockdown of Galectin-3 inhibited myofibroblast activation after hepatic injury and may therefore provide an alternative therapeutic approach to the prevention and treatment of liver fibrosis.
Rapid signaling at the plasma membrane by a nuclear receptor for thyroid hormone
Authors: Storey Nina M. , Gentile Saverio , Ullah Hemayet , Russo Angela , Muessel Michelle , Erxleben Christian , Armstrong David L.
Published: March 2006

Many nuclear hormones have physiological effects that are too rapid to be explained by changes in gene expression and are often attributed to unidentified or novel G protein-coupled receptors. Thyroid hormone is essential for normal human brain development, but the molecular mechanisms responsible for its effects remain to be identified. Here, we present direct molecular evidence for potassium channel stimulation in a rat pituitary cell line (GH
4
C
1
) by a nuclear receptor for thyroid hormone, TRβ, acting rapidly at the plasma membrane through phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K) to slow the deactivation of KCNH2 channels already in the membrane. Signaling was disrupted by heterologous expression of TRβ receptors with mutations in the ligand-binding domain that are associated with neurological disorders in humans, but not by mutations that disrupt DNA binding. More importantly, PI3K-dependent signaling was reconstituted in cell-free patches of membrane from CHO cells by heterologous expression of human KCNH2 channels and TRβ, but not TRα, receptors. TRβ signaling through PI3K provides a molecular explanation for the essential role of thyroid hormone in human brain development and adult lipid metabolism.
The protein ENH is a cytoplasmic sequestration factor for Id2 in normal and tumor cells from the nervous system
Authors: Lasorella Anna , Iavarone Antonio
Published: March 2006

Id2 is a natural inhibitor of the basic helix–loop–helix transcription factors and the retinoblastoma tumor suppressor protein. Active Id2 prevents differentiation and promotes cell-cycle progression and tumorigenesis in the nervous system. A key event that regulates Id2 activity during differentiation is translocation from the nucleus to the cytoplasm. Here we show that the actin-associated protein enigma homolog (ENH) is a cytoplasmic retention factor for Id2. ENH contains three LIM domains, which bind to the helix–loop–helix domain of Id proteins
in vitro
and
in vivo
. ENH is up-regulated during neural differentiation, and its ectopic expression in neuroblastoma cells leads to translocation of Id2 from the nucleus to the cytoplasm, with consequent inactivation of transcriptional and cell-cycle-promoting functions of Id2. Conversely, silencing of ENH by RNA interference prevents cytoplasmic relocation of Id2 in neuroblastoma cells differentiated with retinoic acid. Finally, the differentiated neural crest-derived tumor ganglioneuroblastoma coexpresses Id2 and ENH in the cytoplasm of ganglionic cells. These data indicate that ENH contributes to differentiation of the nervous system through cytoplasmic sequestration of Id2. They also suggest that ENH is a restraining factor of the oncogenic activity of Id proteins in neural tumors.
Nano neuro knitting: Peptide nanofiber scaffold for brain repair and axon regeneration with functional return of vision
Authors: Ellis-Behnke Rutledge G. , Liang Yu-Xiang , You Si-Wei , Tay David K. C. , Zhang Shuguang , So Kwok-Fai , Schneider Gerald E.
Published: March 2006

Nanotechnology is often associated with materials fabrication, microelectronics, and microfluidics. Until now, the use of nanotechnology and molecular self assembly in biomedicine to repair injured brain structures has not been explored. To achieve axonal regeneration after injury in the CNS, several formidable barriers must be overcome, such as scar tissue formation after tissue injury, gaps in nervous tissue formed during phagocytosis of dying cells after injury, and the failure of many adult neurons to initiate axonal extension. Using the mammalian visual system as a model, we report that a designed self-assembling peptide nanofiber scaffold creates a permissive environment for axons not only to regenerate through the site of an acute injury but also to knit the brain tissue together. In experiments using a severed optic tract in the hamster, we show that regenerated axons reconnect to target tissues with sufficient density to promote functional return of vision, as evidenced by visually elicited orienting behavior. The peptide nanofiber scaffold not only represents a previously undiscovered nanobiomedical technology for tissue repair and restoration but also raises the possibility of effective treatment of CNS and other tissue or organ trauma.
MicroRNA fingerprints during human megakaryocytopoiesis
Authors: Garzon Ramiro , Pichiorri Flavia , Palumbo Tiziana , Iuliano Rodolfo , Cimmino Amelia , Aqeilan Rami , Volinia Stefano , Bhatt Darshna , Alder Hansjuerg , Marcucci Guido , Calin George A. , Liu Chang-Gong , Bloomfield Clara D. , Andreeff Michael , Croce Carlo M.
Published: March 2006

microRNAs are a highly conserved class of noncoding RNAs with important regulatory functions in proliferation, apoptosis, development, and differentiation. To discover novel regulatory pathways during megakaryocytic differentiation, we performed microRNA expression profiling of
in vitro
-differentiated megakaryocytes derived from CD34
+
hematopoietic progenitors. The main finding was down-regulation of
miR-10a
,
miR-126
,
miR-106
,
miR-10b
,
miR-17
and
miR-20
. Hypothetically, the down-regulation of microRNAs unblocks target genes involved in differentiation. We confirmed
in vitro
and
in vivo
that
miR-130a
targets the transcription factor
MAFB
, which is involved in the activation of the GPIIB promoter, a key protein for platelet physiology. In addition, we found that
miR-10a
expression in differentiated megakaryocytes is inverse to that of
HOXA1
, and we showed that
HOXA1
is a direct target of
miR-10a
. Finally, we compared the microRNA expression of megakaryoblastic leukemic cell lines with that of
in vitro
differentiated megakaryocytes and CD34
+
progenitors. This analysis revealed up-regulation of
miR-101
,
miR-126
,
miR-99a
,
miR-135
, and
miR-20
. Our data delineate the expression of microRNAs during megakaryocytopoiesis and suggest a regulatory role of microRNAs in this process by targeting megakaryocytic transcription factors.
Functional ion channels in pulmonary alveolar type I cells support a role for type I cells in lung ion transport
Authors: Johnson Meshell D. , Bao Hui-Fang , Helms My N. , Chen Xi-Juan , Tigue Zac , Jain Lucky , Dobbs Leland G. , Eaton Douglas C.
Published: March 2006

Efficient gas exchange in the lungs depends on regulation of the amount of fluid in the thin (average 0.2 μm) liquid layer lining the alveolar epithelium. Fluid fluxes are regulated by ion transport across the alveolar epithelium, which is composed of alveolar type I (TI) and type II (TII) cells. The accepted paradigm has been that TII cells, which cover <5% of the internal surface area of the lung, transport Na
+
and Cl
−
and that TI cells, which cover >95% of the surface area, provide a route for water absorption. Here we present data that TI cells contain functional epithelial Na
+
channels (ENaC), pimozide-sensitive cation channels, K
+
channels, and the cystic fibrosis transmembrane regulator. TII cells contain ENaC and cystic fibrosis transmembrane regulator, but few pimozide-sensitive cation channels. These findings lead to a revised paradigm of ion and water transport in the lung in which (
i
) Na
+
and Cl
−
transport occurs across the entire alveolar epithelium (TI and TII cells) rather than only across TII cells; and (
ii
) by virtue of their very large surface area, TI cells are responsible for the bulk of transepithelial Na
+
transport in the lung.
Experimental determination of the radiation dose limit for cryocooled protein crystals
Authors: Owen Robin Leslie , Rudiño-Piñera Enrique , Garman Elspeth F.
Published: March 2006

Radiation damage to cryocooled protein crystals during x-ray structure determination has become an inherent part of macromolecular diffraction data collection at third-generation synchrotrons. Generally, radiation damage is an undesirable component of the experiment and can result in erroneous structural detail in the final model. The characterization of radiation damage thus has become an important area for structural biologists. The calculated dose limit of 2 × 10
7
Gy for the diffracting power of cryocooled protein crystals to drop by half has been experimentally evaluated at a third-generation synchrotron source. Successive data sets were collected from four holoferritin and three apoferritin crystals. The absorbed dose for each crystal was calculated by using the program
raddose
after measurement of the incident photon flux and determination of the elemental crystal composition by micro-particle-induced x-ray emission. Degradation in diffraction quality and specific structural changes induced by synchrotron radiation then could be compared directly with absorbed dose for different dose/dose rate regimes: a 10% lifetime decrease for a 10-fold dose rate increase was observed. Remarkable agreement both between different crystals of the same type and between apoferritin and holoferritin was observed for the dose required to reduce the diffracted intensity by half (
D
1/2
). From these measurements, a dose limit of
D
1/2
= 4.3 (±0.3) ×10
7
Gy was obtained. However, by considering other data quality indicators, an intensity reduction to
I
ln2
= ln2 ×
I
0
, corresponding to an absorbed dose of 3.0 × 10
7
Gy, is recommended as an appropriate dose limit for typical macromolecular crystallography experiments.
Prevalence of the metabolic syndrome in elementary school children
Authors: Dubose Katrina D. , Stewart Elizabeth E. , Charbonneau Shannon R. , Mayo Matthew S. , Donnelly Joseph E.
Published: March 2006

Aim: To determine the prevalence of the metabolic syndrome (MS) and its related components in elementary‐aged school children. Methods: Three hundred and seventy‐five 7–9‐y‐old boys (n=182) and girls (n=193) in the eastern Kansas area served as participants. Criteria for the MS were the presence of three or more of the following components: 1) central obesity (waist circumference ≥90th percentile in males and females); 2) elevated triglyceride concentrations (≥1.13 mmol/l); 3) low HDL‐C concentrations (≤1.04 mmol/l in males and females); 4) elevated blood pressure (systolic and/or diastolic ≥90th percentile, age and gender specific); or 5) elevated fasting glucose levels (≥6.10 mmol/l). Results: The prevalence of the MS in this sample was 5%, and was similar across gender and race. Fifty percent of the children had no components and 15% had at least two components, with elevated blood pressure the most common component (37%).

Conclusion: The MS is prevalent even in young children at rates similarly reported in adolescents.
The prevalence of unwanted and unlawful sexual experiences reported by Danish adolescents: Results from a national youth survey in 2002
Authors: Helweg‐Larsen Karin , Larsen Helmer Bøving
Published: March 2006

Aim: To obtain current data about child sexual abuse in Denmark and to assess abused children's own perception of early sexual experiences, which are unlawful according to the Danish Penal Code. Methods: Multimedia computer‐based self‐administered questionnaires (CASI) were completed by a national representative sample of 15–16‐y‐olds. Child sexual abuse was defined according to the penal code and measured by questions defining specific sexual activities, the relationship between the older person and the child, and the youth's own perception of the incident. Results: Among 5829 respondents, 11% reported unlawful sexual experiences, 7% of boys and 16% of girls. Only 1% of boys and 4% of girls felt that they “definitely” or “maybe” had been sexually abused.

Conclusion: A relatively high percentage of Danish adolescents have early, unlawful sexual experiences. However, young people's own perception of sexual abuse tends to differ from that of the authorities, or their tolerance of abusive incidents is high. Gender differences were found in factors predicting perception of abuse.
The Social Context of Dissent: A Response to Barnett and Samuels
Authors: Backhouse Roger
Published: March 2006

In my note on dissent (2004), I emphasized that heterodoxy and dissent had to be defined socially. Given that crucial elements of the social context differ from one society to another, it follows that the meaning and significance of dissent may vary too. Barnett (2006) has pointed out a conclusion I should have drawn explicitly: that my suggestions for thinking about dissent make sense only in Western economics. In the former Soviet Union, as he points out, dissent in economics could not be understood apart from the political situation. The examples he cites illustrate some of the ways in which dissent in Soviet economics differed from that in the West, where there was no officially sanctioned orthodoxy comparable to Marxism-Leninism (or rather to what the Soviet authorities chose to call by that name) from which economists wished either safely to signal their dissent or to which they wished, despite their dissent, to be seen to adhere. We see here, it might be argued, a simple difference between two types of society.
Further Thoughts on Clarifying the Idea of Dissent: The Russian and Soviet Experience
Authors: Barnett Vincent
Published: March 2006

In his Journal of the History of Economic Thought article, “A Suggestion for Clarifying the Study of Dissent in Economics,” Roger Backhouse usefully proposed some terminological clarifications with respect to studying the ideas of disagreement, controversy, and dissent in (Western) economic discourse, heterodoxy being defined as a more narrow category than dissent. Backhouse also wrote that “the ideas on which Marxist, Radical, and Post Keynesian economics are based were arguably never widely held” (Backhouse 2004, p. 265).
Do Prudent Agents Play Lotteries? Von Neumann's Contribution to the Theory of Rational Behavior
Authors: Giocoli Nicola
Published: March 2006

The year 2003 marked the 100th anniversary of the birth of John von Neumann (1903–1957), one of greatest geniuses of the last century. Beyond contributing to fields as diverse as set theory, quantum mechanics, atomic energy, and automatic computing, von Neumann has also had a decisive influence upon modern economics. From the invention of game theory to the axiomatization of expected utility, from the introduction of convex analysis and fixed-point techniques to the development of the balanced growth model, the von Neumann heritage can be clearly traced in several areas of our discipline. The aim of this paper is to clarify the relationship between the two concepts of rationality he devised in his classic 1944 bookTheory of Games and Economic Behavior, written with the collaboration of the Austrian economist Oskar Morgenstern (von Neumann and Morgenstern 1953).
The Wicksellian Unanimity Rule: The Competing Interpretations of Buchanan and Musgrave
Authors: Johnson Marianne
Published: March 2006

The disparate approaches of James Buchanan and Richard Musgrave to public economics are both anchored in Knut Wicksell's contribution to the theory of public goods. In “A New Principle of Just Taxation,” the second essay ofFinanztheoretische Untersuchungen(1896 [1994]), Wickseil considered how to design a voting mechanism to finance public goods and assure a just distribution of the tax burden. Applying the benefit principle to taxation, Wicksell argued that a unanimity-voting rule would guarantee that all individuals receive benefits commensurate to their tax cost from any public good. “No one can complain if he secures a benefit which he himself considers to be (greater or at least) as great as the price he has to pay” (Wicksell 1994, p. 79). Wicksell's primary interest was not in determining the appropriate mix of public and private, instead he demonstrated how one might finance public expenditures provided the decision of the mix has already been made. The actual voting mechanism is much less controversial than the philosophy and antecedent assumptions behind the process. While Musgrave and Buchanan share common ground, agreeing to the originality of Wicksell's work, and the necessity of considering the rules by which social decisions are made, their views on Wicksell are generally acknowledged to be radically different (Bernd Hansjurgens 1999, Pieter Hennipman 1982, David Riesman 1990).
Economic Man as Model Man: Ideal Types, Idealization and Caricatures
Authors: Morgan Mary S.
Published: March 2006

Economics revolves around a central character: “economic man.” As historians, we are all familiar with various episodes in the history of this character, and we appreciate his ever-changing aspect even while many of our colleagues in economics think the rational economic agent of neoclassical economics is the same kind of person as Adam Smith's economic man. The fact that this is a familiar history means that I can focus on a few salient examples—a “short” history, rather than a complete history— to provide the raw material for my account which has a more specific agenda than simply a history of economic man. My aim is to re-consider the history of economic man as a model man. This leads to two further questions: What kind of a role has this model man played in relation to the science he inhabits? And, how can we characterize the processes by which economists have arrived at their model characters?

To illuminate this history of economic man, I adopt ideas from philosophy about how scientists arrive at models and use them in science. Of course, economists have always had their own ideas about such matters. So in effect, there are two intersecting strands in this account: one is how economists have discussed their strategies in creating these characters, and the other is how philosophers of science have—at the time and since—labeled and thought about such strategies. These discussions, from the economists and from philosophers, will enable us to explore the usefulness of the concept of idealization, a standard way of thinking about model construction in philosophy of science. They will also allow us to consider model man as an ideal type (using Weber's concept) or as a caricature (to follow Gibbard and Varian's label). These analytical labels—ideal types, idealization, and so forth—relate to questions about the status of models and their construction that are sometimes evident, and sometimes lie below the surface, but always remain important in the historical discussions about economics as a science. My account is concerned then with constructions of thepersonaof economic man, how he has changed over the last 250 years, how far we can regard that character as a model, and with reflections on his role in the changing science of economics.
Exercise Training Produces Nonuniform Increases in Arteriolar Density of Rat Soleus and Gastrocnemius Muscle
Authors: LAUGHLIN M. Harold , COOK JOHN DYLAN , TREMBLE REBECCA , INGRAM DAVID , COLLERAN PATRICK N. , TURK JAMES R.
Published: March 2006

Objective: Exercise training has been shown to increase regional blood flow capacity to muscle tissue containing fibers that experience increased activity during exercise. The purpose of this study was to test the hypothesis that the increased blood flow capacity is partially the result of increases in arteriolar density (number of arterioles/mm2 of tissue), specifically in skeletal muscle tissue, with the largest relative increase in muscle fiber activity during training bouts.

Methods: This hypothesis was tested by comparing and contrasting the effects of endurance exercise training (ET) and interval sprint training (IST) on arteriolar density in soleus muscle (S) red (Gr) and white (Gw) portions of gastrocnemius muscle of male Sprague Dawley rats. ET rats completed 10 weeks of treadmill training 30 m/min, 15% grade, 60 min/day, 5 days/week, while IST rats completed 10 weeks of IST consisting of six 2.5‐min exercise bouts, with 4.5‐min rest between bouts (60 m/min, 15% incline), 5 days/week. The hypothesis would be supported if ET increased arteriolar density in S and Gr and if IST increased arteriolar density in Gw.

Results: ET increased arteriolar density above values of sedentary rats (SED) in both the Gw (ET = 0.93 ± 0.19 arterioles/μ m2; SED = 0.44 ± 0.09 arterioles/μ m2) and Gr (ET = 0.97 ± 0.1 arterioles/μ m2; SED = 0.51 ± 0.06 arterioles/μ m2) muscles, but not in S (ET = 1.69 ± 0.45 arterioles/μ m2; SED = 1.51 ± 0.34 arterioles/μ m2) muscle. In contrast, IST did not alter arteriolar density in Gw or Gr muscle tissue. Although arterial wall thickness was greater in S (3.95 ± 0.40 μ m) and Gr (6.24 ± 0.59 μ m) than Gw (2.76 ± 0.18 μ m), neither ET or IST altered mean wall thickness in either muscle.

Conclusion: Increases in blood flow capacity produced in Gr and Gw by ET appear to be due in part to increased arteriolar density. In contrast, increased arteriolar density does not contribute to increased blood flow capacity of Gw in IST rats.
Rho and ROCK Signaling in VEGF‐Induced Microvascular Endothelial Hyperpermeability
Authors: SUN HENGRUI , BRESLIN JEROME W. , ZHU JUN , YUAN SARAH Y. , WU MACK H.
Published: March 2006

Objectives: Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) plays an important role in the regulation of microvascular permeability under various physiological and pathological conditions. The authors tested the hypothesis that the small GTPase Rho and its downstream effector ROCK (Rho‐associated coiled‐coil‐containing protein kinase) mediate VEGF‐induced increases in venular permeability. They also investigated myosin light chain (MLC) phosphorylation and actin polymerization, two well‐characterized targets of the Rho‐ROCK pathway that are implicated in the regulation of endothelial barrier function.

Methods: The apparent permeability coefficient of albumin (Pa) was measured in intact isolated porcine coronary venules and in cultured coronary venular endothelial cell (CVEC) monolayers. RhoA activation was determined using a Rhotekin‐agarose pull down assay. MLC phosphorylation was evaluated by immunoblotting with phospho‐specific antibodies, and endothelial cellular F‐actin was viewed using fluorescence microscopy.

Results: VEGF increased Pa in both isolated coronary venules and CVEC monolayers. The hyperpermeability response occurred in a similar time course to that of Rho activation, MLC phosphorylation, and actin stress fiber formation. Selective blockage of ROCK with Y27632 dose‐dependently inhibited VEGF‐induced venular hyperpermeability. Moreover, inhibition of either Rho with exoenzyme C3 or ROCK with Y‐27632 attenuated VEGF‐induced increases in permeability, MLC phosphorylation, and actin‐stress fiber formation in CVEC monolayers.

Conclusions: Collectively, these findings suggest that the Rho–ROCK signal pathway contributes to VEGF‐induced hyperpermeability. Myosin light‐chain phosphorylation and actin stress fiber formation occur concomitantly with the increase in permeability upon VEGF stimulation.
Changes in Capillary Shear Stress in Skeletal Muscles Exposed to Long‐Term Activity: Role of Nitric Oxide
Authors: HUDLICKA OLGA , BROWN MARGARET D. , MAY SYLVIA , ZAKRZEWICZ ANDREAS , PRIES AXEL R.
Published: March 2006

Objective: The purpose of this study was to establish whether suppression of angiogenesis by nitric oxide synthase (NOS) inhibition in skeletal muscles exposed to long‐term activity can be explained by changes in capillary shear stress linked to the lack of nitric oxide production.

Methods: Capillary shear stress was calculated from diameters (d) and red blood cell velocities (Vrbc) measured at rest and after acute contractions in epi‐illuminated extensor digitorum longus muscles of control rats and those in which ankle flexors had been stimulated via implanted electrodes (10 Hz, 8 h · day−1) for 2 or 7 days without and with inhibition of nitric oxide synthase activity by Nω‐nitro‐L‐arginine (L‐NNA, 3–4 mg·day−1 in drinking water).

Results: Neither chronic electrical stimulation nor L‐NNA treatment altered capillary diameters. Capillary Vrbc and shear stress (SS) were doubled in muscles after 2 days stimulation (298 ± 22 μm · s−1 and 11.4 ± 1.0 dyne · cm−2, respectively, p < .005) compared to controls (148 ± 18 μm · s−1 and 5.6 ± 0.8 dyne·cm−2) but normalized after 7 days (153 ± 27 μm · s−1 and 6.2 ± 1.0 dyne·cm−2), when the capillary bed is known to be enlarged. L‐NNA, which increased blood pressure in all treated animals, abolished the increase in capillary SS after 2 days stimulation and decreased SS after 7 days.

Conclusions: These data support a role for NO in the early elevation of capillary shear stress that initiates angiogenesis in stimulated muscles, likely via modulation of upstream vascular resistance, and could explain the lack of capillary growth in stimulated muscles when nitric oxide generation is suppressed.
Nitrogen sources and export in agricultural catchments: A nested catchment comparison
Authors: Cao Wenzhi , Hong Huasheng , Zhang Yuzhen , Yue Shiping
Published: March 2006

An experimental agricultural catchment of Wuchuan (area 9.4 km2), and a nested small catchment (area 1.7 km2) were selected to investigate nitrogen sources and export in stormflows. Results showed that the mean nitrogen input rate in 2002 was 471.5 kg ha−1 over the large catchment, and 421.4 kg ha−1 for the smaller. A substantial portion of the nitrogen that entered the catchment was not applied to surface soil of agricultural lands. Nitrogen from animal manure and domestic wastes was deposited partially in the residential lands of the three villages, or volatilized and nitrified. Spatially, a high nitrogen input rate was observed in the residential lands of the villages and the river terraces. The annual export rate was 28.8 kg ha−1 from the large catchment in stormflows in 2002, compared to a smaller value of 26.8 kg ha−1 for the nested one. The larger nitrogen export rate from the large catchment resulted from both the larger water flows and the higher concentration through the outlets. Understanding the nitrogen sources and export in these catchments could provide a base of knowledge for remediation of diffuse agricultural pollution.
Evaluation of marine spatial resources and its application to the establishment marine usage charge: case study of Xiamen, China
Authors: Peng Benrong , Hong Huasheng , Xue Xiongzhi , Chen Weiqi , Shen Shawn Shuhong
Published: March 2006

While marine environmental destruction and marine resource over-consumption are urgent challenges facing us today, the value of marine spatial resources continues to be overlooked and undervalued. We have begun to reach the limits of the oceans and must now begin to utilize and govern them in a more sustainable way. Imposing usage charges in sectors that utilize marine areas for production or for waste disposal would be an efficient economic instrument to discourage waste, optimize distribution, promote conservation and provide funds to improve sea areas health. The essential task for establishing the usage charges for marine spaces is to estimate the value of marine areas. In this study, two operative models are developed to assess the value of marine spaces and the models are applied in order to evaluate the price of different types of marine spatial functions in Xiamen. This study could help decision makers to improve management of sea spatial resources. The principles for establishing the usage charges for marine spaces are also discussed.
The coastal wetland's ecological functions and its changes under anthropic pressure: A case study in Xiamen, China
Authors: Lin T. , Xue X. Z. , Cao X. H. , Shen Shawn H.
Published: March 2006

Coastal wetlands play a significant role in maintaining the balance and health of the ecosystem, such as regulating the climate and maintaining biodiversity. As well, coastal wetlands also characterize valuable services and resources for society including cleaning the environment and providing abundant resources. Both inappropriate exploitation of and constant human activity influences on coastal wetlands have caused numerous ecological problems. We summarize the four vital ecological functions of the coastal wetland in Xiamen, that is, 1. mitigation of climate change, 2. protection of water and soil, 3. purification of water, 4. habitat for wild animals, and 5. biological production. Subsequently we investigate and study the changes of the coastal wetland in Xiamen and the anthropic pressures from: 1. minimization of the shallow sea area, 2. in-shore siltation, 3. sediment changes with-in the wetland, and 4. shrinkage of the mangrove area. The paper aims to provide scientific evidence of the important role of wetlands in the coastal ecosystem and make clear the relationship between human activities and the health of these wetland areas.
The development of circular economy in China
Authors: Wang Jun Feng , Li Hui Ming
Published: March 2006

China has identified circular economy as a key strategy to transform economic growth patterns and mitigate or solve resources and environmental problems including pressure on water resources. Results show that the promotion of circular economy reduces national resources requirement pressures. Circular economy in China is practiced by individual firms, by consortia of firms and at the regional level. Factors that provide supports in promoting circular economy are law, economic policy and planning.
Developing public environmental education: Improving community-based environmental management
Authors: Xue Xiongzhi , Hong Huasheng , Zhang Luoping , Xu Xiaochun , Shen Shawn S.
Published: March 2006

This paper presents the experience of institutional capacity building in environmental education, and the achievement of the participatory approach in environmental management for the Canadian International Development Agency funded project ‘Community-Based Conservation Management: China and Vietnam’ in Xiamen. The project has enhanced teaching capacity and applied research skills of the local training institutions with integrated social and physical science lessons in multiple levels of a post-secondary environmental education programme. The focus of the project was to integrate the local secondary and post-secondary schools environmental education plans. Approaches to promote public awareness on environmental conservation are also illustrated. The study highlights the conservation activities of the Community Based Conservation Management project in Xiamen to encourage the involvement of a variety of community groups, including university students, youth and women. In addition, it explores the social responsibility of the faculty as an essential link between the public and decision-makers for effective public involvement in environmental management. We argue that the success of public environmental education relies on institutional capacity building, interdisciplinary studies and community participation.
Breaking barriers and building connections
Authors: Travers Ray , Reeves Sue
Published: March 2006

The Primrose Project has been developed, as part of the Dangerous People with Severe Personality Disorder (DSPD) programme in England and Wales, to specifically address the complex needs of women prisoners who pose a significant danger to the public. It has been recognised that the needs of these women prisoners may differ from those of men in the DSPD programme. The Primrose project therefore aims to deliver more effective prison‐based healthcare interventions to these dangerous women prisoners to reduce risk to self and others. The Primrose Project expects to initially support up to 12 women prisoners in HMP Low Newton, Durham. These women prisoners will be placed with other ‘non‐DSPD’ women prisoners in the prison and will receive a variety of therapeutic interventions. Overall, the Primrose Project aims to develop into a comprehensive assessment, treatment and management facility and the proposed evaluation aims to facilitate this development. The evaluation will look at the project as a whole, identifying strengths and limitations to overall improve the service for these women prisoners, who have not previously been provided for. The research is based on a list of comprehensive questions, which form the basis of evaluation of the existing four male DSPD sites in England and Wales, which will prove useful when comparisons are later made with the Primrose Project.
GPI-anchored proteins are directly targeted to the apical surface in fully polarized MDCK cells
Authors: Paladino Simona , Pocard Thomas , Catino Maria Agata , Zurzolo Chiara
Published: March 2006

The polarity of epithelial cells is dependent on their ability to target proteins and lipids in a directional fashion. The trans-Golgi network, the endosomal compartment, and the plasma membrane act as sorting stations for proteins and lipids. The site of intracellular sorting and pathways used for the apical delivery of glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI)-anchored proteins (GPI-APs) are largely unclear. Using biochemical assays and confocal and video microscopy in living cells, we show that newly synthesized GPI-APs are directly delivered to the apical surface of fully polarized Madin–Darby canine kidney cells. Impairment of basolateral membrane fusion by treatment with tannic acid does not affect the direct apical delivery of GPI-APs, but it does affect the organization of tight junctions and the integrity of the monolayer. Our data clearly demonstrate that GPI-APs are directly sorted to the apical surface without passing through the basolateral membrane. They also reinforce the hypothesis that apical sorting of GPI-APs occurs intracellularly before arrival at the plasma membrane.