bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Comparison of the symptoms of exercise-induced muscle damage after an initial and repeated bout of plyometric exercise in men and boys
Authors: Marginson Vicky , Rowlands Ann V. , Gleeson Nigel P. , Eston Roger G.
Published: April 2005

The purpose of this study was to compare symptoms of exercise-induced muscle damage after an initial and repeated bout of plyometric exercise in men and boys. Ten boys (9–10 yr) and 10 men (20–29 yr) completed two bouts of eight sets of 10 plyometric jumps, 2 wk apart. Perceived soreness (0–10, visual analog scale), isometric strength of the quadriceps at six knee flexion angles, and countermovement jump and squat jump height were assessed before and at 30 min, 24 h, 48 h, and 72 h after each bout. All variables followed the expected patterns of change in men, with soreness peaking at 24–48 h (5.8 ± 1.7) and decrements in muscle function peaking at 30 min after the first bout (73–85% of baseline scores). Symptoms remained for 72 h after the first bout in men. In boys, symptoms were much less severe and peaked at 30 min (visual analog scale = 2.1 ± 1.8, functional decrements 87–92% of baseline) and, with the exception of soreness, returned to baseline after 24 h. After the second bout of plyometric exercise, the level of soreness and decrements in countermovement jump, squat jump, and isometric strength were lower, although the effect was stronger in men, in all cases. The results of this study suggest that although children may experience symptoms of muscle damage after intensive plyometric exercise, they are much less severe. A prior bout of plyometric exercise also appears to provide children with some protection from soreness after a subsequent bout of plyometric exercise. Explanations for milder symptoms of exercise-induced muscle damage in children include greater flexibility leading to less overextension of sarcomeres during eccentric exercise, fewer fast-twitch muscle fibers, and greater and perhaps more varied habitual physical activity patterns.
Topographic Maps of Visual Spatial Attention in Human Parietal Cortex
Authors: Silver Michael A. , Ress David , Heeger David J.
Published: April 2005

Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) was used to measure activity in human parietal cortex during performance of a visual detection task in which the focus of attention systematically traversed the visual field. Critically, the stimuli were identical on all trials (except for slight contrast changes in a fully randomized selection of the target locations) whereas only the cued location varied. Traveling waves of activity were observed in posterior parietal cortex consistent with shifts in covert attention in the absence of eye movements. The temporal phase of the fMRI signal in each voxel indicated the corresponding visual field location. Visualization of the distribution of temporal phases on a flattened representation of parietal cortex revealed at least two distinct topographically organized cortical areas within the intraparietal sulcus (IPS), each representing the contralateral visual field. Two cortical areas were proposed based on this topographic organization, which we refer to as IPS1 and IPS2 to indicate their locations within the IPS. This nomenclature is neutral with respect to possible homologies with well-established cortical areas in the monkey brain. The two proposed cortical areas exhibited relatively little response to passive visual stimulation in comparison with early visual areas. These results provide evidence for multiple topographic maps in human parietal cortex.
Accuracy of Customized Miniature Stereotactic Platforms
Authors: Fitzpatrick J. Michael , Konrad Peter E. , Nickele Chris , Cetinkaya Ebru , Kao Chris
Published: April 2005

In this study, a new system was evaluated for implanting deep-brain stimulators based on a one-piece platform for each trajectory customized from a preoperative planning image. During surgery, the platform is attached to skull-implanted posts that extend through the scalp. The platform acts as a miniature stereotactic frame to provide guidance for parallel cannulas as they are advanced through a burr hole to the target. Accuracy is determined from a postoperative CT. For each implantation, the distance between the position observed in the postoperative image and the position calculated relative to the platform from the preoperative image is our measure of error. Because this measure incorporates the surgical error of electrode anchoring, brain shift between preoperative and postoperative scanning, and error in the measurement of the position of the electrode in CT, it will tend to overestimate the true error. The mean error was 2.8 mm for 20 implantations. These data reflect favorably the accuracy of this system when compared with others.
The Application of Optical Recording of Intrinsic Signals to Simultaneously Acquire Functional, Pathological and Localizing Information and Its Potential Role in Neurosurgery
Authors: Schwartz Theodore H.
Published: April 2005

Introduction: The accurate intraoperative localization of epileptic foci and surrounding functional architecture is critical to a successful surgical outcome. Current techniques are limited either by their inability to simultaneously sample large areas of cortex with high spatial resolution or account for dynamic alterations in cortical morphology. Optical recording of intrinsic signals can map neuronal activity in a large area of cortex with a spatial resolution in the order of <100 µm. We explored methods of simultaneously representing localizing information, functional architecture and the border of an epileptic focus in vivo with intrinsic signal imaging. Methods: The functional architecture of V1 was mappedusing optical imaging of intrinsic signals in the ferret at 707 nm (n = 9). Interictal and ictal foci were then generated with focal iontophoresis of bicuculline methiodide and 4-aminopyridine into V1 and mapped optically. Blood vessel architecture was mapped using light acquired at 540 nm. Results: Epilepsy maps could be superimposed on maps of the underlying functional architecture and surface blood vessel pattern to produce composite pathological-functional maps. Sufficient data for localization as well as identification of both pathological and functional architecture could be conveyed in a single image. Conclusions: Cortical maps generated with intrinsic signal imaging can combine topographic and localizing information about normal functional architecture and interictal and ictal onset zones with extremely high spatial resolution. These maps may be useful in guiding surgical resections and multiple subpial transections to minimize unnecessary damage to functional brain surrounding neocortical pathology.
The Synthetic PPARγ Agonist Troglitazone Inhibits IL-5-Induced CD69 Upregulation and Eosinophil-Derived Neurotoxin Release from Eosinophils
Authors: Matsuwaki Yoshinori , Ueki Shigeharu , Adachi Tetsuya , Oyamada Hajime , Kamada Yumiko , Yamaguchi Kazutoshi , Kanda Akira , Hamada Kazuyuki , Kayaba Hiroyuki , Chihara Junichi
Published: April 2005

Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ (PPARγ) is a nuclear receptor that regulates lipid metabolism. Recently, PPARγ was reported to be a negative regulator in the immune system. Eosinophils also express PPARγ, however, the role of PPARγ in eosinophil functions is not well understood. Surface expression of CD69 and eosinophil-derived neurotoxin (EDN) release are well-known activation markers of eosinophils. We investigated the effect of a PPARγ agonist on human eosinophil functions such as IL-5-induced CD69 surface expression and EDN release. IL-5 significantly induced eosinophil CD69 surface expression analyzed using flow cytometry and EDN release measured by ELISA. IL-5-induced eosinophil CD69 surface expression and EDN release were significantly inhibited by the synthetic PPARγ agonist troglitazone, and these effects were reversed by a PPARγ antagonist. The PPARγ agonist troglitazone has a potent inhibitory effect on activation and degranulation of eosinophils, and it may be a therapeutic modality for the treatment of allergic diseases.
Brain Allometry in Bumblebee and Honey Bee Workers
Authors: Mares Stefanie , Ash Lesley , Gronenberg Wulfila
Published: April 2005

Within a particular animal taxon, larger bodied species generally have larger brains. Increased brain size usually correlates with increased behavioral repertoires and often with superior cognitive abilities. Bumblebees are eusocial insects that show pronounced size polymorphism among workers, whereas in honey bees size variation is much less pronounced. Recent studies suggest that within a given colony, large bumblebee workers are more efficient foragers and are better learners than their smaller sisters. Here we examine the allometric relationship between brain and body size of worker bumblebees and honey bees. We find that larger bees have larger brains and that most brain components show a similar size increase as the overall brain. One particular brain structure, the central body, is relatively smaller in large bumblebees compared to small bees. The same is true for the mushroom body lobes, whereas the mushroom body calyces, which receive sensory input, are not reduced in larger bumblebees or honey bees. Honey bees have relatively smaller brains, as well as smaller mushroom bodies, than bumblebee workers. We discuss why brain or mushroom body size does not necessarily correlate with the degree of a species’ social organization.
Platelet Degranulation Is Associated With Progression of Intima-Media Thickness of the Common Carotid Artery in Patients With Diabetes Mellitus Type 2
Authors: Fateh-Moghadam Suzanne , Li Zonyang , Ersel Simon , Reuter Thomas , Htun Patrik , Plöckinger Ursula , Bocksch Wolfgang , Dietz Rainer , Gawaz Meinrad
Published: April 2005

Background—

Platelets play a key role in atherogenesis and thromboembolic complications in patients with type 2 diabetes.

Methods and Results—

We prospectively examined the relationship between systemic platelet activation and progression of carotid wall thickness within 1 year in 105 patients with type 2 diabetes. The intima-media thickness (IMT) of the common carotid artery was measured bilaterally at study entry and after 1 year. Platelet activation was assessed with the use of immunologic markers of platelet activation (CD62P, CD63, and CD40L) and flow cytometry. The prevalence for progression of atherosclerotic carotid disease in this population was 55.2%. We found that platelet degranulation (CD63 and CD40L) correlated with progression of IMT within 1 year (CD63:
r
=0.231,
P
=0.022; CD40L:
r
=0.230,
P
=0.029). Diabetic patients with progression of IMT had a significantly increased expression of CD63 compared with patients with stable carotid disease (mean intensity of immunofluorescence; median, interquartile range: 17.1 [12.4, 25.8] versus 11.9 [7.7, 19.8];
P
=0.004). Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that degranulation of platelet CD63 is a predictor for progression of IMT independently of classical cardiovascular risk factors and hemoglobin A1c in diabetic patients (
P
=0.017).

Conclusions—

Enhanced systemic platelet degranulation is associated with progression of carotid artery disease in type 2 diabetes.
Lack of Myoglobin Causes a Switch in Cardiac Substrate Selection
Authors: Flögel Ulrich , Laussmann Tim , Gödecke Axel , Abanador Nadine , Schäfers Michael , Fingas Christian Dominik , Metzger Sabine , Levkau Bodo , Jacoby Christoph , Schrader Jürgen
Published: April 2005

Myoglobin is an important intracellular O
2
binding hemoprotein in heart and skeletal muscle. Surprisingly, disruption of myoglobin in mice (myo
−/−
) resulted in no obvious phenotype and normal cardiac function was suggested to be mediated by structural alterations that tend to steepen the oxygen pressure gradient from capillary to mitochondria. Here we report that lack of myoglobin causes a biochemical shift in cardiac substrate utilization from fatty acid to glucose oxidation. Proteome and gene expression analysis uncovered key enzymes of mitochondrial β-oxidation as well as the nuclear receptor PPARα to be downregulated in myoglobin-deficient hearts. Using FDG-PET we showed a substantially increased in vivo cardiac uptake of glucose in myo
−/−
mice (6.7±2.3 versus 0.8±0.5% of injected dose in wild-type, n=5,
P
<0.001), which was associated with an upregulation of the glucose transporter GLUT4. The metabolic switch was confirmed by
13
C NMR spetroscopic isotopomer studies of isolated hearts which revealed that [1,6-
13
C
2
]glucose utilization was increased in myo
−/−
hearts (38±8% versus 22±5% in wild-type, n=6,
P
<0.05), and concomitantly, [U-
13
C
16
]palmitate utilization was decreased in the myoglobin-deficient group (42±6% versus 63±11% in wild-type, n=6,
P
<0.05). Because of the O
2
-sparing effect of glucose utilization, the observed shift in substrate metabolism benefits energy homoeostasis and therefore represents a molecular adaptation process allowing to compensate for lack of the cytosolic oxygen carrier myoglobin. Furthermore, our data suggest that an altered myoglobin level itself may be a critical determinant for substrate selection in the heart. The full text of this article is available online at http://circres.ahajournals.org.
Asymptomatic Embolization Detected by Doppler Ultrasound Predicts Stroke Risk in Symptomatic Carotid Artery Stenosis
Authors: Markus Hugh S. , MacKinnon Andrew
Published: April 2005

Background and Purpose—

Asymptomatic cerebral emboli can be detected using transcranial Doppler ultrasound (TCD). These embolic signals have potential as a marker of stroke risk and as a surrogate marker to evaluate antiplatelet agents. Small studies have demonstrated that they predict the combined endpoint of stroke and transient ischemic attack (TIA), but no studies have shown that they predict the more important endpoint of stroke alone.

Methods—

TCD was used to record for 1 hour from the ipsilateral middle cerebral artery in 200 patients with >50% symptomatic carotid stenosis. The Doppler audio signal was recorded for later analysis blinded to clinical details. Subjects were followed-up prospectively until surgical intervention, stroke, or study end at 90 days.

Results—

Embolic signals (ES) were detected in 89 (44.5%). During follow-up, 31 subjects experienced recurrent ipsilateral ischemic events: 7 strokes and 24 TIAs. The presence of ES predicted stroke alone (
P
=0.001) and the combined endpoint of stroke and TIA (
P
=0.00001). This remained significant, with an odds ratio of 4.67 (95% CI, 1.99 to 11.01;
P
<0.0001) after Cox regression to control for age, sex, smoking, hypertension, time from last symptoms, and degree of stenosis. The absence of ES identified a group at low risk for stroke alone and stroke and TIA during follow-up: 0% and 7.5%, respectively, versus 3.5% and 15.5% in all 200 subjects.

Conclusions—

Asymptomatic embolization in carotid stenosis predicts short-term ipsilateral stroke risk. This supports use of the technique to identify patients at high-risk for recurrent stroke for therapeutic interventions and as a surrogate marker to evaluate antithrombotic medication.
Gender, Sexuality, and Coming to Terms with the Nazi Past
Authors: Heineman Elizabeth
Published: April 2005

Inthe years leading to the sixtieth anniversary of the end of the Second World War, popular books and films have sparked lively discussions about the ways Germans use gender and sexuality to interpret the Nazi past. July 2003 saw the re-release ofEine Frau in Berlin, the anonymous diary of a woman who experienced the mass rapes surrounding the Battle for Berlin. In October of that year, the filmDas Wunder von Bern(The Miracle of Bern) told a sentimental tale of a late-returning POW's relationship with his son. Coming on the heels of renewed discussions of German suffering, the popular film and best-selling diary formed something of a “his-and-hers” opportunity to revisit debates about guilt and trauma, Nazi-era dominance and postwar degradation, now with gender front and center. If these debates raised concerns that Germans might believe their sufferings have redeemed their guilt, Thor Kunkel's novelEndstuferaised a different specter: a Nazi guilt that is not redeemed, that is paired not with suffering but rather with pleasure.Endstufe, released in March 2004, describes scientists at the SS Hygiene Institute who, in their cocaine-filled leisure hours, produce and enjoy pornographic films.
The Natural World in the Sermons of Eusebius of Emesa
Authors: Winn Robert
Published: April 2005

In his extant sermons, Eusebius of Emesa rejected the use of natural analogies, such as the sun and its light, to clarify the relationship between the Father and the Son. This is remarkable not only because he was otherwise committed to the theological tradition of Origen as mediated through Eusebius of Caesarea, both of whom used such analogies, but also because he was willing to direct his audiences' attention to the natural world in many of his sermons to establish other theological positions of the church. In this article I will argue that his rejection of natural analogies in this instance must be understood in the broader context of his use of nature in general in his sermons. I conclude that his affirmation or denial of the usefulness of the natural world depended on whether it would affirm or undermine the religious identity of the church.
Malalas, "Constantius", and a Church-inscription from Antioch
Authors: Woods David
Published: April 2005

John Malalas (Chron. 13.17) does not preserve the dedicatory inscription from the Great Church of Antioch dedicated in 341, despite his claim to this effect, and there is no need to emend his transmitted text in order to force it to fit this interpretation. Instead, it was the praepositus sacri cubiculi Gorgonius who had these verses inscribed, probably on some gift which he made to the martyrium of bishop Babylas, or the church that was transformed into such subsequently, sometime during Gallus Caesar's brief reign 351-54. Malalas has misunderstood his literary source for this inscription.
Lidar and Triple-Wavelength Doppler Radar Measurements of the Melting Layer: A Revised Model for Dark- and Brightband Phenomena
Authors: Sassen Kenneth , Campbell James R. , Zhu Jiang , Kollias Pavlos , Shupe Matthew , Williams Christopher
Published: April 2005

During the recent Cirrus Regional Study of Tropical Anvils and Cirrus Layers (CRYSTAL) Florida Area Cirrus Experiment (FACE) field campaign in southern Florida, rain showers were probed by a 0.523-μm lidar and three (0.32-, 0.86-, and 10.6-cm wavelength) Doppler radars. The full repertoire of backscattering phenomena was observed in the melting region, that is, the various lidar and radar dark and bright bands. In contrast to the ubiquitous 10.6-cm (S band) radar bright band, only intermittent evidence is found at 0.86 cm (K band), and no clear examples of the radar bright band are seen at 0.32 cm (W band), because of the dominance of non-Rayleigh scattering effects. Analysis also reveals that the relatively inconspicuous W-band radar dark band is due to non-Rayleigh effects in large water-coated snowflakes that are high in the melting layer. The lidar dark band exclusively involves mixed-phase particles and is centered where the shrinking snowflakes collapse into raindrops—the point at which spherical particle backscattering mechanisms first come into prominence during snowflake melting. The traditional (S band) radar brightband peak occurs low in the melting region, just above the lidar dark-band minimum. This position is close to where the W-band reflectivities and Doppler velocities reach their plateaus but is well above the height at which the S-band Doppler velocities stop increasing. Thus, the classic radar bright band is dominated by Rayleigh dielectric scattering effects in the few largest melting snowflakes.
Differences of Rainfall Estimates over Land by Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) Precipitation Radar (PR) and TRMM Microwave Imager (TMI)—Dependence on Storm Height
Authors: Furuzawa Fumie A. , Nakamura Kenji
Published: April 2005

It is well known that precipitation rate estimation is poor over land. Using the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) precipitation radar (PR) and TRMM Microwave Imager (TMI), the performance of the TMI rain estimation was investigated. Their differences over land were checked by using the orbit-by-orbit data for June 1998, December 1998, January 1999, and February 1999, and the following results were obtained: 1) Rain rate (RR) near the surface for the TMI (TMI-RR) is smaller than that for the PR (PR-RR) in winter; it is also smaller from 0900 to 1800 LT. These dependencies show some variations at various latitudes or local times. 2) When the storm height is low (<5 km), the TMI-RR is smaller than the PR-RR; when it is high (>8 km), the PR-RR is smaller. These dependencies of the RR on the storm height do not depend on local time or latitude. The tendency for a TMI-RR to be smaller when the storm height is low is more noticeable in convective rain than in stratiform rain. 3) Rain with a low storm height predominates in winter or from 0600 to 1500 LT, and convective rain occurs frequently from 1200 to 2100 LT. Result 1 can be explained by results 2 and 3. It can be concluded that the TMI underestimates rain with low storm height over land because of the weakness of the TMI algorithm, especially for convective rain. On the other hand, it is speculated that TMI overestimates rain with high storm height because of the effect of anvil rain with low brightness temperatures at high frequencies without rain near the surface, and because of the effect of evaporation or tilting, which is indicated by a PR profile and does not appear in the TMI profile. Moreover, it was found that the PR rain for the cases with no TMI rain amounted to about 10%–30% of the total but that the TMI rain for the cases with no PR rain accounted for only a few percent of the TMI rain. This result can be explained by the difficulty of detecting shallow rain with the TMI.
A Numerical Study on the Interpretation of Data from Open Atmospheric Balloon Soundings
Authors: Alexander P.
Published: April 2005

Wrong information may be extracted from balloon soundings if neither appropriate interpretation and processing nor evaluations of certain inevitable distortions or artifacts on atmospheric measurements are performed. A numerical code that finds solutions to the dynamical and thermal equations describing an open balloon in the atmosphere is used to develop flight simulations under diverse conditions. The results are then employed to point out that a valid determination of values for diverse variables is intrinsically difficult. It is shown that the distance between the balloon and gondola may be chosen to optimize the information to be obtained from observations obtained during ascent and descent, so that even without an accurate balloon-tracking system, it may be possible to reconstruct horizontal wind fluctuations from the measurements. Vertical air oscillations may be only grossly inferred in some cases. The propagation direction of gravity waves detected during a sounding may be inferred and vertical wavelengths may typically be determined with a 10% accuracy. Air velocity measurements performed during flotation may be used to find shears.
Simulations of Dynamics and Transport during the September 2002 Antarctic Major Warming
Authors: Manney Gloria L. , Sabutis Joseph L. , Allen Douglas R. , Lahoz William A. , Scaife Adam A. , Randall Cora E. , Pawson Steven , Naujokat Barbara , Swinbank Richard
Published: April 2005

A mechanistic model simulation initialized on 14 September 2002, forced by 100-hPa geopotential heights from Met Office analyses, reproduced the dynamical features of the 2002 Antarctic major warming. The vortex split on ∼25 September; recovery after the warming, westward and equatorward tilting vortices, and strong baroclinic zones in temperature associated with a dipole pattern of upward and downward vertical velocities were all captured in the simulation. Model results and analyses show a pattern of strong upward wave propagation throughout the warming, with zonal wind deceleration throughout the stratosphere at high latitudes before the vortex split, continuing in the middle and upper stratosphere and spreading to lower latitudes after the split. Three-dimensional Eliassen–Palm fluxes show the largest upward and poleward wave propagation in the 0°–90°E sector prior to the vortex split (coincident with the location of strongest cyclogenesis at the model’s lower boundary), with an additional region of strong upward propagation developing near 180°–270°E. These characteristics are similar to those of Arctic wave-2 major warmings, except that during this warming, the vortex did not split below ∼600 K. The effects of poleward transport and mixing dominate modeled trace gas evolution through most of the mid- to high-latitude stratosphere, with a core region in the lower-stratospheric vortex where enhanced descent dominates and the vortex remains isolated. Strongly tilted vortices led to low-latitude air overlying vortex air, resulting in highly unusual trace gas profiles. Simulations driven with several meteorological datasets reproduced the major warming, but in others, stronger latitudinal gradients at high latitudes at the model boundary resulted in simulations without a complete vortex split in the midstratosphere. Numerous tests indicate very high sensitivity to the boundary fields, especially the wave-2 amplitude. Major warmings occurred for initial fields with stronger winds and larger vortices, but not smaller vortices, consistent with the initiation of wind deceleration by upward-propagating waves near the poleward edge of the region where wave 2 can propagate above the jet core. Thus, given the observed 100-hPa boundary forcing, stratospheric preconditioning is not needed to reproduce a major warming similar to that observed. The anomalously strong forcing in the lower stratosphere can be viewed as the primary direct cause of the major warming.
An Observational Study of the Final Breakdown of the Southern Hemisphere Stratospheric Vortex in 2002
Authors: Orsolini Yvan J. , Randall Cora E. , Manney Gloria L. , Allen Douglas R.
Published: April 2005

The 2002 Southern Hemisphere final warming occurred early, following an unusually active winter and the first recorded major warming in the Antarctic. The breakdown of the stratospheric polar vortex in October and November 2002 is examined using new satellite observations from the Michelson Interferometer for Passive Atmospheric Sounding (MIPAS) instrument aboard the European Space Agency (ESA) Environment Satellite (ENVISAT) and meteorological analyses, both high-resolution fields from the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts and the coarser Met Office analyses. The results derived from MIPAS observations are compared to measurements and inferences from well-validated solar occultation satellite instruments [Halogen Occultation Experiment (HALOE), Polar Ozone and Aerosol Measurement III (POAM III), and Stratospheric Aerosol and Gas Experiments II and III (SAGE II and III)] and to finescale tracer fields reconstructed by transporting trace gases based on MIPAS or climatological data using a reverse-trajectory method. These comparisons confirm the features in the MIPAS data and the interpretation of the evolution of the flow during the vortex decay revealed by those features. Mapped ozone and water vapor from MIPAS and the analyzed isentropic potential vorticity vividly display the vortex breakdown, which occurred earlier than usual. A large tongue of vortex air was pulled out westward and coiled up in an anticyclone, while the vortex core remnant shrank and drifted eastward and equatorward over the South Atlantic. By roughly mid-November, the vortex remnant at 10 mb had shrunk below scales resolved by the satellite observations, while a vortex core remained in the lower stratosphere.
Has the Antarctic Vortex Split before 2002?
Authors: Roscoe H. K. , Shanklin J. D. , Colwell S. R.
Published: April 2005

In late September 2002, the Antarctic ozone hole was seen to split into two parts, resulting in large increases in ozone at some stations and the potential for significant modification of chlorofluorocarbon (CFC)-induced ozone loss. The phenomenon was dynamical (a split vortex), causing large increases in stratospheric temperature above stations normally within the vortex. Temperatures at Halley, Antarctica, at 30 hPa increased by over 60 K, and temperatures at South Pole at 100 hPa increased by over 25 K. It is important to know if this has happened before, since if it happens in the future, it would significantly alter the total hemispheric ozone loss due to chlorine from CFCs, particularly if it happens in August or September. Temperatures in winter and spring measured at Halley or the South Pole since 1957 and 1961, respectively, show no other comparable increases until the final warming in late spring, except for two dates in the 1980s at Halley when meteorological analyses show no vortex split. There are very few periods of measurements missing at both Halley and the South Pole, and analyses in those few periods show no vortex split. Measurements in August and September at sites normally near the edge of the vortex show very few suspicious dates, and analyses of those few suspicious dates again show no vortex split. It is concluded that the vortex has probably not split before the final warming since Antarctic records began in the late 1950s, and almost certainly not in August or September.
Stratospheric Vacillations and the Major Warming over Antarctica in 2002
Authors: Scaife A. A. , Jackson D. R. , Swinbank R. , Butchart N. , Thornton H. E. , Keil M. , Henderson L.
Published: April 2005

The conditions that lead to the major warming over Antarctica in late September 2002 are examined. In many respects, the warming resembled wave-2 warmings seen in the Northern Hemisphere; the winter cyclonic circulation was split into two smaller cyclones by a large amplitude planetary wave disturbance that appeared to propagate upward from the troposphere. However, in addition to this classic warming mechanism, distinctive stratospheric vacillations occurred throughout the preceding winter months. These vacillations in wave amplitude, Eliassen–Palm fluxes, and zonal-mean zonal winds are examined. By comparison with a numerical model experiment, it is shown that the vacillation is accompanied by a systematic weakening of the westerly winds over the season. This preconditions the Antarctic circulation, and it is argued that it allows anomalously strong vertical propagation of planetary waves from the troposphere into the stratosphere. By contrast, a survey of previous winters shows that stratospheric westerlies usually vary much more gradually, with vacillations only occurring for short periods of time, if at all, in a given winter.

Similar vacillations in a numerical model of the stratosphere only occur if the forcing amplitude is above a certain value. However, the level of winter-mean wave activity entering the stratosphere during 2002 is not unprecedented, and there is still some uncertainty over the cause of the onset and persistence of the vacillation and, ultimately, the major warming.
Reconstruction and Simulation of Stratospheric Ozone Distributions during the 2002 Austral Winter
Authors: Randall C. E. , Manney G. L. , Allen D. R. , Bevilacqua R. M. , Hornstein J. , Trepte C. , Lahoz W. , Ajtic J. , Bodeker G.
Published: April 2005

Satellite-based solar occultation measurements during the 2002 austral winter have been used to reconstruct global, three-dimensional ozone distributions. The reconstruction method uses correlations between potential vorticity and ozone to derive “proxy” distributions from the geographically limited occultation observations. Ozone profiles from the Halogen Occultation Experiment (HALOE), the Polar Ozone and Aerosol Measurement III (POAM III), and the Stratospheric Aerosol and Gas Experiment II and III (SAGE II and III) are incorporated into the analysis. Because this is one of the first uses of SAGE III data in a scientific analysis, preliminary validation results are shown. The reconstruction method is described, with particular emphasis on uncertainties caused by noisy and/or multivalued correlations. The evolution of the solar occultation data and proxy ozone fields throughout the winter is described, and differences with respect to previous winters are characterized. The results support the idea that dynamical forcing early in the 2002 winter influenced the morphology of the stratosphere in a significant and unusual manner, possibly setting the stage for the unprecedented major stratospheric warming in late September. The proxy is compared with ozone from mechanistic, primitive equation model simulations of passive ozone tracer fields during the time of the warming. In regions where chemistry is negligible compared to transport, the model and proxy ozone fields agree well. The agreement between, and changes in, the large-scale ozone fields in the model and proxy indicate that transport processes, particularly enhanced poleward transport and mixing, are the primary cause of ozone changes through most of the stratosphere during this unprecedented event. The analysis culminates with the calculation of globally distributed column ozone during the major warming, showing quantitatively how transport of low-latitude air to the polar region in the middle stratosphere led to the diminished ozone hole in 2002.
Preliminary Validation of the Work-Family Integration-Blurring Scale
Authors: Desrochers Stephan , Hilton Jeanne M. , Larwood Laurie
Published: April 2005

Several studies of telecommuting and working at home have alluded to the blurring line between work and family that can result from such highly integrated work-family arrangements. However, little is known about working parents’ perceptions of the integration and blurring of their work and family roles. In this study, the authors created and validated the Work-Family Integration-Blurring Scale using a national sample of business professors raising children in two-parent families. Based on boundary theory and work-family border theory, the authors expected scores on this scale to be associated with the number of hours worked at home and on campus, the number of work-family transitions made when working at home, the presence of distractions when working at home, and the presence of work-family conflict. The scale’s significant and moderately high correlations with these variables supported its construct validity. The research implications and practical implications of the findings are discussed.
Multiple Perspectives Within the Family
Authors: Deković Maja , Buist Kirsten L.
Published: April 2005

The first aim of the present study was to examine the extent to which the larger network of family relationships (parent-adolescent, marital, and sibling relations) affect adolescent adjustment. The second aim was to identify distinct patterns of family relationships and to examine whether these different family relationship patterns are associated with adolescent adjustment. The sample consisted of 288 intact families with two adolescent siblings. Each family member provided information on the affective quality of his or her relationship with every other family member (round-robin design). The quality of all family relations was related to the indicators of deviant development (problem behavior) but not to the indicators of normative development (identity formation). Five distinct and theoretically consistent clusters of different constellations of affective family relations were found. Differences in adolescent problem behavior were related to the cluster membership. The usefulness of the family systems perspective for research on adolescent development is discussed.
Zoning and Anti-Semitism in the 1920s: The Case of Cleveland Jewish Orphan Home v. Village of University Heights and Its Aftermath
Authors: Meck Stuart
Published: April 2005

In 1925, a Cleveland, Ohio, Jewish orphanage brought the first federal lawsuit involving zoning and religious discrimination. The case was Cleveland Jewish Orphan Home v. Village of University Heights. It is historically significant because it documents how federal courts treated a local government’s application of its zoning regulations for anti-Semitic purposes, the darker side of American land-use controls. This article describes the controversy over the proposed relocation of the home from the city of Cleveland to the village of University Heights, a then-small community of five hundred, and the Village’s decision to deny the necessary zoning approval. It follows the litigation through the federal district court, the U.S. Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals, and the U.S. Supreme Court. The article chronicles the village’s continuing efforts to impede construction of the home by blocking the provision of a public school for the orphans after it had lost the federal case. It concludes with a commentary on the broader themes of the litigation, including its importance to planning law as an early recognition of the arbitrary and exclusionary dimensions of zoning, particularly as it affected the substantive due process rights of a religious-based social service organization.
Mormon Town Planning: Physical and Social Relevance
Authors: Parera Cecilia
Published: April 2005

The Plat of the City of Zion, designed in 1833, was the brainchild of Joseph Smith, founder of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. It embodied the Mormons’ desire to build a new kingdom for their people, distinct from mainstream American culture. The resulting pattern is a unique combination of local and foreign precedents. Salt Lake City, a paradigmatic example of this scheme, became the model for surrounding settlements, defining the urban pattern of a segment of the West. The later explosive growth of Utah’s capital, and its departure from the original model, transformed one of the pioneering urban experiences of the United States. The physical boundaries of this planning tradition, and the limited general understanding of its use, make it still a rather unique urban phenomenon.
A clinically relevant SCID-hu in vivo model of human multiple myeloma
Authors: Tassone Pierfrancesco , Neri Paola , Carrasco Daniel R. , Burger Renate , Goldmacher Victor S. , Fram Robert , Munshi Vidit , Shammas Masood A. , Catley Laurence , Jacob Gary S. , Venuta Salvatore , Anderson Kenneth C. , Munshi Nikhil C.
Published: April 2005

We developed a novel in vivo multiple myeloma (MM) model by engrafting the interleukin 6 (IL-6)-dependent human MM cell line INA-6 into severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID) mice previously given implants of a human fetal bone chip (SCID-hu mice). INA-6 cells require either exogenous human IL-6 (huIL-6) or bone marrow stromal cells (BMSCs) to proliferate in vitro. In this model, we monitored the in vivo growth of INA-6 cells stably transduced with a green fluorescent protein (GFP) gene (INA-6GFP+ cells). INA-6 MM cells engrafted in SCID-hu mice but not in SCID mice that had not been given implants of human fetal bone. The level of soluble human IL-6 receptor (shuIL-6R) in murine serum and fluorescence imaging of host animals were sensitive indicators of tumor growth. Dexamethasone as well as experimental drugs, such as Atiprimod and B-B4-DM1, were used to confirm the utility of the model for evaluation of anti-MM agents. We report that this model is highly reproducible and allows for evaluation of investigational drugs targeting IL-6-dependent MM cells in the human bone marrow (huBM) milieu. (Blood. 2005;106:713-716)
Quantification of collagen and proteoglycan deposition in a murine model of airway remodelling
Authors: Reinhardt Alistair K , Bottoms Stephen E , Laurent Geoffrey J , McAnulty Robin J
Published: April 2005

Background

Sub-epithelial extracellular matrix deposition is a feature of asthmatic airway remodelling associated with severity of disease, decline in lung function and airway hyperresponsiveness. The composition of, and mechanisms leading to, this increase in subepithelial matrix, and its importance in the pathogenesis of asthma are unclear. This is partly due to limitations of the current models and techniques to assess airway remodelling.

Methods

In this study we used a modified murine model of ovalbumin sensitisation and challenge to reproduce features of airway remodelling, including a sustained increase in sub-epithelial matrix deposition. In addition, we have established techniques to accurately and specifically measure changes in sub-epithelial matrix deposition, using histochemical and immunohistochemical staining in conjunction with digital image analysis, and applied these to the measurement of collagen and proteoglycans.

Results

24 hours after final ovalbumin challenge, changes similar to those associated with acute asthma were observed, including inflammatory cell infiltration, epithelial cell shedding and goblet cell hyperplasia. Effects were restricted to the bronchial and peribronchial regions with parenchymal lung of ovalbumin sensitised and challenged mice appearing histologically normal. By 12 days, the acute inflammatory changes had largely resolved and increased sub-epithelial staining for collagen and proteoglycans was observed. Quantitative digital image analysis confirmed the increased deposition of sub-epithelial collagen (33%, p < 0.01) and proteoglycans (32%, p < 0.05), including decorin (66%, p < 0.01). In addition, the increase in sub-epithelial collagen deposition was maintained for at least 28 days (48%, p < 0.001).

Conclusion

This animal model reproduces many of the features of airway remodelling found in asthma and allows accurate and reproducible measurement of sub-epithelial extra-cellular matrix deposition. As far as we are aware, this is the first demonstration of increased sub-epithelial proteoglycan deposition in an animal model of airway remodelling. This model will be useful for measurement of other matrix components, as well as for assessment of the molecular mechanisms contributing to, and agents to modulate airway remodelling.
Individual sequences in large sets of gene sequences may be distinguished efficiently by combinations of shared sub-sequences
Authors: Gibbs Mark J , Armstrong John S , Gibbs Adrian J
Published: April 2005

Background

Most current DNA diagnostic tests for identifying organisms use specific oligonucleotide probes that are complementary in sequence to, and hence only hybridise with the DNA of one target species. By contrast, in traditional taxonomy, specimens are usually identified by 'dichotomous keys' that use combinations of characters shared by different members of the target set. Using one specific character for each target is the least efficient strategy for identification. Using combinations of shared bisectionally-distributed characters is much more efficient, and this strategy is most efficient when they separate the targets in a progressively binary way.

Results

We have developed a practical method for finding minimal sets of sub-sequences that identify individual sequences, and could be targeted by combinations of probes, so that the efficient strategy of traditional taxonomic identification could be used in DNA diagnosis. The sizes of minimal sub-sequence sets depended mostly on sequence diversity and sub-sequence length and interactions between these parameters. We found that 201 distinct cytochrome oxidase subunit-1 (CO1) genes from moths (Lepidoptera) were distinguished using only 15 sub-sequences 20 nucleotides long, whereas only 8–10 sub-sequences 6–10 nucleotides long were required to distinguish the CO1 genes of 92 species from the 9 largest orders of insects.

Conclusion

The presence/absence of sub-sequences in a set of gene sequences can be used like the questions in a traditional dichotomous taxonomic key; hybridisation probes complementary to such sub-sequences should provide a very efficient means for identifying individual species, subtypes or genotypes. Sequence diversity and sub-sequence length are the major factors that determine the numbers of distinguishing sub-sequences in any set of sequences.
Power and sample size calculations in the presence of phenotype errors for case/control genetic association studies
Authors: Edwards Brian J , Haynes Chad , Levenstien Mark A , Finch Stephen J , Gordon Derek
Published: April 2005

Background

Phenotype error causes reduction in power to detect genetic association. We present a quantification of phenotype error, also known as diagnostic error, on power and sample size calculations for case-control genetic association studies between a marker locus and a disease phenotype. We consider the classic Pearson chi-square test for independence as our test of genetic association. To determine asymptotic power analytically, we compute the distribution's non-centrality parameter, which is a function of the case and control sample sizes, genotype frequencies, disease prevalence, and phenotype misclassification probabilities. We derive the non-centrality parameter in the presence of phenotype errors and equivalent formulas for misclassification cost (the percentage increase in minimum sample size needed to maintain constant asymptotic power at a fixed significance level for each percentage increase in a given misclassification parameter). We use a linear Taylor Series approximation for the cost of phenotype misclassification to determine lower bounds for the relative costs of misclassifying a true affected (respectively, unaffected) as a control (respectively, case). Power is verified by computer simulation.

Results

Our major findings are that: (i) the median absolute difference between analytic power with our method and simulation power was 0.001 and the absolute difference was no larger than 0.011; (ii) as the disease prevalence approaches 0, the cost of misclassifying a unaffected as a case becomes infinitely large while the cost of misclassifying an affected as a control approaches 0.

Conclusion

Our work enables researchers to specifically quantify power loss and minimum sample size requirements in the presence of phenotype errors, thereby allowing for more realistic study design. For most diseases of current interest, verifying that cases are correctly classified is of paramount importance.
Outcome of infections due to pandrug-resistant (PDR) Gram-negative bacteria
Authors: Falagas Matthew E , Bliziotis Ioannis A , Kasiakou Sofia K , Samonis George , Athanassopoulou Panayiota , Michalopoulos Argyris
Published: April 2005

Background

The increasing problem of infections due to multidrug-resistant Gram-negative bacteria has led to re-use of polymyxins in several countries. However, there are already clinical isolates of Gram-negative bacteria that are resistant to all available antibiotics, including polymyxins.

Methods

We present a case series of patients with infections due to pathogens resistant to all antimicrobial agents tested, including polymyxins. An isolate was defined as pandrug-resistant (PDR) if it exhibited resistance to all 7 anti-pseudomonal antimicrobial agents, i.e. antipseudomonal penicillins, cephalosporins, carbapenems, monobactams, quinolones, aminoglycosides, and polymyxins.

Results

Clinical cure of the infection due to pandrug-resistant (PDR) Gram-negative bacteria, namely Pseudomonas aeruginosa or Klebsiella pneumoniae was observed in 4 out of 6 patients with combination of colistin and beta lactam antibiotics.

Conclusion

Colistin, in combination with beta lactam antibiotics, may be a useful agent for the management of pandrug-resistant Gram-negative bacterial infections. The re-use of polymyxins, an old class of antibiotics, should be done with caution in an attempt to delay the rate of development of pandrug-resistant Gram-negative bacterial infections.