bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Listing Price, Time on Market, and Ultimate Selling Price: Causes and Effects of Listing Price Changes
Authors: Knight John R.
Published: March 2003

Information about price changes during a home’s marketing period is typically missing from data used to investigate the listing price, selling price, and selling time relationship. This paper incorporates price revision information into the study of this relationship. Using a maximum‐likelihood probit model, we examine the determinants of list price changes and find evidence consistent with the theory of pricing behavior under demand uncertainty. Homes most likely to undergo list price changes are those with high initial markups and vacant homes, while homes with unusual features are the least likely to experience a price revision. We also explore the impact of missing price change information on estimating a representative model of house price and market time. Our results suggest that mispricing the home in the initial listing is costly to the seller in both time and money. Homes with large percentage changes in list price take longer to sell and ultimately sell at lower prices.
Continuous Trading or Call Auctions: Revealed Preferences of Investors at the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange
Authors: Kalay Avner , Wei Li , Wohl Avi
Published: March 2003

We use the move of Israeli stocks from call auction trading to continuous trading to show that investors have a preference for stocks that trade continuously. When large stocks move from call auction to continuous trading, the small stocks that still trade by call auction experience a significant loss in volume relative to the overall market volume. As small stocks move to continuous trading, they experience an increase in volume and positive abnormal returns because of the associated increase in liquidity. Overall, though, a move to continuous trading increases the volume of large stocks relative to small stocks.
Transcriptional Suppression of In Vitro-Integrated Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1 Does Not Correlate with Proviral DNA Methylation
Authors: Pion Marjorie , Jordan Albert , Biancotto Angelique , Dequiedt Franck , Gondois-Rey Françoise , Rondeau Sophie , Vigne Robert , Hejnar Jiri , Verdin Eric , Hirsch Ivan
Published: March 2003

Persistence of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) constitutes a major obstacle in the control of HIV-1 infection. Here we investigated whether the CpG methylation of the HIV-1 promoter can directly influence the expression of the HIV-1 genome and thereby contribute to the persistence and latency of HIV-1. The levels of CpG methylation in the promoter of HIV-1 were studied after bisulfite-induced modification of DNA in five Jurkat clonal cell lines transduced by an HIV-1 long terminal repeat (LTR)-driven retroviral vector and expressing enhanced green fluorescent protein (GFP) and in primary resting memory T cells challenged with HIV-1 or with an HIV-1-derived retroviral vector. Basal HIV-1 promoter activities were low or undetectable in three tested HIV-1 LTR-GFP clones, one of which encoded the Tat protein, and they reached medium or high levels in two other clones. The CpG dinucleotide that occurred in a latently infected clonal cell line 240 nucleotides upstream of the transcription start remained methylated after reactivation of HIV-1 transcription with 10 nM phorbol-12-myristate-13-acetate. In two clones showing a medium promoter activity and in resting memory T cells, the HIV-1 LTR was generally not methylated. Our results show that the methylation profiles of the HIV-1 LTR, including those present in latently infected cells, are low and do not correlate with the transcriptional activity. We suggest that, in a noncloned cellular population in which the HIV-1 proviruses are randomly integrated in the human genome, HIV-1 latency is imperfectly controlled by CpG methylation and is inherently accompanied by residual replication.
Engineering the Transmissible Gastroenteritis Virus Genome as an Expression Vector Inducing Lactogenic Immunity
Authors: Sola Isabel , Alonso Sara , Zúñiga Sonia , Balasch Mónica , Plana-Durán Juan , Enjuanes Luis
Published: March 2003

The genome of the coronavirus transmissible gastroenteritis virus (TGEV) has been engineered as an expression vector with an infectious cDNA. The vector led to the efficient (>40 μg/10
6
cells) and stable (>20 passages) expression of a heterologous gene (green fluorescent protein [GFP]), driven by the transcription-regulating sequences (TRS) of open reading frame (ORF) 3a inserted in the site previously occupied by the nonessential ORFs 3a and 3b. Expression levels driven by this TRS were higher than those of an expression cassette under the control of regulating sequences engineered with the N gene TRS. The recombinant TGEV including the GFP gene was still enteropathogenic, albeit with a 10- to 10
2
-fold reduction in enteric tissue growth. Interestingly, a specific lactogenic immune response against the heterologous protein has been elicited in sows and their progeny. The engineering of an additional insertion site for the heterologous gene between viral genes N and 7 led to instability and to a new genetic organization of the 3′ end of the recombinant viruses. As a consequence, a major species of subgenomic mRNA was generated from a TRS with the noncanonical core sequence 5′-CUAAAA-3′. Extension of the complementarity between the TRS and sequences at the 3′ end of the viral leader was associated with transcriptional activation of noncanonical core sequences. The engineered vector led to expression levels as high as those of well-established vectors and seems very promising for the development of vaccines and, possibly, for gene therapy.
BARYON PARTIAL-WAVE ANALYSIS
Authors: Manley D. Mark
Published: March 2003

A new unitary, multichannel method for extracting baryon resonance parameters is described. New results are presented for the D15(1675) N* resonance, which suggest an upper-limit ηN branching fraction of (21 ± 4)%, in good agreement with recent results from an ETA-MAID isobar-model analysis.
DARBOUXIAN INTEGRABILITY OF POLYNOMIAL VECTOR FIELDS WITH SPECIAL EMPHASIS ON THE TWO-DIMENSIONAL SURFACES
Authors: LLIBRE JAUME , RODRÍGUEZ GERARDO
Published: March 2003

First, we present a survey on the Darbouxian theory of integrability for real polynomial vector fields in the plane. Then we extend this theory to real polynomial vector fields on two-dimensional surfaces, more specifically on the quadratics and on the two-dimensional torus.
GENERALIZATION OF BAYESIAN RULE OF MANY SIMPLE HYPOTHESES TESTING
Authors: KACHIASHVILI K. J.
Published: March 2003

There are different methods of statistical hypotheses testing.1–4 Among them, is Bayesian approach. A generalization of Bayesian rule of many hypotheses testing is given below. It consists of decision rule dimensionality with respect to the number of tested hypotheses, which allows to make decisions more differentiated than in the classical case and to state, instead of unconstrained optimization problem, constrained one that enables to make guaranteed decisions concerning errors of true decisions rejection, which is the key point when solving a number of practical problems. These generalizations are given both for a set of simple hypotheses, each containing one space point, and hypotheses containing a finite set of separated space points.
Lithium Niobate Inverse Opals Prepared by Templating Colloidal Crystals of Polyelectrolyte‐Coated Spheres
Authors: Wang D. , Caruso F.
Published: February 2003

Colloidal crystals of polyelectrolyte multilayer (PEM)‐coated polystyrene spheres are used as templates for the preparation of lithium niobate inverse opal films (see Figure). The PEM coating facilitated the formation of the inverse opals and by controlling the layer thickness via layer‐by‐layer assembly, inverse opals with tailored structural properties (pore size, wall thickness, and channel diameter) are prepared.
Directed Deposition of Nanoparticles Using Diblock Copolymer Templates
Authors: Misner M.J. , Skaff H. , Emrick T. , Russell T.P.
Published: February 2003

Nanoporous film generation from diblock copolymers has been used to direct the assembly of ligand‐stabilized CdSe nanoparticles (see Figure). The number of particles forced into each pore is dependent on the concentration of the nanoparticles in solution. Further, the photoluminescence of the particles is maintained in the assembly process.
The origin of X‐ray flux from the galactic ridge
Authors: Dogiel V.A. , Masai K. , Inoue H. , Schönfelder V. , Strong A.W.
Published: February 2003

We analyze the origin of the Ridge X‐ray emission, which remains unknown. We show that the high energy output necessary to produce the X‐ray flux, the multi‐temperature spectrum of the X‐ray emission and suprathermal broadening of the X‐ray lines can naturally be explained if emission is produced in regions of particle acceleration.
The stellar content of medium and high sensitivity X‐ray surveys
Authors: Guillout P. , Motch C.
Published: February 2003

Synthesis stellar X‐ray population models are powerful tools to predict and analyze the stellar content of X‐ray surveys. Conversely X‐ray observations can help to better constrain model parameters ill‐defined from observations at other wavelength. In this paper, we first discuss the similarities and differences expected in the stellar content of low‐medium (ROSAT) and high (XMM‐Newton) sensitivity surveys as a function of galactic latitude. We also demonstrate how useful ROSAT and XMM pointings are to study young local features in the solar neighborhood. Finally we present ongoing work on synthetic X‐ray luminosity functions in the ROSAT and XMM energy bands which aim at improving the modeling of the decay of X‐ray activity with age and mass within stellar X‐ray population model.
Hard X–ray observations of Extremely Red Objects
Authors: Brusa M.
Published: February 2003

Extremely Red Objects (EROs, R–K>5) constitute a heterogeneous class of extragalactic sources including high redshift elliptical galaxies, dusty star–forming systems and heavily obscured AGNs. Hard X‐ray observations provide an unique and powerful tool to uncover obscured nuclear or star–forming activity. We present the results of XMM–Newton observations of the largest sample of EROs available to date (about 450 objects over a contiguous area of 700 arcmin2). Five of the 46 hard X–ray selected sources brighter than 3 × 10–15 cgs in the 2–10 keV band, are associated with EROs. All of the X‐ray detected EROs show rather extreme X–ray–to–optical flux ratios, suggesting the presence of highly obscured AGN activity.We also report on the X–ray stacking analysis of spectroscopically identified EROs in the Chandra Deep Field South.
The XMM large‐scale structure survey: scientific motivation and first cluster candidates
Authors: Valtchanov I. , Pierre M.
Published: February 2003

The XMM‐Newton Large‐Scale Structure Survey (XMM‐LSS) will ultimately cover a region of 8x8 square degrees and with the unprecedented sensitivity of XMM will provide a unique dataset to study the evolution of the cosmic network as traced by clusters and AGNs/QSOs.We discuss the scientific goals and show some first observations of candidate clusters.
Pulsed field losses and coupling current loop in a large‐current superconductor
Authors: Shimamoto Susumu , Murase Satoru , Nishii Kenji , Naitou Fuminobu , Matsui Kunihiro , Takahashi Yoshikazu , Tsuji Hiroshi
Published: March 2003

Pulsed field losses in a short sample (445 mm length) of 46‐kA Nb3Sn cable‐in‐conduit conductor of superconducting magnet for the fusion experimental reactor “ITER” are measured by a calorimetric method. The coupling time constant between strands is obtained as 30 ms through pulsed loss. Based on this time constant and interstrand conductance measurement, it is expected that there is a coupling current loop length of about 400 mm, which is longer than half the fabrication twist pitch in the fourth cabling stage. A geometrical calculation on several‐stage cabling shows this value to be reasonable. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Electr Eng Jpn, 142(4): 27–33, 2003; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/eej.10088
System identification using a genetic algorithm and its application to internal adaptive model control
Authors: Kumon Toshiro , Suzuki Tatsuya , Iwasaki Makato , Matsuzaki Motoaki , Matsui Nobuyuki , Okuma Shigeru
Published: March 2003

The requirement for the high‐quality control of complex and/or structure‐unknown plant is growing in the real‐world industrial machine. Indirect Adaptive Control (IAC), which identifies model and updates the controllers automatically, is one promising way expected to meet this requirement. The conventional IAC, however, is required to know the structure of the controlled plant, that is, the order of its transfer function, in advance. This paper presents a new IAC scheme which makes use of Genetic Algorithm (GA) in its identification part. In the proposed framework, the information on the order of the plant is not required since the genetic algorithm searches both the structure of the plant dynamics and its parameters autonomously. A two‐degree‐of‐freedom Internal Mode Control (IMC) is adopted as a basic control architecture since the indirect adaptation can be harmoniously embedded in it. The effectiveness of the proposed scheme is verified through numerical simulations and experiments applied to a velocity control of multimass systems. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Electr Eng Jpn, 142(4): 45–55, 2003; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/eej.10103
Behavior of magneto‐acoustic waves in a nonequilibrium subsonic disk MHD generator
Authors: Takana Hidemasa , Nabara Yoshihiro , Okuno Yoshihiro , Yamasaki Hiroyuki
Published: March 2003

The behavior of magneto‐acoustic waves in a nonequilibrium subsonic disk MHD generator was examined. The solution of the sixth‐order dispersion relation obtained by linearizing the set of MHD equations suggested that a magneto‐acoustic wave which propagates at a velocity of ur − a(ur: radial fluid velocity, a: sound velocity) should be damped in subsonic flow. From time‐dependent quasi‐one‐dimensional simulations, it was verified that the pressure disturbance in the subsonic generator was damped at approximately the same rate as the value predicted by the linear theory. From a simplified analytical model, the mechanism of magneto‐acoustic instability with fully ionized seed was discussed, and the damping criterion for the magneto‐acoustic wave was clarified. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Electr Eng Jpn, 142(4): 20–26, 2003; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/eej.10108
A method for unit commitment with transmission losses and flow constraint
Authors: Zhao Guoliang , Yamashiro Susumu
Published: March 2003

Researches on the unit commitment with transmission network have been reported recently. However, most of these researches mainly discussed the security constrained unit commitment, while the relationship between unit commitment and transmission losses was not considered. However, from the standpoint of operating reserve for ensuring power supply reliability, a unit commitment considering transmission losses is required. Further, under the deregulation and liberalization of the electric power industry, not only the line's security but also transmission losses are expected to play an important role in calculating the network access charge, and unit commitment taking into account transmission losses is also desired from this viewpoint.

In this paper, a unit commitment approach with both transmission losses and line flow constraint is presented. Based on a heuristic iterative optimization method, first, an initial schedule is created by using a successively decommitting unit approach that is proposed in this paper. Then, we determine constraints included in the unit commitment schedule by a heuristic iterative optimization approach, in which an algorithm able to get rid of line overload by DC optimal power flow is developed. Through numerical simulations on two test power systems, the effectiveness of the proposed method is shown. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Electr Eng Jpn, 142(4): 9–19, 2003; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/eej.10116
Enhancement of TRAIL/Apo2L‐mediated apoptosis by adriamycin through inducing DR4 and DR5 in renal cell carcinoma cells
Authors: Wu Xiu‐Xian , Kakehi Yoshiyuki , Mizutani Youichi , Nishiyama Hiroyuki , Kamoto Toshiyuki , Megumi Yuzuru , Ito Noriyuki , Ogawa Osamu
Published: February 2003

Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) is one of the most drug‐resistant malignancies in humans. We show that adriamycin (ADR) and TNF‐related apoptosis‐inducing ligand (TRAIL)/Apo2L have a synergistic cytotoxic effect against RCC cells. This synergistic cytotoxicity was obtained in ACHN, A704, Caki‐1 and Caki‐2 human RCC cell lines and freshly derived RCC cells from 6 patients. This synergistic effect, however, was not achieved in 5 samples of freshly isolated normal kidney cells. We further explored the mechanisms underlying this synergistic effect and found that the synergistic cytotoxicity of TRAIL/Apo2L and ADR was realized by inducing apoptosis. Sequential treatment with ADR followed by TRAIL/Apo2L induced significantly more cytotoxicity than the reverse treatment. ADR increased the expression of DR4 and DR5 in RCC cells, but not in the normal kidney cells. Furthermore, the synergistic cytotoxicity was significantly inhibited by DR4:Fc and DR5:Fc fusion proteins, which inhibit TRAIL/Apo2L‐mediated apoptosis. In addition, caspase activity assays and treatment of caspase inhibitors demonstrated that the combination treatment with ADR and TRAIL/Apo2L activated caspase cascade, including caspase‐9, ‐8, ‐6 and ‐3, which were the downstream molecules of death receptors. These findings indicate that ADR sensitizes RCC cells to TRAIL/Apo2L‐mediated apoptosis through induction of DR4 and DR5, suggesting that the combination therapy of TRAIL/Apo2L and ADR might be effective for RCC therapy. © 2003 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
HSD17B1 and CYP17 polymorphisms and breast cancer risk among Chinese women in Singapore
Authors: Wu Anna H. , Seow Adeline , Arakawa Kazuko , Van Den Berg David , Lee Hin‐Peng , Yu Mimi C.
Published: February 2003

Reasons for the recent trend of increasing breast cancer incidence among Chinese and other Asian women are not well understood. Endogenous estrogen levels are strongly associated with breast cancer risk and its determinants include both genetic and lifestyle factors. We conducted a nested case‐control study to investigate, within the Singapore Chinese Health Study Cohort, the relationships between polymorphisms in 2 genes involved in estrogen metabolism, CYP17 and HSD17B1, and the risk of breast cancer. For this analysis, 188 incident breast cancer cases and 671 female cohort control subjects were compared. When the HSD17B1 A allele was considered as the “putative high‐risk” allele, there was a modest increased risk (adjusted relative risk, RR=1.37, 95% CI=0.90–2.07 for HSD17B1 AA vs. other); this association was statistically significant in analysis restricted to postmenopausal women (RR=1.86, 95% CI=1.14–3.03). There was no significant association between the CYP17 MspAI polymorphism and risk in all subjects (RR=1.06, 95% CI=0.65–1.74 for CYP17 A2A2 vs. CYP17 A1A1) or in postmenopausal women only. When we evaluated breast cancer risk in relation to the joint stratification of CYP17 and HSD17B1 genotypes and according to the combined number of putative high‐risk alleles (range, 0–4), we observed an elevated joint effect of the CYP17 and HSD17B1 genes on risk. Women who possessed all 4 putative high‐risk alleles of both genes (CYP17 A2A2 and HSD17B1 AA) vs. less displayed a nearly 2‐fold increased risk (RR=1.83, 95% CI=0.97–3.44); this finding was statistically significant in postmenopausal women (RR=2.31, 95% CI=1.07–4.98). Risk of breast cancer was similar among women possessing the other genotypes (i.e., less than 4 putative high‐risk alleles in the joint CYP17/HSD17B1 genotypes). In addition, the significant increased risk of breast cancer associated with nulliparity or late age at first live birth (age 31 years or older) was largely limited to women with the high‐risk CYP17 A1A2/A2A2 or HSD17B1 AA genotypes (RR=2.41, 95% CI=1.56–3.72; RR=4.39, 95% CI=1.71–11.30, respectively). The latter gene‐parity effects were especially pronounced in postmenopausal women. © 2003 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Inhibition of integrin α5β1 function with a small peptide (ATN‐161) plus continuous 5‐FU infusion reduces colorectal liver metastases and improves survival in mice
Authors: Stoeltzing Oliver , Liu Wenbiao , Reinmuth Niels , Fan Fan , Parry Graham C. , Parikh Alexander A. , McCarty Marya F. , Bucana Corazon D. , Mazar Andrew P. , Ellis Lee M.
Published: February 2003

Integrin α5β1 is expressed on activated endothelial cells and plays a critical role in tumor angiogenesis. We hypothesized that a novel integrin α5β1 antagonist, ATN‐161, would inhibit angiogenesis and growth of liver metastases in a murine model. We further hypothesized that combining ATN‐161 with 5‐fluorouracil (5‐FU) chemotherapy would enhance the antineoplastic effect. Murine colon cancer cells (CT26) were injected into spleens of BALB/c mice to produce liver metastases. Four days thereafter, mice were given either ATN‐161 (100 mg/kg, every 3rd day) or saline by intraperitoneal injection, with or without combination of continuous‐infusion 5‐FU (100 mg/kg/2 weeks), which was started on day 7. On day 20 after tumor cell inoculation, mice were killed and liver weights and number of liver metastases were determined. A follow‐up study on survival was also conducted in which mice were randomized to receive ATN‐161, 5‐FU or ATN‐161+5‐FU. Combination therapy with ATN‐161+5‐FU significantly reduced tumor burden (liver weight) and number of liver metastases (p<0.02). Liver tumors in the ATN‐161 and ATN‐161+5‐FU groups had significantly fewer microvessels (p<0.05) than tumors in the control or 5‐FU‐treated groups. Unlike treatment with either agent alone, ATN‐161+5‐FU significantly increased tumor cell apoptosis and decreased tumor cell proliferation (p<0.03) and improved overall survival (p<0.03, log‐rank test). Targeting integrin α5β1 in combination with 5‐FU infusion reduced liver metastases formation and improved survival in this colon cancer model. The enhancement of antineoplastic activity from the combination of anti‐angiogenic therapy and chemotherapy may be a promising approach for treating metastatic colorectal cancer. © 2003 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Deep brain stimulation of the subthalamic nucleus does not increase the striatal dopamine concentration in parkinsonian humans
Authors: Hilker Ruediger , Voges Juergen , Ghaemi Mehran , Lehrke Ralf , Rudolf Jobst , Koulousakis Athanasios , Herholz Karl , Wienhard Klaus , Sturm Volker , Heiss Wolf‐Dieter
Published: February 2003

Deep brain stimulation of the subthalamic nucleus (STN‐DBS) has become an effective treatment option in advanced Parkinson's disease (PD). Recent animal studies showed an increase of neuronal firing in dopaminergic neurons under effective STN‐DBS. Increased striatal dopamine levels may also contribute to the stimulation's mechanism of action in humans. We investigated the striatal dopamine release in 6 patients with advanced PD under effective bilateral STN‐DBS with positron emission tomography (PET) of the reversible dopamine‐D2/3‐receptor ligand [11C]raclopride (RACLO). Although STN‐DBS proved to be a highly effective treatment in these subjects, we found no significant difference of the striatal RACLO binding between the STN‐DBS–on and –off condition. The changes of radioligand binding did not correlate with the patients' improvement in clinical rating scales or with the stimulation amplitudes. Therefore, our PET data in living parkinsonian humans do not provide evidence for an increased striatal dopamine concentration under effective STN‐DBS. We conclude that the modulation of dopaminergic activity does not seem to play a crucial role for the stimulation's mechanisms of action in parkinsonian humans. © 2002 Movement Disorder Society
Goodness‐of‐fit ethic for informed consent to research involving adults with mental retardation and developmental disabilities
Authors: Fisher Celia B.
Published: February 2003

This article reviews current theory and research on informed consent policies for adults with mental retardation within a relational ethics framework that re‐conceptualizes consent vulnerability in terms of the goodness‐of‐fit between participant decisional capacities and the specific consent context. Conceptualizing informed consent competence as a product of the relationship between person and consent context shifts assessment of decisional capacity away from an exclusive focus on a research participant's cognitive deficiencies to (a) an examination of those aspects of the consent setting that are creating or exacerbating consent vulnerability and (b) consideration of how the setting can be modified to produce a consent process that best reflects and protects the hopes, values, concerns, and welfare of adults with developmental disabilities. © 2003 Wiley‐Liss, Inc. MRDD Research Reviews 2003;9:27–31.
A componentwise index of service measurement in multi‐component systems
Authors: Seshadri Sridhar , Swaminathan Jayashankar M.
Published: February 2003

In this paper we present a componentwise delay measure for estimating and improving the expected delays experienced by customers in a multi‐component inventory/assembly system. We show that this measure is easily computed. Further, in an environment where the performance of each of the item delays could be improved with investment, we present a solution that aims to minimize this measure and, in effect, minimizes the average waiting time experienced by customers. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Naval Research Logistics 50: 2003
Validation of the multicultural personality questionnaire in the context of personnel selection
Authors: van der Zee Karen I. , Zaal Jac N. , Piekstra Jantien
Published: March 2003

The present data provide support for the reliability of the Multicultural Personality Questionnaire among a sample of job applicants (n=264). Factor analysis confirmed five factors: Cultural Empathy, Open‐Mindedness, Social Initiative, Flexibility, and Emotional Stability. Moreover, the data largely support the construct validity of the MPQ. Correlations with the Big Five were in the expected direction, and as predicted, Cultural Empathy and Social Initiative were both positively related to socially oriented vocational interests and Flexibility to artistic interests. Against our predictions, Cultural Empathy, Open‐Mindedness, and Flexibility appeared to be related to verbal intelligence. A comparable pattern of relations of the Big Five with intelligence and vocational interests was found. Finally, the MPQ scales predicted variance in an indicator of overall behaviour above the Big Five, supporting its incremental validity. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Laboratory studies on formation of bound residues and degradation of propiconazole in soils
Authors: Kim In Seon , Shim Jae Han , Suh Yong Tack
Published: February 2003

Laboratory studies on the formation of bound residues and on the degradation of the triazole fungicide propiconazole were conducted in two different soils. Soils treated with 14C‐propiconazole were incubated at 22 °C and extracted exhaustively with a solvent at each sampling date until no further propiconazole was extracted. The solvent‐extractable residues were used to measure propiconazole remaining in the soil, and the extracted soils were used to investigate bound residues of propiconazole. Mineralization of propiconazole was investigated by measuring [14C]carbon dioxide evolved from the soil samples. Formation of bound residues of propiconazole was higher in silty clay loam soil than in sandy loam soil, giving approximately 38 and 23% of the applied 14C, respectively. In contrast, the rates of degradation and mineralization of propiconazole were lower in silty clay loam soil than in sandy loam soil. Decreased extractability of the 14C residues with incubation time was observed with increased formation of bound residues. When the propiconazole remaining in the solvent‐extractable residues was quantitatively measured by high‐pressure liquid chromatographic analysis, the half‐life value in sandy loam soil was about 315 days, while the half‐life in silty clay loam soil exceeded the duration of the 1 year experimental period. Increased formation of bound residues was observed as propiconazole degraded with incubation time, suggesting that degradation products are involved in the formation of bound residues. Our study suggests that the formation of bound residues of propiconazole contributes to the persistence of this fungicide in soil.

© 2003 Society of Chemical Industry
Fatigue in a community sample of twins
Authors: SULLIVAN P. F. , KOVALENKO P. , YORK T. P. , PRESCOTT C. A. , KENDLER K. S.
Published: February 2003

Background. Fatigue is a complex symptom associated with many physiological, psychological and pathological processes. Its correlates and typology remain inadequately understood.

Method. These data were from two large, longitudinal twin studies. Trained interviewers enquired as to the presence of a [ges ]5 day period in the previous year of fatigue or tiredness that interfered with daily activities. A range of potential correlates was assessed in a structured interview: demography; health beliefs; the presence of nine physical disorders; mood, anxiety and addictive disorders; neuroticism and extraversion; recollections of parental rearing; and nine stressful life events. Statistical analyses included logistic regression, CART, MARS, latent class analysis and univariate twin modelling.

Results. Data were available for interfering fatigue (IF) on 7740 individual twins (prevalence 9·9% in the previous year). IF was significantly associated with 42 of 52 correlates (most strongly with major depression, generalized anxiety disorder, reported major health problems and neuroticism). Multivariate analyses demonstrated that IF is a highly complex construct with different sets of correlates in its subtypes. There were two broad clusters of correlates of IF: (a) major depression, generalized anxiety disorder and neuroticism; and (b) beliefs of ill health coexisting with alcoholism and stressful life events. Twin analyses were consistent with aetiological heterogeneity – genetic effects may be particularly important in women and shared environmental effects in men.

Conclusions. IF is a complex and common human symptom that is highly heterogeneous. More precise understanding of the determinants of IF may lead to a fuller understanding of more extreme conditions like chronic fatigue syndrome.
HLA‐DR, DQ nucleotide sequence polymorphisms in the Pasiegos (Pas valleys, Northern Spain) and comparison of the allelic and haplotypic frequencies with those of other European populations
Authors: Sánchez‐Velasco P. , Escribano de Diego J. , Paz‐Miguel J.E. , Ocejo‐Vinyals G. , Leyva‐Cobián F.
Published: March 2003

In general, Northern Spain has remained geographically isolated from neighboring Spanish regions for centuries: steep mountains create small isolated and inbred population groups with their own characteristic cultures and unique gene pools. The Pasiego region forms an area of distinctive characteristics among the people living in Northern Spain, although the origin of the inhabitants of the Pas valleys (Pasiegos) is not clearly defined. We have studied the MHC class II alleles in a large sample of unrelated individuals living in the Pas valleys. Allelic and haplotypic frequencies, population distances and their corresponding dendrogram, using the N‐J method, were used to study the relationships between populations. The closest is observed between Pasiegos and Danes, followed by other European people in the following decreasing order: Poles, Germans, non‐Pasiego Cantabrians, Belgians, Basques, French, other Spaniards from Madrid, Italians, Finns, Croatians, Welsh, Ashkenazi Jews and other Mediterranean populations (Greeks, Hungarians, Sardinians and Bulgarians). Particular characteristic Northern European alleles are observed with high frequency in the Pasiegos and non‐Pasiego Cantabrians (DRB1*1501‐DQA1*0102‐DQB1*0602). The second most frequent three‐locus haplotype in both populations is DRB1*0701‐DQA1*0201‐DQB1*0201. These observations suggest an important mixture of alleles from geographically distinct areas. In conclusion, the Pasiegos are typical examples of isolated genetic pools in the Iberian Peninsula and allow one to suggest that what we call the “Pasiego cluster” can be considered, in many ways, as another example of the few deviant groups (e.g. Lapps, Basques and Sardinians) having preserved their genetic, social and ethnographic characteristics and, in some cases, their ancestral language.
Cell surface expression of HLA‐E molecules on PBMC from a TAP1‐deficient patient
Authors: Furukawa H. , Yabe T. , Akaza T. , Tadokoro K. , Tohma S. , Inoue T. , Tokunaga K. , Yamamoto K. , Geraghty D.E. , Juji T.
Published: March 2003

It was recently revealed from studies on TAP‐deficient cell lines that HLA‐E molecules are associated with nonamer peptides derived from certain HLA class I leader sequences and are expressed on the cell surface in a TAP‐dependent manner. We have previously reported a homozygous TAP1 gene mutation in a HLA class I‐deficient patient. In the present report, we demonstrate HLA‐E molecule expression on the surface of the peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) of the TAP1‐deficient patient. The HLA‐E expression level on the monocytes of the patient was as high as that in healthy donors, whereas the HLA‐E expression level on the lymphocytes of the patient was slightly lower. On the other hand, HLA‐E expression was not detected on KMW‐B2 cells, an Epstein‐Barr virus (EBV)‐transformed B‐cell line derived from the lymphocytes of the TAP1‐deficient patient. These data suggest the existence of TAP‐dependent and ‐independent pathways for the surface expression of HLA‐E molecules.
Presence of the DRB4*0103102N null allele in different DRB1*04‐positive individuals
Authors: Voorter C.E.M. , Lardy N.M. , Van Den Berg‐Loonen E.M.
Published: March 2003

The DRB4 gene encoding the DR53 antigen is present in DRB1*04‐, DRB1*07‐ and DRB1*09‐positive individuals. Eight allelic variants of DRB4 have been recognized, 5 resulting in an expressed DR53 antigen and 3 belonging to the null alleles. So far the DRB4*0103102N null allele had been found exclusively in individuals carrying the haplotype DR7,‐DQ9. High‐resolution typing of HLA class II by polymerase chain reaction using sequence‐specific primers (PCR‐SSP) and/or sequence‐based typing of kidney patients and their families revealed the presence of the DRB4*0103102N null allele segregating with DRB1*04 and DQB1*03 in 4 different families. Three different haplotypes on which the null allele was located, were recognized by family studies: DRB1*0401, DQB1*0301; DRB1*0402, DQB1*0302 and DRB1*0404, DQB1*0302. Determination of the DR53 specificity of antisera reacting with DR53‐positive individuals has always been difficult due to the simultaneous presence of DR4, 7 or 9. Identification of DR4‐positive DR53‐negative individuals as described here, provided the serological reactions with DR53‐antisera and revealed the antibody specificities in the antisera used.
Strong association between HLA‐Cw*0706 and HLA‐B*44032 in the Bubi population from Equatorial Guinea
Authors: Van Der Vlies S.A. , Voorter C.E.M. , De Pablo R. , Vilches C. , Van Den Berg‐Loonen E.M.
Published: March 2003

Unrelated Bubi, native to the island of Bioko (Equatorial Guinea), were previously typed by low‐resolution polymerase chain reaction using sequence‐specific primers (PCR‐SSP) and serology for HLA‐A, ‐B and ‐C. HLA‐B*44 was found frequently and associated with Cw*07. We have studied the HLA subtypes of 20 B*44pos/Cw*07pos Bubi individuals. HLA‐B and ‐C were typed by sequencing exons 2 and 3. To distinguish the alleles Cw*1701/02/03, Cw*07011/012/06 and Cw*1801/02 additional sequencing of exon 1 or 5 was performed. All 20 B*44pos/Cw*07pos individuals of the Bubi population were typed Cw*0706 positive. Nineteen of them carried the B*44032 allele and one B*4407. In addition, 19 B*44neg/Cw*07pos Bubi individuals were typed for HLA‐C and none of them proved Cw*0706 positive. To determine whether the association between Cw*0706 and B*44032 was limited to the Bubi, 19 individuals from Dutch Caucasian families were typed in which B44 and Cw7 segregated on one haplotype. None of these individuals showed the presence of B*44032 or Cw*0706. The haplotypes found in the Dutch Caucasians were B*4402‐Cw*0704, B*44031‐Cw*07011 and B*44031‐Cw*0702. The present observation indicates a strong association between B*44032 and Cw*0706 in the Bubi population.
Tumor necrosis factor receptor II (TNFRII) exon 6 polymorphism in systemic lupus erythematosus
Authors: Al‐Ansari A.S. , Ollier W.E.R. , Villarreal J. , Ordi J. , Teh L.‐S. , Hajeer A.H.
Published: March 2003

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a complex autoimmune disease that exhibits extensive clinical heterogeneity. Several studies have suggested a role for tumor necrosis factor α (TNFα) in SLE and recently, the locus encompassing the TNF receptor II (TNFRII), which is a mediator of TNF effect, was amongst the candidate loci suggested by genetic linkage studies of multi‐case SLE families. Komata et al. reported an association between a polymorphism at position 196 (R allele) of TNFR II and SLE in Japanese patients. We have typed SLE patients from two different ethnic populations, Spanish and UK Caucasoids, for this polymorphism using a polymerase chain reaction and restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR‐RFLP)‐based technique. No significant differences in allele or genotype frequencies were found between cases and matched controls in either population. The TNFRII 196R allele does not appear to be associated with SLE susceptibility in either Spanish or UK populations.
The CMRF‐35H gene structure predicts for an independently expressed member of an ITIM/ITAM pair of molecules localized to human chromosome 17
Authors: Clark G.J. , Green B.J. , Hart D.N.J.
Published: March 2003

The CMRF‐35 monoclonal antibody recognizes an epitope found on at least two cell surface molecules, differentially expressed by many leukocytes. These molecules, the CMRF‐35H (9) and CMRF‐35A (CMRF‐35) antigens are both members of the immunoglobulin (Ig) superfamily with a single V‐like Ig domain. The function of these molecules is unknown, however the presence of putative immunoreceptor tyrosine‐based inhibitory motifs (ITIM) in the cytoplasmic domain of the CMRF‐35H molecule suggests that this molecule may play a regulatory role in leukocyte function. The CMRF‐35H and CMRF‐35A molecules show several similarities to the family of molecules containing ITIM or immunoreceptor tyrosine‐based activatory motifs (ITAM) suggesting that CMRF‐35H/ CMRF‐35A may be new members of this family. This would further indicate that, like other ITIM/ITAM containing molecules, CMRF‐35H/CMRF‐35A will also play an important role in the immune response. To further characterize these molecules, we have isolated genomic clones for the CMRF‐35H gene and determined its intron‐exon organization. The gene spans approximately 12 kb and consists of seven exons. Furthermore, this gene has been mapped to chromosome 17 and thus is not linked to the known human ITIM containing genes which map to human chromosome 19 or the recently characterized molecule, NKp44, localized to human chromosome 6.
HLA‐A*2416: a new allele of the HLA‐A19 lineage
Authors: Binder T. , Heym J. , Horn B. , Blasczyk R.
Published: March 2003

Acknowledgments:

We would like to thank Cornelia Helfricht, Margit Saupe and Uta Schorner for expert technical assistance. This study was in part supported by a grant of the Wilhelm Sander‐Foundation.

We here report on a new HLA‐A19 allele (A*2416) found in a German kidney recipient. Serological class I typing revealed HLA‐A11,19 without clear definition of the A19 split antigen. As with serology, polymerase chain reaction (PCR)‐based typing also revealed inconclusive results. We therefore sequenced the gene from the 5′ flanking region through the 3′‐end of exon 4 of this allele after haplotype‐specific PCR amplification. The sequence analysis revealed a new HLA‐A allele which is identical to A*3101 with the exception of the 3′ half of exon 2 which is identical to the common A9 alleles. The phylogenetic analysis constructed with the nearest‐neighbor algorithm and based on exons 1–4 or introns 1–3 clearly indicated, that A*2416 belongs unequivocally to the A19 lineage ( Note).
Molecular characterization and applications of recombinant scFv antibodies to CD152 co‐stimulatory molecule
Authors: Pistillo M.P. , Tazzari P.L. , Ellis J.H. , Ferrara G.B.
Published: March 2003

Recombinant human monoclonal antibodies against CD152 have been generated by selecting a synthetic phage scFv library with purified CD152‐Ig fusion protein. Sixteen scFv fragments were isolated which specifically react with CD152 by enzyme‐linked immunoabsorbent assay (ELISA) and Western blot resulting in their clustering into two groups recognizing different antigenic determinants. One group of scFvs (#3, #13, #40, #44, #47, #51, #57, #80 #83) recognized an epitope on CD152 dimer whereas another group (#15, #18, #31, #35, #54, #72, #81) recognized an epitope on both dimeric and monomeric CD152 molecule suggesting their possible use in understanding the subunit structure of CD152 which is still controversial. Sequencing of the VH genes revealed that all the scFvs belonged to the VH3 gene family but they were different in CDR3 length and composition. It was possible to correlate specific CDR3 sequences with reactivity of the two groups of scFvs. Four scFvs, #3, #40, #81 and #83, each representative of one specific CDR3, were selected for further analysis. Competition ELISA experiments showed that they recognize CD152 in its native configuration and bound to different epitopes from the CD80/CD86 interaction site. The scFvs were able to stain human T lymphocytes stimulated either with anti‐CD3 and CD28 antibodies or PHA, PMA and ionomycin by cytofluorimetry suggesting that they can be useful reagents for monitoring the kinetics of surface‐bound and intracellular CD152.
Tumor necrosis factor genomic polymorphism in Spanish IGA deficiency patients
Authors: De la Concha E.G. , Fernandez‐Arquero M. , Vigil P. , Lazaro F. , Ferreira A. , Garcia‐Rodriguez M.C. , Fontan G.
Published: March 2003

Selective IgA deficiency (IgAD) is the most common form of primary immunodeficiency. Its association with genes within the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) has been repeatedly reported. Recently the susceptibility gene has been located in the class III region, around the tumor necrosis factor (TNF) cluster. In this study we have examined IgAD association with TNF‐α gene promoter polymorphisms and TNFa and b microsatellites. No significant association was found with the former polymorphisms and the observed associations with TNFa2 allele and haplotypes TNFa2b1 and TNFa2b3 were proven to be secondary to their occurrence on the B14‐DR1 and B8‐DR3 haplotypes, previously reported to be associated with susceptibility to IgAD. However, a primary negative (protective) association was found between the TNFa10 allele and IgAD.
A novel HLA‐B null allele (B*4022N) generated by a nonsense codon in the α1 domain
Authors: Tamouza R. , Sadki K. , Schaeffer V. , Carbonnelle E. , Tatari Z. , Chabod J. , Toubert A. , Raffoux C. , Sayada C. , Charron D.
Published: March 2003

We describe in this work a novel HLA‐B null allele designated B*4022N. This new variant was found in a Caucasian individual who was serologically typed for one HLA‐B allele as a B‐blank, Bw‐blank. Retrospective DNA typing by polymerase chain reaction using sequence‐specific primers (PCR‐SSP) has established the correspondence of this blank allele with the classical HLA‐B*4001 allele. Nucleotide sequence analysis of exon 2 and 3 has revealed the presence of two adjacent point mutations at position 170 and 171 of exon 2 (GG to TT). While the first difference is silent, the second leads to the creation of a nonsense codon at position 58 of the α1 domain, providing the most likely mechanism underlying the observed null phenotype ( Note).
Microsatellites in the HLA region: 1999 update
Authors: Foissac A , Salhi M. , Cambon‐Thomsen A.
Published: March 2003

In this third update of a series of reviews on microsatellites in the HLA region or close to it we report 155 microsatellites, corresponding to 51 newly described markers, in addition to the 103 reported in the 1997 and 1998 reviews. This work is based both on a literature review and on data publicly available in molecular databases on the internet ( http://www.gdb.org;
http://bioinfo.weizmann.ac.il/cards/;
http://cedar.genetics.soton.ac.uk/) up to September 1999. Thanks to numerous studies involving major histocompatibility complex (MHC) microsatellites, documentation on HLA region is proposed, including information on microsatellites described through MHC sequence projects and presenting documented location, polymorphism and amplification condition, together with additional information on previously described microsatellites when available and information on data in the literature regarding gametic associations between HLA region loci and alleles and microsatellite alleles. As basic information are presented various documents: i) a table showing the following characteristics of the 155 microsatellites: name, localisation, polymorphism, primer sequences, reference; ii) an integrated map of some HLA region genes and the 155 microsatellites considered; and iii) a summary table on HLA and microsatellites association patterns. In addition, an overview on HLA microsatellite analysis application is presented, with a special focus on disease genetics studies in the form of recent references where the use of microsatellites of the HLA region was a key tool. This review aims at providing the human immunogenetics community with a tool for helping optimal choice of microsatellites to be used in various studies.
Comparative reactivity of different HLA‐G monoclonal antibodies to soluble HLA‐G molecules
Authors: Fournel S. , Huc X. , Aguerre‐Girr M. , Solier C. , Legros M. , Praud‐Brethenou C. , Moussa M. , Chaouat G. , Berrebi A. , Bensussan A. , Lenfant F. , Le Bouteiller P.
Published: March 2003

Different HLA‐G monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) were first evaluated for their capability to identify soluble HLA‐G (sHLA‐G) in ELISA. Three of them, namely 87G, BFL.1 and MEM‐G/9, when used as coating mAbs together with W6/32 capture mAb, identified β2‐microglobulin (β2m)‐associated‐sHLA‐G but not soluble HLA‐B7 (sHLA‐B7) in cell culture supernatants from transfected cells. By comparison, the anti‐HLA class I mAb 90 did recognize both sHLA‐G and sHLA‐B7. By using these HLA‐G mAbs, sHLA‐G was identified in amniotic fluids as well as in culture supernatants of first trimester and term placental explants but not in cord blood. Intron 4‐retaining sHLA‐G isoforms were identified in some amniotic fluids by the use of an intron 4‐specific mAb (16G1). Reactivity of these different HLA‐G mAbs was then compared to determine their respective binding sites on soluble and membrane‐bound HLA‐G. Using both ELISA and flow cytometry analysis, we showed that they did not compete with each other, which suggested that they did not recognize the same determinants. Finally, we report that two mAbs directed against the α1 domain of HLA class I heavy chain (mAb 90 and YTH 862) did compete with 87G, therefore demonstrating that this latter mAb recognized an epitope localized on this external domain of HLA‐G.