bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Promoting multimedia in schools: the NEMA awards
Authors: Ordidge Irene
Published: February 2005

Discusses the increasing use of multimedia in education, both in
relation to the delivery of learning and by pupils and students
themselves. Explains the rationale behind the National Educational
Multimedia Awards. Illustrates some of the 1994 winning entries which
show how pupils and students have used multimedia authority software.
Concludes that the awards have provided valuable insight into how
multimedia authority can be used in education to develop essential
information processing skills.
After Enterprise in Higher Education – holding the ground or
sustaining the momentum
Authors: Newby Peter
Published: February 2005

Raises the question, will the success of EHE continue now that
funding has ceased? Summarizes the thrust of the EHE programme at
Middlesex University and explores the legacy of enterprise in the
university, whether the exit strategy worked, the robustness of
enterprise values, and whether there is a post‐EHE agenda.
Increasing Returns, Product Quality and International Trade
Authors: Fan C. Simon
Published: February 2005

This paper examines the roles of quality and increasing returns in trade. It implies that there is intense intra‐industry trade among economies with similar levels of per capita income, which increases both the quality and the quantity of consumption. However, there may be no trade in manufactured goods between rich and poor countries because of the disparity in their optimal qualities of consumption and the high complementarity of the qualities of intermediate goods in production. Thus, it helps explain the observed trade patterns. Moreover, the model shows that a smaller country is more likely to engage in international trade.
FEATURING MYTHS, SCRIPTING REALITY
Authors: Carocci Max
Published: February 2005

The Second Native North American Film Festival, London, 26–28 November 2004
Charcot‐Marie‐Tooth disease type 1A: clinicopathological correlations in 24 patients
Authors: Carvalho Alzira A. S. , Vital Anne , Ferrer Xavier , Latour Philippe , Lagueny Alain , Brechenmacher Christiane , Vital Claude
Published: February 2005

Abstract  We examined nerve biopsies from 24 patients with Charcot‐Marie‐Tooth disease type 1A (CMT1A) and proven 17p11.2‐12 duplication. There were seven males and 17 females with a mean age of 27.85 ± 18.95 years at the time of nerve biopsy. A family history consistent with dominant inheritance was present in 17 patients. Clinical features were classical in 16 patients and were atypical in the other eight: one had calf hypertrophy; two had Roussy–Levy syndrome; one had had a subacute inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy 11 years earlier and presented a relapse on the form of a chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy; one had carpal tunnel syndrome; one had a recent painful neuropathy in both legs; and two had chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy. Onion bulb formations (OMFs) were present in every case and most of them were characteristic, whereas burnt‐out or cluster‐associated OMFs were less common. Depletion of myelinated fibers was severe in 20 cases (169–2927/mm2) and varied from 5187 to 3725/mm2 in three children (4–9 years old). In addition, features of macrophage‐associated demyelination were observed in the last four atypical cases. Known for more than 20 years, inflammatory demyelination superimposed in the course of CMT1A has been reported in a few cases in the past few years, mainly concerning asymptomatic or atypical patients. Such an association deserves to be better known because corticotherapy improves weakness in most of these patients.
Semantic and episodic predictions of memory for plans1,2,3
Authors: WATANABE HAMA
Published: February 2005

Abstract:  This study was conducted to investigate the planning process within memory for plans. Experiment 1 examined the effect of self‐involvement on memory for a 1‐day plan, in which approximately half of the 104 undergraduate participants were instructed to assume that the plans were their own while the other half were told only to memorize them. A U‐shaped curve, indicating better recall for morning and evening plans than for afternoon ones, was observed only with the first group. Experiment 2 was designed to further clarify the planning strategies of memory for plans, in which approximately half of the 77 undergraduate participants were asked to imagine executing the plans while the other half were given a more limited strategy. U‐shaped curves were observed in both conditions, with memory performance being higher for the first group. These results are interpreted as indicating that the semantic prediction of future plans conforms to a U‐shaped curve, while the episodic prediction of future plans enhances memory performance.
Clinical and Professional Role Development Among Experienced Pediatric Nurses: The Pediatric Medical Nursing Certificate Program
Authors: Jakubik Louise D. , Grossman Michael B. , Daly‐Parker Meryl O. , Gaffney Lisa M. , Strauss Kimberly A. , Mars Patricia A.
Published: February 2005

ISSUES AND PURPOSE.The development of a multiunit‐based certificate program to promote retention by increasing experienced pediatric nurses' knowledge, skills, and professional role development through a blend of didactic, clinical, and mentoring components.

CONCLUSIONS.The certificate group demonstrated an increase in knowledge and skill, advanced leadership role acquisition, promotion, certification, and graduate school matriculation, and achieved a 95% retention rate within the organization.

PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS.With support from management and multidisciplinary team members, a certificate program like this can be implemented in a variety of settings and specialties.
Redescription of Lagenophrys maxillaris (Jankowski, 1993) (Ciliophora, Peritrichia, Lagenophryidae), an Ectosymbiont of Marine Amphipods
Authors: Clamp John C.
Published: February 2005

Abstract. The loricate peritrich ciliate Lagenophrys maxillaris, a highly specialized ectosymbiont of marine gammarid amphipods, was examined and redescribed by using material from museum collections to make hematoxylin and protargol preparations. The infraciliature is described for the first time, and the shape of the macronucleus was found to differ significantly from the shape given in the original description. Lagenophrys maxillaris is one of only four species of Lagenophrys known to occur on the maxillipeds of amphipods or isopods and differs from the others with respect to the structure of the lips of the lorica aperture and pattern of infundibular polykinetids. It appears to prefer attaching to hosts that live in water deeper than that inhabited by hosts of other known marine species of Lagenophrys and was recorded from one sample of Gammarus locusta taken at a depth of 240–250 m. Lagenophrys maxillaris seems to be restricted to G. locusta and G. oceanicus although three other closely related species of Gammarus are available as hosts. Host specificity is possibly the result of trophic differences, possibly related to depth of habitat, between the two hosts and their congeners.
EVOLUTION OF FLAVORS AND SCENTS
Authors: Gang David R.
Published: February 2005

The world is filled with flavors and scents, which are the result of volatile compounds produced and emitted by plants. These specialized metabolites A metabolite, usually a small molecule, which is not a building block of proteins, lipids, or sugars, but that plays another role in the organism. Usually, but not always, its occurrence is restricted. are the products of specific metabolic pathways. The terpenoid, fatty acid, and phenylpropanoid pathways contribute greatly to production of volatile compounds. Mechanisms that lead to evolution of volatile production in plants include gene duplication and divergence, convergent evolution, repeated evolution This occurs when a new and identical (or very similar) genetic function arises independently in the same gene family from two or more orthologous or paralogous genes that did not share the same function. , and alteration of gene expression, caused by a number of factors, followed by change in enzyme specificity. Many examples of these processes are now available for three important gene families involved in production of volatile metabolites: the small molecule O-methyltransferases, the acyltransferases An enzyme that catalyzes the formation of esters and amides via transfer from the co-enzyme A derivate of acid moieties to a receptive alcohol. , and the terpene synthases A member of the large family of enzymes that catalyze the formation of terpenoid (isoprenoid) specialized metabolites from geranyl diphosphate, farnesyl diphosphate, or geranylgeranyl diphosphate via a carbocation intermediate. . Examples of these processes in these gene families are found in roses, Clarkia breweri, and sweet basil, among others. Finally, evolution of volatile emission will be an exciting field of study for the foreseeable future.
A novel mechanism for angiotensin II formation in streptozotocin-diabetic rat glomeruli
Authors: Singh Rekha , Singh Ashok K. , Leehey David J.
Published: February 2005

Recent evidence suggests that the intrarenal renin-angiotensin system (RAS) may play an important role in the development of glomerular changes associated with diabetic nephropathy. In this study, the glomerular RAS was examined in male Sprague-Dawley rats made diabetic with streptozotocin (STZ), and the findings compared with those obtained in control nondiabetic rats. In diabetic rat glomerular extracts, angiotensinogen and angiotensin II (ANG II) levels were increased significantly by 2.2- and 1.9-fold, respectively, compared with nondiabetic controls. No significant differences in ANG I and angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) levels were observed between these groups. The HPLC analysis of the glomerular extracts demonstrated that exogenous ANG I was converted into various ANG peptides including ANG II, ANG(1–9), and ANG(1–7). A significant increase in formation of ANG II from exogenous ANG I was observed in STZ rats compared with control rats. Preincubation of glomerular extracts with captopril resulted in a 20–30% decrease in ANG II conversion from exogenous ANG I in diabetic and control rats. The possible role of ANG(1–9) in formation of ANG II was examined by HPLC. Exogenous ANG(1–9) in glomerular extracts was converted into ANG II, this conversion being significantly higher in STZ rats than in control rats. These findings provide new information that ANG(1–9) is produced in rat glomerular extracts, can be converted to ANG II, and that this conversion is also stimulated in diabetic rat glomeruli. Thus this study demonstrates that in diabetic rats, glomerular ANG II levels are increased due to an increase in angiotensinogen and an increase in the formation of ANG II.
Gly16 + Glu27 β2-adrenoceptor polymorphisms cause increased forearm blood flow responses to mental stress and handgrip in humans
Authors: Trombetta Ivani C. , Batalha Luciana T. , Rondon Maria U. P. B. , Laterza Mateus C. , Frazzatto Eliana , Alves Maria J. N. N. , Santos Amilton C. , Brum Patrícia C. , Barretto Antonio C. P. , Halpern Alfredo , Villares Sandra M. F. , Negrão Carlos E.
Published: February 2005

We hypothesized that the muscle vasodilatation during mental stress and exercise would vary among humans who are polymorphic at alleles 16 and 27 of the β2-adrenoceptors. From 216 preselected volunteers, we studied 64 healthy, middle-aged normotensive women selected to represent three genotypes: homozygous for the alleles Arg16 and Gln27 (Arg16/Gln27, n = 34), Gly16 and Gln27 (Gly16/Gln27, n = 20), and Gly16 and Glu27 (Gly16/Glu27, n = 10). Forearm blood flow (plethysmography) and muscle sympathetic nerve activity (microneurography) were recorded during 3-min Stroop color-word test and 3-min handgrip isometric exercise (30% maximal voluntary contraction). Baseline muscle sympathetic nerve activity, forearm vascular conductance, mean blood pressure, and heart rate were not different among groups. During mental stress, the peak forearm vascular conductance responses were greater in Gly16/Glu27 group than in Gly16/Gln27 and Arg16/Gln27 groups (1.79 ± 0.66 vs. 0.70 ± 0.11 and 0.58 ± 0.12 units, P = 0.03). Similar results were found during exercise (0.80 ± 0.25 vs. 0.28 ± 0.08 and 0.31 ± 0.08 units, P = 0.02). Further analysis in a subset of subjects showed that brachial intra-arterial propranolol infusion abolished the difference in vasodilatory response between Gly16/Glu27 ( n = 6) and Arg16/Gln27 ( n = 7) groups during mental stress (0.33 ± 0.20 vs. 0.46 ± 0.21 units, P = 0.50) and exercise (0.08 ± 0.06 vs. 0.03 ± 0.03 units, P = 0.21). Plasma epinephrine concentration in Arg16/Gln27 and Gly16/Glu27 groups was similar. In conclusion, women who are homozygous for Gly16/Glu27 of the β2-adrenoceptors have augmented muscle vasodilatory responsiveness to mental stress and exercise.
Role of lipids in the early developmental stages of experimental immune diabetes induced by multiple low-dose streptozotocin
Authors: Pighin Dario , Karabatas Liliana , Pastorale Claudia , Dascal Eduardo , Carbone Cecilia , Chicco Adriana , Lombardo Yolanda B. , Basabe Juan Carlos
Published: February 2005

The present work examines the role of lipids in the development of the Type 1 diabetes induced by the administration of multiple low doses of streptozotocin (STZ) in C57BL/6J mice. The study was performed before and after the onset of clear hyperglycemia, and the results were as follows. First, 6 days after the first dose of STZ, while plasma glucose and insulin levels remained similar to those observed in the control mice, plasma free fatty acid (FFA) levels were significantly increased ( P < 0.05). At that time, a marked increase of triglyceride content in gastronemius muscle was accompanied by a diminished activity of pyruvate dehydrogenase complex, suggesting an impaired glucose oxidation. Furthermore, a decrease of both triglyceride content and lipoprotein lipase activity was observed in the epididymal fat tissue. Second, 12 days after the first injection of STZ, hyperglycemia was accompanied by hypertriglyceridemia, a more pronounced increase of plasma FFA, and a significant ( P < 0.05) reduction of insulinemia. At this time, both the adipose tissue and the gastrocnemius muscle showed a further deterioration of all parameters mentioned after 6 days. Moreover, in the gastrocnemius muscle, an impaired nonoxidative pathway of glucose metabolism was observed [significant reduction ( P < 0.05) of glycogen mass, glucose-6-phosphate content, and glycogen synthase activities] at this time point. Finally, the data suggest for the first time that, in mice, Type 1 diabetes induced by multiple low doses of STZ and enhanced lipolysis of fat pads leads to an increase in the availability of plasma FFA, which seems to play a role in the early steps of diabetes evolution.
Categorizing and Individuating Others: The Neural Substrates of Person Perception
Authors: Mason Malia F. , Macrae C. Neil
Published: February 2005

People are remarkably adroit at understanding other social agents. Quite how these information-processing abilities are realized, however, remains open to debate and empirical scrutiny. In particular, little is known about basic aspects of person perception, such as the operations that support people's ability to categorize (i.e., assign persons to groups) and individuate (i.e., discriminate among group members) others. In an attempt to rectify this situation, the current research focused on the initial perceptual stages of person construal and considered: (i) hemispheric differences in the efficiency of categorization and individuation; and (ii) the neural activity that supports these social-cognitive operations.

Noting the greater role played by configural processing in individuation than categorization, it was expected that performance on the former task would be enhanced when stimuli (i.e., faces) were presented to the right rather than to the left cerebral hemisphere. The results of two experiments (Experiment 1—healthy individuals; Experiment 2—split-brain patient) confirmed this prediction. Extending these findings, a final neuroimaging investigation revealed that individuation is accompanied by neural activity in regions of the temporal and prefrontal cortices, especially in the right hemisphere. We consider the implications of these findings for contemporary treatments of person perception.
Activation of the Human Superior Temporal Gyrus during Observation of Goal Attribution by Intentional Objects
Authors: Schultz Johannes , Imamizu Hiroshi , Kawato Mitsuo , Frith Chris D.
Published: February 2005

Previous functional imaging experiments in humans showed activation increases in the posterior superior temporal gyrus and sulcus during observation of geometrical shapes whose movements appear intentional or goal-directed. We modeled a chase scenario between two objects, in which the chasing object used different strategies to reach the target object: The chaser either followed the target's path or appeared to predict its end position. Activation in the superior temporal gyrus of human observers was greater when the chaser adopted a predict rather than a follow strategy. Attending to the chaser's strategy induced slightly greater activation in the left superior temporal gyrus than attending to the outcome of the chase. These data implicate the superior temporal gyrus in the identification of objects displaying complex goal-directed motion.
Momentum Flux Spectrum of Convectively Forced Internal Gravity Waves and Its Application to Gravity Wave Drag Parameterization. Part I: Theory
Authors: Song In-Sun , Chun Hye-Yeong
Published: February 2005

The phase-speed spectrum of momentum flux by convectively forced internal gravity waves is analytically formulated in two- and three-dimensional frameworks. For this, a three-layer atmosphere that has a constant vertical wind shear in the lowest layer, a uniform wind above, and piecewise constant buoyancy frequency in a forcing region and above is considered. The wave momentum flux at cloud top is determined by the spectral combination of a wave-filtering and resonance factor and diabatic forcing. The wave-filtering and resonance factor that is determined by the basic-state wind and stability and the vertical configuration of forcing restricts the effectiveness of the forcing, and thus only a part of the forcing spectrum can be used for generating gravity waves that propagate above cumulus clouds. The spectral distribution of the wave momentum flux is largely determined by the wave-filtering and resonance factor, but the magnitude of the momentum flux varies significantly according to spatial and time scales and moving speed of the forcing. The wave momentum flux formulation in the two-dimensional framework is extended to the three-dimensional framework. The three-dimensional momentum flux formulation is similar to the two-dimensional one except that the wave propagation in various horizontal directions and the three-dimensionality of forcing are allowed. The wave momentum flux spectrum formulated in this study is validated using mesoscale numerical model results and can reproduce the overall spectral structure and magnitude of the wave momentum flux spectra induced by numerically simulated mesoscale convective systems reasonably well.
A Combined‐Formulation Tablet of Lamivudine/Nevirapine/Stavudine: Bioequivalence Compared With Concurrent Administration of Lamivudine, Nevirapine, and Stavudine in Healthy Indian Subjects
Authors: Narang Vishal S. , Lulla Amar , Malhotra Geena , Purandare Shrinivas
Published: February 2005

Generic fixed‐dose combinations of antiretrovirals are frequently prescribed for the treatment of human immunodeficiency virus infection. A randomized, 2‐way study was conducted in 24 fasting, healthy, Indian male subjects to assess bioequivalence between a single combination tablet containing lamivudine, stavudine, and nevirapine (treatment A) with respect to separate marketed tablets administered simultaneously (treatment B). Each subject received treatments A and B separated by 19 days of a drug‐free washout period. Plasma concentrations of antiretrovirals, determined by a validated liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry assay, were used to assess pharmacokinetic parameters such as maximum observed plasma concentration and area under the plasma concentration curve. Pharmacokinetic parameters were comparable for either treatment. As geometric mean ratios (% treatment A/treatment B) of log‐transformed parameters of area under the plasma concentration curve and plasma concentration, as well as their resultant 90% confidence intervals, were within 80% to 125% and 75% to 133%, respectively, 2 treatments were considered bioequivalent in the extent and rate of absorption. Both treatments exhibited similar tolerability under fasting conditions.
The splenic microenvironment is a source of proangiogenesis/inflammatory mediators accelerating the expansion of murine erythroleukemic cells
Authors: Shaked Yuval , Cervi Dave , Neuman Manuela , Chen Limor , Klement Giannoula , Michaud Crystal R. , Haeri Mehran , Pak Brian J. , Kerbel Robert S. , Ben-David Yaacov
Published: February 2005

The stromal compartments of hematopoietic organs (eg, spleen) are known to influence the viability and growth of diseased hematopoietic progenitors. Here we have used Friend murine leukemia virus (F-MuLV)–induced erythroleukemia to investigate factors of the splenic microenvironment that may make it fertile for the expansion and survival of malignant erythroblasts. We found that splenectomized, erythroleukemic mice exhibited extended survival compared with age-matched sham controls. In vitro, the proliferation of primary erythroleukemic cells cocultured with leukemic-derived splenic adherent cells or their conditioned media was found to be significantly higher than that observed in cocultures with healthy-derived adherent splenic cells. Cytokine protein arrays revealed that F-MuLV–infected splenocytes secreted elevated levels of interleukin-6 (IL-6), vascular endothelial growth factor-A (VEGF-A), macrophage chemoattractant protein-5 (MCP-5), soluble tumor necrosis factor receptor-1 (sTNFR1), IL-12p70, tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), and IL-2 over normal splenocytes. Medium supplemented with both VEGF-A and MCP-5 could sustain proliferation of primary erythroleukemic cells in vitro, and significant proliferative suppression was observed upon addition of neutralizing antibodies to either of these factors. Furthermore, in vivo administration of a neutralizing antibody to VEGF-A extended survival times of erythroleukemic mice in comparison with controls. These findings suggest that VEGF-A and MCP-5 are potentially pivotal paracrine mediators occurring within the diseased splenic microenvironment capable of promoting disease acceleration and expansion of erythroleukemic blasts.
Podocalyxin is a CD34-related marker of murine hematopoietic stem cells and embryonic erythroid cells
Authors: Doyonnas Regis , Nielsen Julie S. , Chelliah Shierley , Drew Erin , Hara Takahiko , Miyajima Atsushi , McNagny Kelly M.
Published: February 2005

Podocalyxin/podocalyxin-like protein 1 [PCLP1]/thrombomucin/MEP21 is a CD34-related sialomucin. We have performed a detailed analysis of its expression during murine development and assessed its utility as a marker of hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) and their more differentiated progeny. We find that podocalyxin is highly expressed by the first primitive hematopoietic progenitors and nucleated red blood cells to form in the embryonic yolk sac. Likewise, podocalyxin is expressed by definitive multilineage hematopoietic progenitors and erythroid precursors in fetal liver. The level of podocalyxin expression gradually declines with further embryo maturation and reaches near-background levels at birth. This is followed by a postnatal burst of expression that correlates with the seeding of new hematopoietic progenitors to the spleen and bone marrow. Shortly thereafter, podocalyxin expression gradually declines, and by 4 weeks postpartum it is restricted to a rare population of Sca-1+, c-kit+, lineage marker- (Lin-) cells in the bone marrow. These rare podocalyxin-expressing cells are capable of serially reconstituting myeloid and lymphoid lineages in lethally irradiated recipients, suggesting they have HSC activity. In summary, we find that podocalyxin is a marker of embryonic HSCs and erythroid cells and of adult HSCs and that it may be a valuable marker for the purification of these cells for transplantation.
A quantitative survey of intern's knowledge of communication skills: an Iranian exploration
Authors: Tavakol Mohsen , Torabi Sima , Lyne Owen D , Zeinaloo Ali A
Published: February 2005

Background

It is a high priority that health care providers have effective communication skills. It has been well documented that the doctor-patient relationship is central to the delivery of high quality medical care, and it has been shown to affect patient satisfaction, to decrease the use of pain killers, to shorten hospital stays, to improve recovery from surgery and a variety of other biological, psychological and social outcomes. This study sought to quantify the current knowledge of interns in Iran about communication skills.

Methods

A cross-sectional study using a self-report questionnaire was conducted among interns. Data analysis was based on 223 questionnaires. The internal consistency of the items was 0.8979.

Results

Overall, knowledge levels were unsatisfactory. Results indicated that interns had a limited knowledge of communication skills, including identification of communication skills. In addition, there was a significant difference between the mean scores of interns on breaking bad news and sex education. The confidence of males about their communication skills was significantly higher than for females. Analysis of the total scores by age and sex showed that there was a statistically significant main effect for sex and the interaction with age was statistically significant. Free response comments of the interns are also discussed.

Conclusions

It is argued that there is a real need for integrating a communication skills course, which is linked to the various different ethnic and religious backgrounds of interns, into Iranian medical curricula. Some recommendations are made and the limitations of the study are discussed.
Optimal Processing Policies for an e-Commerce Web Server
Authors: Tan Yong , Moinzadeh Kamran , Mookerjee Vijay S.
Published: February 2005

The explosive growth in online shopping has provided online retailers impressive opportunities to extend revenue and profit. However, retailers may lose considerable online business from slow response times at electronic shopping sites. Although increasing server capacity may improve response time, the resources needed to do so are clearly not free. In this study, we propose a scheme that can improve a server's performance with no more than its current capacity. This scheme is based on priority processing, where the priority assigned to a customer depends on the potential revenue that is likely to be generated from the customer. The results for single-period analysis show that the benefit from priority processing increases as the server becomes more heavily utilized.

We have also modeled a multiperiod version of the problem, where the demand in a period depends on the quality of service (QoS) that buyers receive in the previous period. In the multiperiod problem, both the server capacity and the processing policy in each period are determined optimally. Here, it may be optimal for the retailer to sacrifice profit and increase QoS in initial periods in order to increase demand (and revenue) in later periods. Thus, the processing policy of the server evolves from an emphasis on QoS in initial periods, to one on profit in subsequent periods.
Context-Independent Scatter and Tabu Search for Permutation Problems
Authors: Campos Vicente , Laguna Manuel , Martí Rafael
Published: February 2005

In this paper, we develop a general-purpose heuristic for permutations problems. The procedure is based on the scatter-search and tabu-search methodologies and treats the objective-function evaluation as a black box, making the search algorithm context-independent. Therefore, our main contribution consists of the development and testing of a procedure that uses no knowledge from the problem context to search for the optimal solution. We perform computational experiments with four well-known permutation problems to study the efficiency and effectiveness of the proposed method. These experiments include a comparison with two commercially available software packages that are also based on meta-heuristic optimization technology and allow solutions to be represented as permutations.
Social and Behavioral Determinants of Self‐Reported STD Among Adolescents
Authors: Upchurch Dawn M. , Mason William M. , Kusunoki Yasamin , Kriechbaum Maria Johnson
Published: February 2005

CONTEXT: Adolescents have among the highest sexually transmitted disease (STD) rates. Rich data are now available to characterize the social and behavioral factors that affect adolescent STD risk.

METHODS: Data from Wave 1 (1995) of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (Add Health) are used to estimate school, neighborhood, family and individual level effects on acquiring an STD. Data from Waves 1 and 2 (1996) of Add Health are also used to estimate the effects of prior STD acquisition and other factors on STD occurrence between waves. Random intercept logistic regression and random intercept piecewise exponential hazard regression are used to account for possible clustering in the Add Health data.

RESULTS: Seven percent of sexually experienced teenagers reported ever having had an STD as of Wave 1, and almost 7% reported having had an STD between Waves 1 and 2.Respondents' age, gender, race or ethnicity, and their family background, neighborhood and school characteristics affect STD acquisition at Wave 1.Among teenagers who were sexually experienced at Wave 1, younger age at first intercourse elevates STD risk. Other factors contribute, but to a lesser degree. For acquisition of an STD between Waves 1 and 2, females, blacks, teenagers with lower levels of mother's education and those who have had a prior STD are at higher risk.

CONCLUSIONS: Multiple social and behavioral factors influence lifetime history of STD. Age at first intercourse and STD history affect subsequent STD acquisition. Self‐reports of STD acquisition in probability samples of the general population are useful.
Representation of Tone in Fluctuating Maskers in the Ascending Auditory System
Authors: Las Liora , Stern Edward A. , Nelken Israel
Published: February 2005

Humans and animals detect low-level tones masked by slowly fluctuating noise very efficiently. A possible neuronal correlate of this phenomenon is the ability of low-level tones to suppress neuronal locking to the envelope of the fluctuating noise (“locking suppression”). Usingin vivointracellular and extracellular recordings in cats, we studied neuronal responses to combinations of fluctuating noise and tones in three successive auditory stations: inferior colliculus (IC), medial geniculate body (MGB), and primary auditory cortex (A1). We found that although the most sensitive responses in the IC were approximately isomorphic to the physical structure of the sounds, with only a small perturbation in the responses to the fluctuating noise after the addition of low-level tones, some neurons in the MGB and all A1 neurons displayed striking suppressive effects. These neurons were hypersensitive, showing suppression already with tone levels lower than the threshold of the neurons in silence. The hypersensitive locking suppression in A1 and MGB had a special timing structure, starting >75 ms after tone onset. Our findings show a qualitative change in the representation of tone in fluctuating noise along the IC-MGB-A1 axis, suggesting the gradual segregation of signal from noise and the representation of the signal as a separate perceptual object in A1.
Noxa Is a Critical Mediator of p53-Dependent Motor Neuron Death after Nerve Injury in Adult Mouse
Authors: Kiryu-Seo Sumiko , Hirayama Teruhisa , Kato Ryuichi , Kiyama Hiroshi
Published: February 2005

Axotomy-induced motor neuron death occurs within a week in the neonatal rat and mouse. However, slowly progressive motor neuron death, which takes more than a month, occurs after axotomy in the adult mouse (C57BL/6) but not in the adult rat (Wistar). Here we demonstrate that expression of a p53-inducible Bcl-2 homology domain 3 (BH3)-only protein, Noxa, is enhanced in axotomized neurons of the adult mouse but not in the adult rat. In p53-deficient mice, slowly progressive neuronal death was suppressed and accompanied by reduced Noxa expression after axotomy. However, a minor response of Noxa expression was still observed after axotomy in p53-deficient mice, suggesting that p53-independent Noxa expression occurs to a minor extent. Noxa-deficient mice were used to confirm the consequence of Noxa expression in nerve-injured mouse motor neurons. In Noxa-deficient mice, axotomy-induced motor neuron death was suppressed. Furthermore, among the BH3-only protein members examined, Noxa exhibited the most marked upregulation after axotomy in the mouse. In conclusion, motor neuron death seen in the adult mouse is mainly p53 dependent, and Noxa is a major executor for axotomy-induced motor neuron death in the adult mouse, as a mediator located downstream of p53.
Nitric Oxide-Directed Synaptic Remodeling in the Adult Mammal CNS
Authors: Sunico Carmen R. , Portillo Federico , González-Forero David , Moreno-López Bernardo
Published: February 2005

In adult mammals, learning, memory, and restoration of sensorimotor lost functions imply synaptic reorganization that requires diffusible messengers-mediated communication between presynaptic and postsynaptic structures. A candidate molecule to accomplish this function is the gaseous intercellular messenger nitric oxide (NO), which is involved in synaptogenesis and projection refinement during development; however, the role of NO in synaptic reorganization processes in adulthood remains to be established. In this work, we tested the hypothesis that this free radical is a mediator in the adult mammal CNS synaptic remodeling processes using a model of hypoglossal axonal injury recently developed by us. Axonal injury-induced disconnection of motoneurons from myocytes produces withdrawal of synaptic inputs to motoneurons and concomitant upregulation of the neuronal isoform of NO synthase (NOS-I). After recovery of the neuromuscular function, synaptic coverage is reestablished and NOS-I is downregulated. We also report, by using functional and morphological approaches, that chronic inhibition of the NO/cGMP pathway prevents synaptic withdrawal evoked by axon injury, despite the persistent muscle disconnection. After successful withdrawal of synaptic boutons, inhibition of NO synthesis, but not of cGMP, accelerated the recovery of synaptic coverage, although neuromuscular disconnection was maintained. Furthermore, proteinS-nitrosylation was upregulated after nerve injury, and this effect was reversed by NOS-I inhibition. Our results suggest that during synaptic remodeling in the adult CNS, NO acts as a signal for synaptic detachment and inhibits synapse formation by cGMP-dependent and probablyS-nitrosylation-mediated mechanisms, respectively. We also suggest a feasible role of NO in neurological disorders coursing with NOS-I upregulation.
Photoreceptor differentiation in Drosophila: From immature neurons to functional photoreceptors
Authors: Mollereau Bertrand , Domingos Pedro M.
Published: February 2005

How a pool of equipotent cells acquires a multitude of distinct fates is a major question in developmental biology. The study of photoreceptor (PR) cell differentiation in Drosophila has been used to address this question. PR differentiation is a process that extends over a period of 5 days: It begins in the larval eye imaginal disc when PRs are recruited and commit to particular PR fates, and it culminates in the pupal eye disc with the morphogenesis of the rhabdomeres and the initiation of rhodopsin expression. Several models for PR specification agree that the Ras and Notch signaling pathways are important for the specification of different PR subtypes (Freeman [1997] Development 124:261–270; Cooper and Bray [2000] Curr. Biol. 10:1507–1510; Tomlinson and Struhl [2001] Mol. Cell. 7:487–495). In the first part of this review, we briefly describe the different signaling pathways and transcription factors required for the specification and differentiation of the different PR subtypes in the larval eye disc. In the second part, we review the roles of several transcription factors, which are required for the terminal photoreceptor differentiation and rhodopsin expression. Developmental Dynamics 232:585–592, 2005. © 2005 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Organ specification–growth control connection: New in‐sights from the Drosophila eye–antennal disc
Authors: Domínguez María , Casares Fernando
Published: February 2005

The eye–antennal disc of Drosophila is serving a guiding role in the studies of how eye identity is specified, as well as how the retina is patterned. However, this system also holds a great potential for studying the coordination between organ growth and specification when various distinct organs form from a common primordium. The eye–antennal disc gives origin not only to the compound eye but also to the head capsule, ocelli, maxillary palp, and antenna, and these organs develop bearing constant size proportions with each other. Here, we review recent results that have shed light on the mechanisms that control the specification and growth of organs of the eye–antennal disc and discuss how these controls are intertwined during the development of neighboring organs to ensure their constant shape and relative sizes. Developmental Dynamics 232:673–684, 2005. © 2005 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Development of Surface‐Modified Microelectrode Arrays for the Electrochemical Detection of Dihydrogen Phosphate
Authors: Berduque Alfonso , Herzog Grégoire , Watson Yvonne E. , Arrigan Damien W. M. , Moutet Jean‐Claude , Reynes Olivier , Royal Guy , Saint‐Aman Eric
Published: February 2005

Platinum and gold microelectrode arrays (MEAs), fabricated on silicon substrates with different geometric characteristics, were surface‐modified by the potentiostatic electropolymerization of the pyrrole‐ferrocene derivative Py(CH2)3NHCOFc, in the case of the platinum MEAs, and chemisorption of the thiol‐functionalized ferrocene HS(CH2)6N+(CH3)2Fc, in the case of the gold MEAs. Cyclic voltammetry of these MEAs was typical of thin film behavior. The modified MEAs were investigated for the detection of the dihydrogen phosphate mono‐anion in non‐aqueous media via differential pulse voltammetry. This was based on electrostatic interaction and/or hydrogen‐bonding between the target anion and the amide‐ferrocene or ammonium‐ferrocene functionalized electrode surfaces. A decrease in the ferrocene (Fc) oxidation peak current with a concomitant increase in the peak current of a new peak at lower potentials was observed when the concentration of the dihydrogen phosphate was increased.
Parental occupation and Ewing's sarcoma: Pooled and meta‐analysis
Authors: Valery Patricia C. , Williams Gail , Sleigh Adrian C. , Holly Elizabeth A. , Kreiger Nancy , Bain Chris
Published: February 2005

Etiologic data on Ewing's sarcoma family of tumors (ESFT) are limited, with only 5 case‐control studies reported. Interesting associations, particularly related to parental occupation, have been noted, but results are somewhat inconsistent. We conducted a pooled analysis of 3 case‐control studies to assess the overall associations between parental occupation and ESFT. The pooled analysis provided data on parental occupational exposure on 199 cases of ESFT and 1,451 controls. The pooled odds ratio for the periconception and gestation periods were 2.3 (95% CI = 1.3–4.1) for children whose fathers had worked on farms and 3.9 (95% CI = 1.6–9.9) for those whose mothers had farmed. For the periconception and gestation periods, there was a 3.5‐fold increased risk for those with both parents having farmed and a doubling of risk for those with at least one parent having farmed; pattern of increasing risk with increasing number of years of postnatal parental exposure to farms was seen. No other occupational group (or more narrowly defined occupations) had other than minor inconsistent associations with the occurrence of ESFT. In addition, we conducted a meta‐analysis of farm occupation (a main risk factor) including all 4 case‐control studies that collected required information to consider parental occupation. Results of the meta‐analysis were consistent with those from the pooled analysis. This collaborative analysis of available individual data on parental occupation and ESFT in the offspring provides evidence supporting the hypothesis of an association between ESFT and parental occupation in farming. © 2005 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
The development of a physiological simulation system for the human circulatory system coupling macro and micro models
Authors: Asami Ken'ichi , Kitamura Tadashi
Published: February 2005

This paper describes the development of a physiological simulation model which couples macro and micro models of the biological circulatory system. The macro model for the circulatory system is composed of modules for physiological functions such as neural activity, hormonal adjustment, and body temperature control, and provides a mathematical representation of comprehensive knowledge of systemic circulation physiology. The micro model of the circulatory system, on the other hand, uses differential equations to describe hemodynamics with the heart as a pump, and calculates the systemic hemodynamics produced by heart pulsations in millisecond time steps. An electrical circuit model is constructed for the systemic and pulmonary circulatory systems, in which the time‐varying elasticity of the ventricular muscle corresponds to a variable capacitor. By connecting the macro and micro models through common variables, a simulation which combines macroscopic and microscopic hemodynamics is produced, making it possible to investigate the response of the pulsatile blood flow as various parameter values of the whole circulation system are varied. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Syst Comp Jpn, 36(3): 27–41, 2005; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/scj.20135
New insights on stress rotations from a forward regional model of the San Andreas fault system near its Big Bend in southern California
Authors: Fitzenz D. D. , Miller S. A.
Published: February 2005

Understanding the stress field surrounding and driving active fault systems is an important component of mechanistic seismic hazard assessment. We develop and present results from a time‐forward three‐dimensional (3‐D) model of the San Andreas fault system near its Big Bend in southern California. The model boundary conditions are assessed by comparing model and observed tectonic regimes. The model of earthquake generation along two fault segments is used to target measurable properties (e.g., stress orientations, heat flow) that may allow inferences on the stress state on the faults. It is a quasi‐static model, where GPS‐constrained tectonic loading drives faults modeled as mostly sealed viscoelastic bodies embedded in an elastic half‐space subjected to compaction and shear creep. A transpressive tectonic regime develops southwest of the model bend as a result of the tectonic loading and migrates toward the bend because of fault slip. The strength of the model faults is assessed on the basis of stress orientations, stress drop, and overpressures, showing a departure in the behavior of 3‐D finite faults compared to models of 1‐D or homogeneous infinite faults. At a smaller scale, stress transfers from fault slip transiently induce significant perturbations in the local stress tensors (where the slip profile is very heterogeneous). These stress rotations disappear when subsequent model earthquakes smooth the slip profile. Maps of maximum absolute shear stress emphasize both that (1) future models should include a more continuous representation of the faults and (2) that hydrostatically pressured intact rock is very difficult to break when no material weakness is considered.
Sensitivity of NOx over the Indian Ocean to emissions from the surrounding continents and nonlinearities in atmospheric chemistry responses
Authors: Kunhikrishnan T. , Lawrence M. G.
Published: February 2005

The sensitivity of the Indian Ocean atmospheric chemistry to continental NOx emissions is examined using a global chemistry‐transport model (MATCH‐MPIC). NOx responds nonlinearly to changes in emissions, since O3 and OH, which depend on NOx, influence its lifetime. Due to this feedback and the contribution from other NOx sources (e.g., lightning), much of the Indian Ocean lower troposphere (LT) is only weakly sensitive to continental NOx emissions. In contrast to INDOEX (Indian Ocean Experiment) results for aerosols, CO, etc., during the winter monsoon the central Indian Ocean (CIO) is weakly sensitivity to Indian NOx emissions. However, the Bay of Bengal LT is very sensitive to NOx emissions from India (summer) and SE Asia and China (winter). Higher up, NOx over the CIO is most sensitive to African and SE Asian emissions, while the northern regions are influenced by the summer monsoon plume from India, SE Asia and China.
Radar‐dark impact crater–related parabolas on Venus: Characterization of deposits with Magellan emissivity data
Authors: Bondarenko Nataliya V. , Head James W.
Published: February 2005

We have analyzed the radar‐dark parabola deposits associated with impact craters on the surface of Venus using the results of the Magellan radio experiments in both passive and active modes. The extent of mantle deposits is found to be much wider than the dark features observed in synthetic aperture radar (SAR) images. Using the emissivity data, we have classified features coinciding with the radar‐dark parabolas into four types related to both differences in ejecta deposition styles for craters of different diameters, and stages in the degradation of crater‐related deposits. A model for the microwave properties of the mantled surfaces is proposed. Comparison between the distribution of mantle thickness predicted by the model and the previously published independent results based on modeling of the cratering process show good agreement when the loss tangent of the mantle material is assumed to be within the 0.001–0.005 range. This value is similar to that of dry powders of terrestrial and lunar rocks. On the basis of this work we conclude that radar‐dark diffuse features due to these mantles can be up to several meters thick if the loss tangent is assumed to be 0.003. Thin deposits (as little as 7 cm thick) are found to be responsible for the deposits seen in the emissivity parabolas but not observed in the SAR images. These results provide a basis for the interpretation of the character and thickness of mantle deposits, their states of degradation, processes associated with their formation and degradation, and guides to their use in establishing stratigraphic relationships and ages of underlying geologic units on Venus. The results will also be useful in interpreting the nature of surface deposits at previous landing sites and predicting the nature of deposits likely to be encountered at future landing sites.