bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Heat shock protein expression and injury optimization for laser therapy design
Authors: Rylander Marissa Nichole , Feng Yusheng , Bass Jon , Diller Kenneth R.
Published: October 2007

Background and Objectives

Hyperthermia can induce heat shock protein (HSP) expression in tumor regions where non‐lethal temperature elevation occurs, enhancing cell viability and resistance to chemotherapy and radiation treatments typically employed in conjunction with thermal therapy. However, HSP expression control has not been incorporated into current thermal therapy design. Treatment planning models based on achieving the desired post‐therapy HSP expression and injury distribution in the tumor and healthy surrounding tissue can enable design of more effective thermal therapies that maximize tumor destruction and minimize healthy tissue injury.

Study Design/Materials and Methods

An optimization algorithm for prostate cancer laser therapy design was integrated into a previously developed treatment planning model, permitting prediction and optimization of the spatial and temporal temperature, HSP expression, and injury distributions in the prostate. This optimization method is based on dosimetry guidelines developed from measured HSP expression kinetics and injury data for normal and cancerous prostate cells and tumors exposed to hyperthermia.

Results

The optimization model determines laser parameters (wavelength, power, pulse duration, fiber position, and number of fibers) necessary to satisfy prescribed HSP expression and injury distributions in tumor and healthy tissue. Optimization based on achieving desired injury and HSP expression distributions within the tumor and normal tissue permits more effective tumor destruction and diminished injury to healthy tissue compared to temperature driven optimization strategies.

Conclusions

Utilization of the treatment planning optimization model can permit more effective tumor destruction by mitigating tumor recurrence and resistance to chemotherapy and radiation arising from HSP expression and insufficient injury. Lesers Surg. Med. 39:731–746, 2007. © 2007 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Bilateral striatal necrosis, dystonia and multiple mitochondrial DNA deletions: Case study and effect of deep brain stimulation
Authors: Aniello Maria Stella , Martino Davide , Petruzzella Vittoria , Eleopra Roberto , Mancuso Michelangelo , Dell'Aglio Rosa , Cavallo Michele , Siciliano Gabriele , Defazio Giovanni
Published: October 2007

Bilateral striatal necrosis (BSN) is relatively rare and has been related to a wide array of causes, including nuclear and mitochondrial DNA mutations. We report the clinical vignette of a patient with a 37 years‐history of generalized dystonia secondary to BSN associated with multiple mitochondrial DNA deletions of undefined origin. Globus pallidus interna deep brain stimulation produced sustained benefit, with predominant improvements in disability. © 2007 Movement Disorder Society
Recreational physical activity and risk of Parkinson's disease
Authors: Thacker Evan L. , Chen Honglei , Patel Alpa V. , McCullough Marjorie L. , Calle Eugenia E. , Thun Michael J. , Schwarzschild Michael A. , Ascherio Alberto
Published: October 2007

The purpose of this study was to investigate associations between recreational physical activity and Parkinson's disease (PD) risk. We prospectively followed 143,325 participants in the Cancer Prevention Study II Nutrition Cohort from 1992 to 2001 (mean age at baseline = 63). Recreational physical activity was estimated at baseline from the reported number of hours per week on average spent performing light intensity activities (walking, dancing) and moderate to vigorous intensity activities (jogging/running, lap swimming, tennis/racquetball, bicycling/stationary bike, aerobics/calisthenics). Incident cases of PD (n = 413) were confirmed by treating physicians and medical record review. Relative risks (RR) were estimated using proportional hazards models, adjusting for age, gender, smoking, and other risk factors. Risk of PD declined in the highest categories of baseline recreational activity. The RR comparing the highest category of total recreational activity (men ≥ 23 metabolic equivalent task‐hours/week [MET‐h/wk], women ≥ 18.5 MET‐h/wk) to no activity was 0.8 (95% CI: 0.6, 1.2; P trend = 0.07). When light activity and moderate to vigorous activity were examined separately, only the latter was found to be associated with PD risk. The RR comparing the highest category of moderate to vigorous activity (men ≥ 16 MET‐h/wk, women ≥ 11.5 MET‐h/wk) to the lowest (0 MET‐h/wk) was 0.6 (95% CI: 0.4, 1.0; P trend = 0.02). These results did not differ significantly by gender. The results were similar when we excluded cases with symptom onset in the first 4 years of follow‐up. Our results may be explained either by a reduction in PD risk through moderate to vigorous activity, or by decreased baseline recreational activity due to preclinical PD. © 2007 Movement Disorder Society
Multidimensional liquid phase protein separations in conjunction with stable isotope labelling for quantitative proteomics
Authors: Assiddiq Bobby F. , Williamson James C. , Snijders Ambrosius P. L. , Cook Ken , Dickman Mark J.
Published: October 2007

A method for quantitative protein profiling has been developed utilising multidimensional liquid phase protein separations in conjunction with stable isotope labelling. This approach combines the advantages of high throughput, automated, reproducible protein separations with accurate protein quantitation performed in the mass spectrometer. Escherichia coli cells were grown in the presence and absence of the DNA methylation inhibitor 5‐Azacytidine on 14N and 15N enriched media. Protein separations were performed using ion exchange chromatography in the first dimension and RP capillary chromatography in the second dimension. UV absorbance measurements were used for the initial semiquantitative identification of differentially expressed proteins. Selected peaks from the mixed 15N/14N lysates were used for the accurate quantitation performed in the mass spectrometer using the ratios of the stable isotopes. Using this approach, a number of differentially expressed proteins have been identified. Moreover, this approach overcomes a number of caveats associated with multidimensional liquid phase protein separations, including the presence of multiple proteins present in a single chromatographic peak.
A sequential expression system for high‐throughput functional genomic analysis
Authors: Woodrow Kim A. , Swartz James R.
Published: October 2007

A method employing sequential rounds of cell‐free protein synthesis (CFPS) was developed to identify gene products influencing the complex metabolic systems that result in protein accumulation and folding in vitro. The first round of CFPS creates an array of cell extracts individually enriched with a single gene product expressed in‐parallel from linear DNA expression templates (ETs). The cell extract is engineered to enhance template stability and to provide reaction conditions conducive for general protein activation. Following first‐round expression, linear templates are selectively degraded and a plasmid template for a reporter enzyme is added to initiate a subsequent round of protein expression. Reporter concentration and activity identify first‐round gene products that affect amino acid and nucleic acid stability, energy supply, protein expression, stability, and activation. This sequential CFPS system provides a unique format for the functional genomic identification of broadly diverse metabolic activities.
Airway hyperreactivity detected by methacholine challenge in children with sickle cell disease
Authors: Ozbek Ozlem Yilmaz , Malbora Baris , Sen Nazan , Yazici Ayse Canan , Ozyurek Emel , Ozbek Namik
Published: October 2007

Recent studies have emphasized the presence of airway hyperreactivity (AHR) in children with sickle cell disease (SCD). However, various tests for the detection of AHR have yielded distinctly different results in these patients. This study identified AHR via a methacholine challenge test (MCT) in a group of children with SCD (31 patients; age range, 6–16 years). The results of pulmonary function tests (PFTs) in patients with SCD and age‐matched controls (30 healthy children) were investigated and compared. A positive methacholine challenge result was noted in 25 patients (77.5%). We found that when compared with controls, the children with SCD had lower forced vital capacity (FVC) and forced expiratory volume in 1 sec (FEV1) and that both their forced expiratory flow at 25–75% of the FVC (FEF25–75) and their FEV1/FVC ratio were not statistically significantly different from those of the controls. The statistically significant differences remained after treatment with a bronchodilator agent, but the changes in the FVC, FEV1, and FEF25–75 in response to bronchodilator treatment did not differ with statistical significance between the two groups. There was a negative correlation between the number of ACS attacks and the percent predicted of the FEV1 and the FEV1/FVC ratio. We found that the MCT reveals a high incidence of AHR in patients with SCD, regardless of whether those individuals have ACS. Pediatr Pulmonol. 2007; 42:1187–1192. © 2007 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Nickel catalysed sixfold ring clustering and graphitisation in C:Ni nanocomposites: A Raman analysis
Authors: Krause M. , Abrasonis G. , Kolitsch A. , Mücklich A. , Kreissig U. , Möller W.
Published: October 2007

The structural phases of C:Ni nanocomposite thin films prepared by ion beam co‐sputtering at temperatures 25 °C ≤ θS ≤ 500 °C were characterized by NIR Raman spectroscopy. Ni was found to catalyse sixfold ring clustering and graphitisation of carbon in C:Ni nanocomposites. (© 2007 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
On the theory of nucleation in cylindrical magnetic nanoparticles
Authors: Laroze D. , Baranov S. A. , Vargas P. , Vazquez M.
Published: October 2007

The phenomenon of nucleation in a single magnetic cylinder of nanometer size is considered; in particular we investigate the influence of the surface anisotropy energy. We find analytical solutions with soliton characteristics. As a function of the surface anisotropy strength, the magnetic energy exhibits a transition. (© 2007 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Cutting tool performance enhancement by using a B4C/BCN/C‐BN multilayer system
Authors: Bejarano Gaitan G. , Caicedo J. C. , Prieto P. , Balogh Adam G.
Published: October 2007

Thin films of B4C/BCN/c‐BN multilayers were deposited on to AISI M2 high speed steel substrates by r. (© 2007 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Electron ground state in concentric GaAs‐(Ga,Al)As single and double quantum rings
Authors: Culchac Francisco Javier , Granada Juan Carlos , Porras‐Montenegro N.
Published: October 2007

We study the effect of geometric confinement on the electron states in a concentric double quantum ring. We calculate the energy of the electron ground state for both symmetric and asymmetric double quantum rings as a function of the radius of the inner and outer rings, the barrier height and as a function of an applied magnetic field. We found that the probability amplitude for the electron state is approximately the same in the inner and outer wells of the structure when the width of the wells is the same, but there is a noticeable change in the probability amplitude in the well regions when the width of the inner well is slightly different from the outer one (asymmetric rings). As a result the carrier energy changes considerably from one situation to the other. On the other hand the barrier width between the inner and outer ring plays an important role in the definition of the energy of the electron ground state up to the extent that for certain values of the barrier and well widths, the energy of the ground state does not depend any more on the barrier width. (© 2007 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Optical properties of Sm3+ ions and influence of odd third‐order intensity parameters in fluoride glasses
Authors: Flórez A. , Herrera A. , Florez M.
Published: October 2007

Fluoride glasses in the following compositions (39‐x)InF3‐20ZnF2‐20SrF2‐16BaF2‐2GdF3‐2NaF‐1GaF3‐xTRF3, with x = 1.0, 1.5, 2.0, 2.5, 3.0, and 3.5 mol%: and TR = Sm were prepared in a dry box. Absorption spectra at room temperature are obtained in the spectral range from 340 to 2700 nm. From the area under the absorption band we obtained the experimental oscillator strengths, fExp.. By using the Judd‐Ofelt theory and a least‐square fit process, we obtained the phenomenological intensity parameters, Ωλ (λ = 2, 4, 6), and calculated the theoretical oscillator strengths, fCal. In order to evaluate the influence of the odd third‐order intensity parameter over oscillator strengths, we used the modified Judd‐Ofelt model. The better set (the set with smaller r.m.s.) is used to analyze the influence of third‐order effects through odd intensity parameters in the modified model. The results obtained with the standard and modified model are analyzed. In order to evaluate potential applications of Sm3+ ions in these glasses, the better set is used to calculate the following spectroscopy parameters: radiative lifetime, τr, transition probability between multiplets, AJJ’︁, peak cross section to stimulate emission, ρp and branching ratio, βJJ' are calculated. (© 2007 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Application of a phenomenological model for the surface impedance in high temperature superconducting films
Authors: Mosquera A. S. , Landínez Téllez D. A. , Roa‐Rojas J.
Published: October 2007

We report the application of a phenomenological model for the microwave surface impedance in high temperature superconducting films. This model is based on the modified two‐fluid model, in which the real and imaginary parts of the surface impedance use the modelling parameter γ. This is responsible for the superconducting and normal charge carrier density and is used for the description of the temperature dependence of the London penetration depth λL(T) including λL(0). The relaxation time model also uses the γ parameter in combination with the residual resistance parameter α. The parameter δ1<< 1 provides a finite value of the relaxation time at T = 0. The normal conductivity is described by the metals conduction model and the phenomenological description of the normal conductivity contains four parameters: δ1, γ, α, and δ2. The parameter δ2<< 1 is responsible for the non‐pairing part of the charge carrier at T = 0. Temperature dependence of σn(T) is a result of the competition between the increase of the relaxation time and the decrease of the normal charge‐carrier density. We applied this model to analyze experimental results of MgB2, YBa2Cu3O7‐δand GdBa2Cu3O7‐δsuperconducting material. (© 2007 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Conductivity fluctuation in the high temperature superconductor with planar weight disparity Y0.5Sm0.5Ba2Cu3O7−δ
Authors: Barrera E. W. , Rojas Sarmiento M. P. , Rincón L. F. , Landínez Téllez D. A. , Roa‐Rojas J.
Published: October 2007

The synthesis of the Y0.5Sm0.5Ba2Cu3O7–δ superconducting material by the standard solid state reaction is reported. DC resistivity measurements reveal the improvement of the critical temperature (Tc) when substitution of exact 50‐50 mix of Yttrium and Samarium is performed. A bulk Tc = 101 K was determined by the criterion of the maximum in the temperature derivative of electrical resistivity. Structure characterization by means the x‐ray diffraction technique shows the crystalline appropriated distribution of Yttrium and Samarium to create substantial planar weight disparity (PWD) in alternating layers. This PWD increases Tc in copper‐oxide superconductors. In order to examine the effect of PWD on the pairing mechanism close to Tc, conductivity fluctuation analysis was performed by the method of logarithmic temperature derivative of the conductivity excess. We found the occurrence of Gaussian and genuinely critical fluctuations. Our results are in agreement with reports on YBa2Cu3O7–δ, but an enhancement of the Gaussian fluctuation regimes was experimentally detected as a result of the PWD. The correlations of the critical exponents with the dimensionality of the fluctuation system for each Gaussian regime were performed by using the Aslamazov‐Larkin theory. The genuinely critical exponent is interpreted by the 3D‐XY model as corresponding with the dynamical universality class of the E‐model. (© 2007 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Co‐doping effect of Fe2O3 on the ionic transport of Na2SO4
Authors: Torijano E. , Vargas R. A. , Mellander B.‐E.
Published: October 2007

Thermal and transport properties of Na2SO4‐Fe2O3 composites, with molar composition in the range x = 0.1‐0.5, were studied by using impedance spectroscopy and thermal analysis. The electrical conductivity of this solid solution increases rapidly with increasing Fe2O3 content, from a value at about 0.05 × 10–4 S/cm (for x = 0.0) up to 0.22 × 10–4 S/cm for x = 0.1. The largest enhancement in the conductivity is observed for 10, 20 and 40 mol% Fe2O3 compositions, a feature not commonly encountered in known composite systems. The step change in the conductivity of pure sodium sulphate at 241 °C, associated with a first order phase transition, that not only shifts slightly to a higher temperatures when the Fe2O3 content increases, but it is also observed a reduction of the step hight. The results are discussed considering an approximation effect of the nanoparticles on the Na+ transport in the Na2SO4 compound. (© 2007 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Pure spin‐currents
Authors: Hoffmann Axel
Published: October 2007

The new development of spintronics aims at utilizing the spin degree of freedom for electronic applications. To this date, in most investigated spintronics systems and devices the spin and charge currents are in parallel and therefore directly coupled. However, using non‐local lateral devices allows to separate spin and charge currents, which allows the investigation of pure spin‐currents. This article reviews the recent developments using non‐local spin‐dependent measurements and other approaches towards utilizing pure spin‐currents. (© 2007 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
On the improvement of the electroluminescent signal of organic light emitting diodes by the presence of an ultra‐thin metal layer at the interface organic/ITO
Authors: Bernède J. C. , Martinez F. , Neculqueo G. , Cattin L.
Published: October 2007

The electroluminescent (EL) signal of organic light emitting diodes (OLEDs) based on simple “hole transporting layer/electron transporting layer” (HTL/ETL) structures has been studied as a function of the anode/HTL interface, the anode being an indium tin oxide (ITO) film. It is shown that the electroluminescent (EL) signal increases when a metal ultra‐thin layer is introduced between the anode and the HTL. Experimental results show that the work function value of the metal is only one of the factors which allow improving the EL signal via better hole injection efficiency. (© 2008 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Subacute H2O2, but not poly(IC), upregulates dopamine D2 receptors in retinoic acid differentiated SH‐SY5Y neuroblastoma
Authors: Larouche Annie , Berube Patrick , Sarret Philippe , Grignon Sylvain
Published: October 2007

Abnormalities of striatal dopaminergic neurotransmission play a significant role in the pathophysiology of central nervous system disorders such as movement disorders, addictions and schizophrenia. The striatum appears to be exposed to intrinsically high levels of oxidative stress (OS). Little is known, however, on the effect of OS on the regulation of the dopamine D2 receptor (DRD2), a key component of striatal dopaminergic neurotransmission. We report here on the effects of H2O2 (a canonical oxidant and non conventional messenger) and polyinosinic‐polycytidylic acid (poly(IC) which elicits schizophrenia‐like behaviors in newborn rodents and disrupts dopaminergic system development), on DRD2 levels in retinoic acid differentiated SH‐SY5Y neuroblastoma. H2O2 elicited a significant increase in DRD2 mRNA and protein levels. Conversely, poly(IC) did not regulate DRD2 levels, although SH‐SY5Y cells were confirmed to express TLR3 receptors. Under our conditions, H2O2, but not poly(IC), increased NFκB activation (as assessed by p65 nuclear translocation), which paralleled their effects on DRD2 levels regulation. Synapse 62:70–73, 2008. © 2007 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Differential distribution of PDE4B splice variant mRNAs in rat brain and the effects of systemic administration of LPS in their expression
Authors: Reyes‐Irisarri Elisabet , Pérez‐Torres Silvia , Miró Xavier , Martínez Emili , Puigdomènech Pere , Palacios José M. , Mengod Guadalupe
Published: October 2007

Phosphodiesterases (PDE) control intracellular cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) levels, which appear to play an important role in the regulation of inflammation. PDE4B is especially important in this process. Using in situ hybridization histochemistry we first mapped the expression sites of the four PDE4B splicing forms in rat brain. Using the systemic administration of the bacterial endotoxin lipopolysaccharide (LPS) as an inflammation model in rats, we found an increase in PDEB2 mRNA expression in choroid plexus. The differential expression of PDE4B spliced forms and the differential regulation of PDE4B2 in an inflammatory model further supports an involvement of this splicing variant in the inflammatory response. Synapse 62:74–79, 2008. © 2007 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Comparison of cartridge case and airborne GSR—a study of the elemental composition and morphology by means of SEM‐EDX
Authors: Brożek‐Mucha Zuzanna
Published: October 2007

A comparative study of the properties of gunshot residue (GSR) collected from shooter's hands and from inside the case of the same cartridge used in a shooting experiment was performed. Three types of popular Luger 9 mm ammunition were chosen with primer mixtures based on different types of detonators: mercury fulminate, lead styphnate or lead azide and an organic one, e.g. diazodinitrophenol. Two modifications of lead‐free ammunition, with copper and tin plated projectiles were used. Samples of GSR were examined by means of scanning electron microscopy and energy dispersiveX‐ray spectrometry. Both, similarities and differences in the chemical composition and morphology of GSR secured from the hands of the shooting person and from the appropriate cartridge case were observed. The chemical composition of the characteristic gunshot particles originating from the primer may be influenced by the chemical composition of other parts of the cartridge case, especially the core and the jacket of the projectile. Thus, the distribution of the chemical elements in GSR strongly depends on the direction of the reaction path starting in the primer cup placed at the bottom of the cartridge case, moving along the cartridge case and finishing when the projectile leaves the gun muzzle. A reliable comparison of the airborne residue to these taken from cartridge case for forensic purposes requires some experience based on laboratory experiments performed under controlled conditions. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Culture and Acculturation Influences on Palestinian Perceptions of Prenatal Genetic Counseling
Authors: Awwad Rawan , Veach Patricia McCarthy , Bartels Dianne M. , LeRoy Bonnie S.
Published: October 2007

Patient cultural backgrounds strongly influence decision‐making processes and outcomes in genetic counseling. The present study investigated influences of culture and acculturation on prenatal decision making processes of native Palestinians and Palestinian Americans. Seventeen native Palestinians and 14 first‐generation, Palestinian Americans were interviewed and asked to imagine themselves as patients in hypothetical premarital and prenatal situations. Five major issues were investigated: 1) Influence of family history of an inherited condition on pre‐marital decisions; 2) Perceptions of non‐directive genetic counselor statements regarding options; 3) Role of gender in prenatal decisions; 4) Gender differences in emotional expression; and 5) Role of family and society in prenatal decisions. Several similarities and differences in native Palestinian and Palestinian American responses were obtained. Similarities appear to be due to common cultural roots, while differences may be due to acculturation. Practice and research recommendations are provided.
Tobacco smoke‐induced left ventricular remodelling is not associated with metalloproteinase‐2 or ‐9 activation
Authors: Castardeli Edson , Duarte Daniella R. , Minicucci Marcos F. , Azevedo Paula S. , Matsubara Beatriz B. , Matsubara Luiz S. , Campana Álvaro O. , Paiva Sergio A.R. , Zornoff Leonardo A.M.
Published: October 2007

Aim

To investigate the role of MMP‐2 and MMP‐9 in cardiac remodelling induced by tobacco smoke exposure in rats.

Methods

Rats were allocated into two groups: C (n=9): control animals; ETS (n=9): exposed to tobacco smoke. After 4months, the animals underwent echocardiography, morphometric study and determination of MMP‐2 and MMP‐9 activity.

Results

ETS rats had larger diastolic (C=15.6 ±1.2mm/kg, ETS=18.0±0.9mm/kg; p < 0.001) and systolic (C=7.3±1.2mm/kg, ETS=9.2±0.9mm/kg; p=0.001) ventricular diameters adjusted for body weight. Fractional shortening (C53–4.8%, ETS+48±3.3%; p=0.031) and ejection fraction (C=0.89±0.03, ETS=0.86±0.02; p=0.030) were smaller in the ETS group. Myocyte cross‐sectional area (C=245±8μm2, ETS=253±8μm2; p=0.028) was higher in ETS rats. There were no differences in MMP‐2 (C=50±14%; ETS=43±11%, p=0.228) or MMP‐9 (C=0.36±0.3%; ETS=0.62±0.3%, p=0.630) activity between the groups.

Conclusion

MMP‐2 and MMP‐9 did not participate in the remodelling process induced by tobacco smoke exposure.
Nonlinear dynamics of the filamentation of the resistive instability of a current-carrying plasma
Authors: NIKNAM A. R. , SHOKRI B.
Published: October 2007

The filamentation of the resistive instability in a weakly ionized quasi-neutral current-carrying plasma in the diffusion frequency region in the nonlinear regime is investigated. By using the magnetohydrodynamics equations and Ampere's law and assuming that the plasma is non-isothermal and inhomogeneous, the evolution of the magnetic field diffusion into the plasma is described by the Lienard nonlinear differential equation. Furthermore, it is shown that the departure of the profiles of the magnetic field and electron density variation from a sinusoidal shape in the nonlinear regime and a transverse filamentation and density steepening can occur in the static limit. Also, it is shown that the shape of the transverse filamentation can vary in this regime depending on the gradient of the magnetic field.
Nutritional supplements and the EU: is anyone happy?
Authors: Eberhardie Christine
Published: October 2007

In 2000 an estimated £335×106was spent on food supplements and herbal remedies in the UK. Until recently, The Trades Description Act 1968, the Food Safety Act 1990 and The Food Labelling Regulations 1996 (amended 2004) were the only form of regulation available to protect the public. The medical community has been concerned about the risk to patients of inaccurate dosages and poor-quality products as well as drug–nutrient and nutrient–nutrient interactions. Following growing concern about the type and quality of food supplements and herbal remedies available in the EU, the European Commission has published directives regulating food supplements (2002/46/EC) and herbal remedies (2004/24/EC and 2004/27/EC) available within the EU. The directives came into force in 2005 and limit the number and quality of permitted food supplements through the creation of a ‘positive list’ of approved supplements. In the present paper the new regulatory frameworks and the implications for the food supplement manufacturers, traditional and complementary therapists, the healthcare professions and patients will be examined. It would appear that there is considerable dissatisfaction with the regulations in their present form. Several questions remain: is regulation the answer; who decides which nutrients go on the positive list; what effect has the regulation had on patient safety and patient choice?
B-vitamins, genotype and disease causality
Authors: Haggarty Paul
Published: October 2007

Despite a great deal of research effort there is still considerable uncertainty surrounding the importance of the B-vitamins in health and disease. This continuing uncertainty is partly a result of the difficulty of measuring intake, confounding in observational studies and the very large numbers required to evaluate primary prevention in randomised controlled trials. Consequently, genetic data are increasingly being used to infer nutritional effects on health and even in the formulation of nutrition policy using the approach of ‘mendelian randomisation’. Genetic information has already contributed greatly to the understanding of B-vitamin metabolism and the heterogeneity of responses to intake. It has the potential to provide further nutritional insights and to assist in the elucidation of causal mechanisms, but it is important that genetic data is not viewed as an alternative to nutritional information, both are necessary when addressing nutritional problems. Similarly, the interpretation of nutrient and biomarker status in some experimental designs may require knowledge of genotype. Formal tests of gene–gene and gene–nutrient interaction are of limited value in nutritional studies and the formulation of policy. Graphical representation of diet–genotype–health data greatly assists in the elucidation of the nature of genetic effects, their interaction with nutrition and the implications for nutrition policy.
New approaches to pathogenesis of malaria in pregnancy
Authors: ROGERSON S. J. , BOEUF P.
Published: October 2007

Malaria infection during pregnancy is associated with poor maternal and foetal outcomes including low birth weight. In malaria-endemic areas, low birth weight is primarily a consequence of foetal growth restriction. Little is known on the pathogenesis of foetal growth restriction and our understanding of the relationship between epidemiological observations and the pathogenesis or consequences of disease is incomplete. In this review, we describe these gaps in our knowledge and also try to identify goals for future research into malaria in pregnancy. Foetal growth restriction results from a complex four-dimensional interaction between the foetus, the mother and the malaria parasite over gestation, and research into its pathogenesis may be advanced by combining longitudinal studies with techniques and approaches new to the field of malaria in pregnancy. Such approaches would greatly increase our knowledge on the pathogenesis of this disease and may provide new avenues for intervention strategies.
VAR2CSA and protective immunity against pregnancy-associatedPlasmodium falciparummalaria
Authors: HVIID L. , SALANTI A.
Published: October 2007

People living in areas with stable transmission ofP. falciparumparasites acquire protective immunity to malaria over a number of years and following multiple disease episodes. Immunity acquired this way is mediated by IgG with specificity for parasite-encoded, clonally variant surface antigens (VSA) on the surface of infected erythrocytes (IEs). However, women in endemic areas become susceptible toP. falciparuminfection when they become pregnant, particularly for the first time, regardless of previously acquired protective immunity. This conundrum was resolved when it was observed that the selective placental accumulation of IEs that characterizes pregnancy-associated malaria (PAM) is caused by an immunologically and functionally unique subset of VSA (VSAPAM) that is only expressed by parasites infecting pregnant women, and that protective immunity to PAM is mediated by IgG with specificity for VSAPAM. In this review we summarize the research leading to the identification of the distinctly structured PfEMP1 variant VAR2CSA as the dominant PAM-type VSA and as the clinically most important target of the protective immune response to placentalP. falciparuminfection.
The host-parasite relationship in pregnant cattle infected withNeospora caninum
Authors: INNES ELISABETH A.
Published: October 2007

The protozoan parasiteNeospora caninumis an important cause of reproductive disease in cattle worldwide. The dog is a definitive host for the parasite and the oocyst stage, shed in the faeces, is a source of infection for cattle through consumption of contaminated feed or water. In addition, transplacental transmission ofN. caninumis a very efficient means of the parasite infecting a new host and this can occur in successive pregnancies and over several generations.Neosporaparasites may cause disease during pregnancy resulting in death of the foetus or birth of live congenitally infected calves that may show some neurological clinical signs at birth. The stage of pregnancy at which infection/parasitaemia occurs is an important factor in determining disease severity.Neosporainfection in the first trimester of pregnancy may have more severe consequences for the foetus compared with infection occurring in the final trimester. The host-parasite relationship during pregnancy is a fascinating interaction and research in this area will improve understanding of disease pathogenesis and the various consequences of the host immune response, being host-protective, parasite protective and contributing to disease pathology. Pregnancy poses an interesting problem for the immune system of the dam as she is essentially carrying a semi-allogeneic tissue graft (the foetus) without immunological rejection taking place. To facilitate the pregnancy the cytokine environment in the placenta favours the regulatory Th-2-type cytokines, whose role is to counteract the pro-inflammatory Th1-type immune responses. Protective immunity toN. caninum, similar to many other intracellular parasites, involves Th1-type immune responses, which may pose problems for the dam trying to control aNeosporainfection during pregnancy.

This paper will discuss the host-parasite relationship at different stages of gestation in pregnant cattle and review the implications of this research for our understanding of disease pathogenesis, parasite transmission and host protection.
Object learning and detection using evolutionary deformable models for mobile robot navigation
Authors: Mata M. , Armingol J. M. , Fernández J. , de la Escalera A.
Published: October 2007

Deformable models have been studied in image analysis over the last decade and used for recognition of flexible or rigid templates under diverse viewing conditions. This article addresses the question of how to define a deformable model for a real-time color vision system for mobile robot navigation. Instead of receiving the detailed model definition from the user, the algorithm extracts and learns the information from each object automatically. How well a model represents the template that exists in the image is measured by an energy function. Its minimum corresponds to the model that best fits with the image and it is found by a genetic algorithm that handles the model deformation. At a later stage, if there is symbolic information inside the object, it is extracted and interpreted using a neural network. The resulting perception module has been integrated successfully in a complex navigation system. Various experimental results in real environments are presented in this article, showing the effectiveness and capacity of the system.
Remembering the forgotten and the excluded Historians debate architecture without architects
Authors: Calder Barnabas
Published: October 2007

This was a big, serious conference in a big, serious city. Architectural historians from North America and around the globe gathered to discuss their work and to look at buildings together. Yet despite the generosity with which the American Institute of Architects handed out CPD points for every paper and tour attended, there were not many architects there; the conference remained substantially a forum for professional architectural historians and their research students to talk shop. It's a pity – this kind of conference represents an excellent opportunity for architects to take their place at the heart of the debate on history and conservation.
ONE:MORE
Authors: d'Avoine Pierre , Melhuish Clare
Published: October 2007

‘When you go into a room and see a box of cigars, a computer and a horse you look for similarities, but if the room contains only one object you look for differences.’ (Luciano Berio, introducing a BBC Symphony Orchestra weekend of his music at The Barbican in 1990)
The architectural guidebook: from Palladio to pod
Authors: Day Alan , Hart Vaughan
Published: October 2007

In 1554 the Renaissance architectural master, Andrea Palladio (born Andrea della Gondola, or ‘di Pietro’), produced two little-known guidebooks to the city of Rome. These were unillustrated texts, one of which described the ancient wonders of the city while the other concentrated on the later medieval churches. Guidebooks of this kind had existed since medieval times but Palladio introduced a new kind of structure to the guide by organising the material into logical routes which the tourist could follow. Since then architectural guidebooks have proliferated and the introduction of photography and high quality graphics has changed their appearance significantly. However, in many respects things have not altered a great deal. Architectural guidebooks still present a view of a city which is that of a single individual (or small group of authors) and the selection of the material determines what is deemed to be of significance. Some guides, such as those by Nikolaus Pevsner, attempt to present the buildings in as neutral a way as possible in order to give the work a degree of objectivity but, nonetheless, the visitor is still being presented with a particular view of the city.
‘The bright edifice of community’: politics and performance in Hans Scharoun's Berlin Philharmonie
Authors: Campbell Hugh
Published: October 2007

‘It was democracy that commissioned this project. If we had not been serious in deciding that our nation is resolved – as it says in our constitution – to create a new order for itself and establish a social state on the basis of free self-determination, this building would not have been conceived and completed in the way that it has been, a building whose reality […] symbolises what is new about our order, embodying the element of freedom and the desire that man should be at its centre.’
Phonological facilitation through translation in a bilingual picture-naming task
Authors: KNUPSKY AIMEE C. , AMRHEIN PAUL C.
Published: October 2007

We present a critical examination of phonological effects in a picture–word interference task. Using a methodology minimizing stimulus repetition, English/Spanish and Spanish/English bilinguals named pictures in either L1 or L2 (blocked contexts) or in both (mixed contexts) while ignoring word distractors in L1 or L2. Distractors were either phonologically related to the picture name (direct; FISH–fist), or related through translation to the picture name (TT; LEG–milk–leche), or they were unrelated (bear–peach). Results demonstrate robust activation of phonological representations by translation equivalents of word distractors. Although both direct and TT distractors facilitated naming, TT facilitation was more consistent in L2 naming and under mixed contexts.
Grammatical interference and the acquisition of ergative case in bilingual children learning Basque and Spanish
Authors: AUSTIN JENNIFER
Published: October 2007

In this paper I claim that there is evidence of grammatical interference in the development of ergative case in bilingual children acquiring Basque and Spanish. While both monolingual and bilingual children have difficulty acquiring the ergative case in Basque (Barreña, 1995; Ezeizabarrena, 1996), my results indicate that bilingual children omit the ergative case marker to a greater extent than monolingual children. I argue that this difference is the result of interference from Spanish, which takes the form of reinforcing a non-target-like option in Basque (Müller and Hulk, 2001).
Biology‐mediated temperature control on atmospheric pCO2 and ocean biogeochemistry
Authors: Matsumoto Katsumi
Published: October 2007

The remarkable correspondence between glacial‐interglacial changes in atmospheric CO2 levels and global climate over much of the Pleistocene suggests that CO2 is also a key climate change driver. However, there is as yet no widely accepted explanation of the low glacial CO2 levels. Here I use an intermediate‐complexity climate model to show that glacial cooling, acting on the rates of organic carbon production and decay in the ocean, can explain a significant portion of the glacial CO2 lowering. New model results show that cooling strengthens the vertical transport of organic carbon from the surface ocean to the deep ocean, reduces atmospheric pCO2, and shifts nutrients from the Atlantic basin to the Indo‐Pacific basins. The overall vertical transport is increased because the cooling effect on reducing the degradation rate of sinking particulate organic carbon is greater than on reducing the export production. This net temperature effect on atmospheric pCO2 mediated by biology is comparable to the temperature effect on atmospheric pCO2 driven by solubility, which is almost always mentioned as a large factor in the glacial CO2 levels. An implication for the future is that higher ocean temperatures will act as a positive feedback on atmospheric CO2 by reducing the vertical transport of carbon to the deep ocean and thereby increasing CO2 degassing from the ocean.
Starving avalanches: Frictional mechanisms at the tails of finite‐sized mass movements
Authors: Bartelt P. , Buser O. , Platzer K.
Published: October 2007

The tail of an avalanche is characterized by diminishing flow heights. The decreasing flow heights are due to increased friction and therefore tails are ideally suited to investigate frictional mechanisms in avalanches. Using chute experiments with granular material, we observe two properties of avalanche tails: (1) Coulomb friction μ increases in proportion to the decrease in the gravitational work rate g; (2) flow heights h are proportional to the square of the basal slip velocity u0; h ∝ u02. Another non‐steady region can be observed at the front of the avalanche. Although this region is shorter than the tail, we were able to detect a hysteresis of the friction μ coefficient as a function of the gravitational work rate. This fact indicates a time dependence of the frictional mechanisms. The results explain why avalanches starve when they are not fed by the intake of additional material at the front.
On the opposing roles of air temperature and wind speed variability in flux estimation from remotely sensed land surface states
Authors: Bertoldi G. , Albertson J. D. , Kustas W. P. , Li F. , Anderson M. C.
Published: October 2007

In semi‐arid regions the evapotranspiration rates depend on both the spatial distribution of the vegetation and the soil moisture, for a given radiation regime. Remote sensing can provide high resolution spatially distributed estimation (o ∼ 10–100 m) of land surface states. However, data on the near surface air properties are not readily available at the same resolution and are often taken as spatially uniform over a greater region. Concern for how this scale mismatch might lead to erroneous flux estimations motivates this effort. This paper examines the relative roles of variability in the two dominant atmospheric states, wind speed and air temperature, on the variability of the surface fluxes. The study is conducted with a Large Eddy Simulation (LES) model of the Atmospheric Boundary Layer (ABL), where the boundary conditions are given by a surface energy balance model based on remotely sensed land surface data. Simulations have been performed for the late morning hours of two clear‐sky summer days during the SGP97 experiment with different wetness conditions over an area characterized by a high contrast in surface temperature, canopy cover, and roughness between vegetated and dry bare soil areas. Spatial variability in canopy density effects both the air temperature Ta, through the energy partitioning, and the wind speed U, via the roughness, leading to local variations at 5 m above the ground of the order of 1 K and 1 m/s, respectively. Simulations show that the Ta variability tends to decrease the sensible heat flux H (− 30 W/m2) over bare soil areas and to increase it (+30 W/m2) over dense vegetation, thus reducing the total variability of the surface fluxes relative to those that would be estimated for spatially constant Ta, as observed in previous studies. The variability in U tends to increase H over bare soil (+50 W/m2), while having negligible effects over the vegetation, thus increasing the spatial variance of surface fluxes. However, when considered together, the combined effect is limited (< 10 W/m2), due to a partial canceling of effects. Consequently, for operational applications, such effects on regional flux estimation are typically minor. An interesting implication for ignoring atmospheric variability over the bare soil locations, with marked water limitation, is a significant local error (>50%) in the estimation of the evaporative fraction EF.
The effect of experimental warming on the root-associated fungal community of Salix arctica
Authors: Fujimura Kei E , Egger Keith N , Henry Gregory H R
Published: October 2007

The effect of experimental warming on the root-associated fungal community of arctic willow (Salix arctica) was studied in three distinct habitats at a tundra site in the Canadian High Arctic. Plots were passively warmed for 5–7 years using open-top chambers and compared to control plots at ambient temperature. Fungal communities were assessed using terminal restriction fragment length polymorphisms. We found the following: (1) the root-associated fungal community in these high arctic tundra habitats is highly diverse; (2) site and soil characteristics are the most important drivers of community structure and (3) warming increased the density of different genotypes on individual root sections but has not (yet) affected the composition, richness or evenness of the community. The change in genotype density in the warmed plots was associated with an increase in PCR amplification efficiency, suggesting that increased C allocation belowground is increasing the overall biomass of the fungal community.
Magnetoresistance sign change in superconducting films: the role of an edge barrier
Authors: Zaskal’ko V. V. , Maksimov I. L. , Vodolazov D. Yu.
Published: October 2007

The resistive characteristics of pin-free type-II superconductors with an edge barrier are investigated. Analysis is based on a model system consisting of an infinitely long strip of finite width W and thickness d≪W. The current–voltage characteristics and magnetoresistance R(H) of the sample are calculated by numerical solution of the Maxwell–London equations, considered in the framework of a hydrodynamic description. It is found that the positive magnetoresistance (dR∕dH>0) that exists at low values of the transport current I<I* (I* is the transition current) changes sign: dR∕dH<0 at I>I*. The sign change of the magnetoresistance is explained by a change of the dominant mechanism of energy dissipation in the film (i.e., a transition from viscous losses to annihilation losses). It is shown that the presence of weak magnetic flux pinning does not alter the behavior of R(H).