bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The role of radiotherapy in cancer treatment
Authors: Delaney Geoff , Jacob Susannah , Featherstone Carolyn , Barton Michael
Published: August 2005

Radiotherapy utilization rates for cancer vary widely internationally. It has previously been suggested that approximately 50% of all cancer patients should receive radiation. However, this estimate was not evidence‐based. The aim of this study was to estimate the ideal proportion of new cases of cancer that should receive radiotherapy at least once during the course of their illness based on the best available evidence. An optimal radiotherapy utilization tree was constructed for each cancer based upon indications for radiotherapy taken from evidence‐based treatment guidelines. The proportion of patients with clinical attributes that indicated a possible benefit from radiotherapy was obtained by adding epidemiologic data to the radiotherapy utilization tree. The optimal proportion of patients with cancer that should receive radiotherapy was then calculated using TreeAge (TreeAge Software, Williamstown, MA) software. Sensitivity analyses using univariate analysis and Monte Carlo simulations were performed. The proportion of patients with cancer in whom external beam radiotherapy is indicated according to the best available evidence was calculated to be 52%. Monte Carlo analysis indicated that the 95% confidence limits were from 51.7% to 53.1%. The tightness of the confidence interval suggests that the overall estimate is robust. Comparison with actual radiotherapy utilization data suggests a shortfall in actual radiotherapy delivery. This methodology allows comparison of optimal rates with actual rates to identify areas where improvements in the evidence‐based use of radiotherapy can be made. It provides valuable data for radiotherapy service planning. Actual rates need to be addressed to ensure better radiotherapy utilization. Cancer 2005. © 2005 American Cancer Society.
Assessment of numerical uncertainty for the calculations of turbulent flow over a backward‐facing step
Authors: Celik Ismail B. , Li Jun
Published: August 2005

Numerical uncertainty analysis has been performed for the turbulent flow past a backward‐facing step. The analysis is based on calculations on seven non‐rectangular, but structured, grid sets that were provided by the organizers of the 2004 Lisbon Workshop (Proceedings of the Workshop on CFD Uncertainty Analysis, Lisbon, 21–22 October 2004). The calculations were performed by using a commercial code, namely, FLUENT with the Spalart–Allmaras one‐equation turbulence model. The present study constitutes a calculation verification process: a set of partial differential equations are solved on gradually refined grid sets, the selected quantities are extrapolated, and then the overall numerical uncertainty in selected quantities is estimated by various methods. Some new ideas are presented for estimating the coefficient of variation, which is related to standard deviation (or standard error of estimate in case of the least squares method).

The major problem that stands out in extrapolation is the cases of non‐monotonic convergence. For such cases some alternative methods are proposed, and the results are compared to assess these methods. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Detection of genotyping errors and pseudo‐SNPs via deviations from Hardy‐Weinberg equilibrium
Authors: Leal Suzanne M.
Published: August 2005

Genotype error can greatly reduce the power of a genetic study. For family data, genotype error can be assessed by examining marker data for non‐Mendelian inconsistencies, closely linked markers for double recombination events, and consistency of duplicate genotypes. For case‐control data, duplicate samples are genotyped, and controls are tested for deviations from Hardy‐Weinberg equilibrium (HWE). Duplicate samples can provide accurate estimates of genotyping error rates, unless systematic genotyping errors have occurred. Although genotyping errors can cause deviations from HWE, these deviations are usually small, and the power to detect them is low except for high rates of genotyping error and/or large sample sizes. An additional problem is that even when deviations from HWE are detected for marker loci, without additional experimentation it is not possible to unequivocally implicate genotyping error as the cause. The power and sample sizes necessary to detect deviations from HWE for single‐nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) data are examined for a variety of genotyping error and pseudo‐SNP models. For the majority of genotyping models examined, the power is poor to detect deviations from HWE. For example, for 1,000 controls, if an allele with a frequency of 0.1 fails to amplify for 28% of the heterozygous genotypes producing a sample error rate of 0.05, the power is 0.51 to detect a deviation from HWE at an alpha level of 0.05. On the other hand, the detection of deviations from HWE for pseudo‐SNPs (paralogous and ectopic sequence variants) for the majority of models examined produces a power of >0.8 for sample sizes as small as 50 individuals. Genet. Epidemiol. © 2005 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Macrophage‐induced inflammation affects hippocampal plasticity and neuronal development in a murine model of HIV‐1 encephalitis
Authors: Poluektova Larisa , Meyer Vakara , Walters Lisa , Paez Ximena , Gendelman Howard E.
Published: August 2005

Cognitive, behavioral, and motor impairments, during progressive human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV‐1) infection, are linked to activation of brain mononuclear phagocytes (MP; perivascular macrophages and microglia). Activated MPs effect a giant cell encephalitis and neuroinflammatory responses that are mirrored in severe combined immunodeficient (SCID) mice injected with human monocyte‐derived macrophages (MDM). Whether activated human MDMs positioned in the basal ganglia affect hippocampal neuronal plasticity, the brain subregion involved in learning and memory, is unknown. Thus, immunohistochemical techniques were used for detection of newborn neurons (polysialylated neuronal cell adhesion molecule [PSA‐NCAM]) and cell proliferation (Ki‐67) to assay MDM effects on neuronal development in mouse models of HIV‐1 encephalitis. Immunodeficient (C.B.‐17/SCID and nonobese diabetic/SCID, NOD/SCID) and immune competent (C.B.‐17) mice were injected with uninfected or HIV‐1‐infected MDM. Sham‐operated or unmanipulated mice served as controls. Neuronal plasticity was evaluated in the hippocampal dentate gyrus (DG) at days 7 and 28. By day 7, increased numbers of Ki‐67+ cells, PSA‐NCAM+ cells and dendrites in DG were observed in sham‐operated animals. In contrast, significant reductions in neuronal precursors and altered neuronal morphology paralleled increased microglial activation in both HIV‐1‐infected and uninfected MDM‐injected animals. DG cellular composition was restored at day 28. We posit that activated MDM induce inflammation and diminish DG neuronal plasticity. These data provide novel explanations for the cognitive impairments manifested during advanced HIV‐1 infection. © 2005 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Contactin is expressed in human astrocytic gliomas and mediates repulsive effects
Authors: Eckerich Carmen , Zapf Svenja , Ulbricht Ulrike , Müller Sabine , Fillbrandt Regina , Westphal Manfred , Lamszus Katrin
Published: August 2005

Contactin is a cell surface adhesion molecule that is normally expressed by neurons and oligodendrocytes. Particularly high levels of contactin are present during brain development. Using subtractive cloning, we identified contactin transcripts as overexpressed in glioblastomas compared with normal brain. We confirmed contactin overexpression in glioblastomas at the protein level, and localized contactin to the surface of glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP)‐expressing glioblastoma cells. In contrast, normal astrocytes did not express contactin. Analyzing different types of astrocytic tumors, we detected an association between increasing malignancy grade and contactin expression. Functionally, contactin had repellent effects on glioma cells in vitro, as demonstrated by adhesion and migration assays. Overexpression of contactin by transfection into glioblastoma cells did not alter the proliferation rate or adhesion to various extracellular matrix proteins as well as adhesion to cells expressing the specific contactin ligand the protein tyrosine phosphatase ζ (PTPζ). Our findings suggest that contactin has repellent effects on glioma cells to which it is presented as a ligand, but it does not alter the proliferative or adhesive capacities of cells that overexpress the molecule. The repulsive properties of contactin may be a key factor in glioma disaggregation, and may contribute to the diffuse infiltration pattern characteristic of glioma cells in human brain. © 2005 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Outcome of screening by clinical examination of the breast in a trial in the Philippines
Authors: Pisani Paola , Parkin D.M. , Ngelangel Corazon , Esteban Divina , Gibson Lorna , Munson Marilou , Reyes Mary Grace , Laudico Adriano
Published: July 2005

The value of screening by Clinical Examination of the Breast (CBE) as a means of reducing mortality from breast cancer (BC) is not established. The issue is relevant, as CBE may be a suitable option for countries in economic transition, where incidence rates are on the increase but limited resources do not permit screening by mammography. Our aims were to assess whether mass screening by CBE carried out by trained para‐medical personnel is feasible in an urban population of a low‐income country, and its efficacy in reducing BC mortality. Our study was designed as a randomised controlled trial of the effect on BC mortality of 5 annual CBE carried out by trained nurses. The target population was women aged 35–64 years, resident in 12 municipalities of the National Capital Region of Manila, Philippines. The units of randomization were the 202 health centres (HC) within the selected municipalities. During 1995 nurses and midwives were recruited and trained in performing CBE. The first round of screening took place in 1996–1997. The intervention however showed a refractory attitude of the population with respect to clinical follow‐up and was discontinued after the completion of the first screening round. Cases of breast cancer occurring in the study population during 1996–1999 were identified by the 2 local population‐based registries. In the single screening round 151,168 women were interviewed and offered CBE, 92% accepted (138,392), 3,479 were detected positive for a lump and referred for diagnosis. Of these only 1220 women (35%) completed diagnostic follow‐up, whereas 42.4% actively refused further investigation even with home visits, and 22.5% were not traced. Of 53 cases that occurred among screen‐positive women in the 2 years after CBE only 34 were diagnosed through the intervention. Eighty cases occurred among screen‐negative women. The test sensitivity for CBE repeated annually was 53.2%. The actual sensitivity of the programme was 25.6% and positive predictive value 1%. Screen‐detected cases were non‐significantly less advanced than the others. Previous studies have shown that most breast cancer cases in the Philippines present at advanced stages and have an unfavourable outcome. Although CBE undertaken by health workers seems to offer a cost‐effective approach to reducing mortality, the sensitivity of the screening programme in the real context was low. Moreover, in this relatively well‐educated population, cultural and logistic barriers to seeking diagnosis and treatment persist and need to be addressed before any screening programme is introduced. © 2005 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Buckling test as a new approach to testing flexural rigidities of angiographic catheters
Authors: Carey Jason , Emery Derek , McCracken Philippe
Published: August 2005

The general design of catheters is bound by many needs. Angiographic catheters must be rigid enough to be torquable and to maintain lumen structural integrity, but also flexible enough to bend with the curves of a blood vessel. They should cause minimal tissue damage; avoid biocompatibility‐related complications, and be reliable over time. This study proposes a new testing approach to clearly identify the flexural rigidity of catheters by using a buckling test to evaluate the peak compressive load. This study also tests several angiographic catheters for axial and torsional rigidity. Seven different catheters used for short‐term procedures, with and without reinforcement and of various sizes, were evaluated as a preliminary evaluation of test methods for future in vitro testing of catheters; it was found that the buckling test works very well and provides repeatable results. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part B: Appl Biomater, 2006
Effects of the major histocompatibility complex loci and T‐cell receptor beta‐chain repertoire on Theiler's virus‐induced demyelinating disease
Authors: Kim Byung S. , Mohindru Mani , Kang Bongsu , Kang Hyun Seok , Palma Joann P.
Published: July 2005

We have investigated the potential effects of H‐2 and T‐cell receptor (TCR) Vβ family genes on induction of T‐cell immunity and susceptibility to virally induced demyelinating disease by using BALB.S (H‐2KsAsDs) and BALB.S3R (H‐2KsAsDd/Ld) mice. These parameters were compared with those of highly susceptible SJL/J (H‐2KsAsDs) mice that contain only one‐half of TCR Vβ family genes compared with the above‐mentioned strains. Our results demonstrate that BALB.S but not BALB.S3R mice are susceptible similar to SJL/J mice. Although the level of CD4+ T‐cell infiltration to the CNS was elevated in susceptible mice, virus‐specific immune responses restricted with H‐2s were similar in these mice. No preferential use of Vβ families associated with differences in the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) components was apparent. However, the pattern and sequence of CDR3 distribution shows T‐cell clonal accumulation in the CNS associated with the H‐2 components. Further anti‐CD8 antibody treatment of resistant BALB.S3R mice abrogated resistance to demyelinating disease, indicating that CD8+ T cells restricted with H‐2Dd/Ld are most likely to exert resistance in BALB.S3R mice. These studies indicated that TCR Vβ and MHC class II genes are the secondary to a particular MHC class I gene expression in susceptibility to virally induced demyelinating disease. © 2005 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Spatial interpolation of monthly mean climate data for China
Authors: Hong Yan , Nix Henry A. , Hutchinson Mike F. , Booth Trevor H.
Published: August 2005

Spline interpolation techniques are used to develop a gridded climate database for China at a resolution of 0.01° in latitude and longitude. A digital elevation model (DEM) was developed at the same resolution to improve the accuracy of interpolation based upon the general spatial dependence of climate on topography. Climate data for the period 1971–2000 from meteorological stations in China were used to develop thin‐plate smoothing spline surfaces for monthly mean temperature and precipitation. A regularly gridded climate database was produced by coupling the spline surfaces with the underlying DEM. The summary statistics show interpolation errors for monthly temperatures varying within 0.42–0.83 °C and 8–13% for monthly precipitation. These estimates are superior to results produced by methods commonly used in China. The fine‐resolution spatial climate database has many potential applications in natural resource management. For example, it can be used as a baseline for climate change studies, in which potential distributions of flora and fauna can be predicted under the impact of climate change and priority areas for biodiversity conservation can be identified. Copyright © 2005 Royal Meteorological Society.
Heat storage and anthropogenic heat flux in relation to the energy balance of a central European city centre
Authors: Offerle B. , Grimmond C. S. B. , Fortuniak K.
Published: August 2005

The role of net heat storage ΔQS and anthropogenic heat QF are considered in the surface energy balance for a downtown area in Łódź, Poland, for a 2 year period. Eddy covariance measurements provide estimates of the turbulent heat fluxes and radiometric measurements of the net all‐wave radiation. A method to determine ΔQS based on representative surface temperature sampling is employed and compared with results from two other models. Results show that ΔQS is an important flux on the scale of hours to days and that it can be more than 10 W m−2, on average, for periods of a week or more. By incorporating ΔQS estimates over hourly intervals, QF was then determined as the residual of the energy balance. Using the approach, QF averaged 32 W m−2 from October to March (60% of available energy), and −3 W m−2 from June to August. The physically unrealistic negative values for the summer period may suggest underestimation of turbulent fluxes, but no causal factor was identified. Although energy balance closure was close to 100% throughout the year, there was weaker agreement in the winter. This is attributed to errors in estimates of ΔQS and variation in QF. Results highlight the need for future investigations of the urban surface energy balance to incorporate more complete measurements and estimates of ΔQS. Copyright © 2005 Royal Meteorological Society.
Does H+ pumping by plasmalemma ATPase limit leaf growth of maize (Zea mays) during the first phase of salt stress?
Authors: Zörb Christian , Stracke Berenike , Tramnitz Birgit , Denter Dominique , Sümer Ali , Mühling Karl Hermann , Yan Feng , Schubert Sven
Published: July 2005

In the first phase of salt stress, growth of plants is impaired mainly by osmotic stress. To elucidate the effect of NaCl salinity on elongation growth of maize leaves in the first phase of salt stress, we investigated the effect of NaCl on gene expression and activity of the plasmalemma H+ ATPase of elongating leaves of maize (Zea mays L.). Treatment of maize plants with 125 mM NaCl for 3 d decreased leaf growth relative to control plants (1 mM NaCl). Whereas H+ ATPase hydrolytic activity was unaffected, the ability of the H+ ATPase to establish a pH gradient was strongly reduced. Total mRNA of plasmalemma H+ ATPase was slightly increased. However, mRNA of the ATPase isoform MHA1 was significantly reduced and ATPase isoform MHA4 was strongly increased at the mRNA level. Synthesis of total H+ ATPase protein was unchanged as revealed by western blot. The results indicate that reduced pumping of H+ ATPase in leaf plasmalemma under salt stress may be caused by a switch to gene expression of the specific isoform MHA4, which shows inferior H+‐pumping efficiency in comparison to isoforms expressed under control conditions. We propose that reduced H+ pumping of plasmalemma H+ ATPase is involved in the reduction of leaf growth of maize during the first phase of salt stress.
Lanthanum uptake from soil and nutrient solution and its effects on plant growth
Authors: von Tucher Sabine , Schmidhalter Urs
Published: July 2005

In view of restrictions in the application of antibiotics in animal production, Lanthanum (La) is intended to be introduced as a new growth promoter for pigs. Because most of the supplied La is subsequently excreted, it will be found in organic fertilizers which are applied to agricultural land. Thus, we examined the effect of lanthanum on the growth and La contents of plants in nutrient solution and in soils as well as its extractability from different soils. In nutrient solutions with concentrations of available La of up to 20 μmol L–1, shoot growth of bush bean was markedly reduced by up to 60% of the control at 20 μM La. By contrast, growth was not affected in maize. Lanthanum was mainly accumulated in the roots, but maize shoot contained considerable amounts of La as well. In contrast to nutrient solution, shoot growth of bush bean and spinach in soils supplemented with La up to 360 μmol kg–1 (50 mg kg–1) was not decreased. In contrast to spinach, bush bean shoots showed an increased La content at the highest La level. Extractability of La with 0.1 mol L–1 acetic acid from 12 different soils previously spiked with La was related mainly to soil pH, CEC, and Corg. We therefore conclude that except of strongly acidic conditions, the application of La‐containing organic fertilizers does not represent a risk for plant growth for the next over 100 years, provided that the recommended doses of feed supplementation is not increased.
Bacterial ecology of ancient Saharan salt‐enrichment ponds at Teguidda‐n‐Tessoumt
Authors: Alvey Samuel , Yang Ching‐Hong , Buerkert Andreas , Crowley David E.
Published: July 2005

Little is known about the bacterial ecology of evaporative salt‐mining sites (salterns) of which Teguidda‐n‐Tessoumt at the fringe of the West African Saharan desert in Niger is a spectacular example with its many‐centuries‐old and very colorful evaporation ponds. During the different enrichment steps of the salt produced as a widely traded feed supplement for cattle, animal manure is added to the crude brine, which is then desiccated and repeatedly crystallized. This study describes the dominant Bacteria and Archaea communities in the brine from the evaporation ponds and the soil from the mine, which were determined by PCR‐DGGE of 16S rDNA. Correspondence analysis of the DGGE‐community fingerprints revealed a change in community structure of the brine samples during the sequential evaporation steps which was, however, unaffected by the brine's pH and electric conductivity (EC). The Archaea community was dominated by a phylogenetically diverse group of methanogens, while the Bacteria community was dominated by gamma proteobacteria. Microorganisms contained in the purified salt product have the potential to be broadly disseminated and are fed to livestock across the region. In this manner, the salt mines represent an intriguing example of long‐term human activity that has contributed to the continual selection, cultivation, and dissemination of cosmopolitan microorganisms.
Ultimate spectral efficiency of information transmission as the
figure of merit of host materials of EDFA
Authors: Khodasevich M A , Varaksa Yu A
Published: August 2005

The exact ``quantum limit'' value of noise figure of
EDFA in the high gain regime at quasi-two-level pumping is
determined on the base of the McCumber theory. It is shown that in
the unsaturated gain regime the ultimate spectral efficiency of
information transmission depends on host material of EDFA and can
serve as a figure of merit for comparison of host fibers.
Magnetic Dye Affinity Beads for the Adsorption of β‐Casein
Authors: Akgöl Sinan , Bereli Nilay , Denizli Adil
Published: August 2005

Summary: Casein is well known as a good protein emulsifier and β‐casein is the major component of casein and commercial sodium caseinate. Dye affinity adsorption is increasingly used for protein separation. β‐Casein adsorption onto Reactive Red 120 attached magnetic poly(2‐hydroxyethyl methacrylate) (m‐PHEMA) beads was investigated in this work. m‐PHEMA beads (80–120 µm in diameter) were produced by dispersion polymerization. The dichlorotriazine dye Reactive Red 120 was attached covalently as a ligand. The dye attached beads, having a swelling ratio of 55% (w/w) and carrying different amounts of Reactive Red 120 (9.2 µmol · g−1−39.8 µmol · g−1), were used in β‐casein adsorption studies. The effects of the initial concentration, pH, ionic strength and temperature on the adsorption efficiency of dye attached beads were studied in a batch reactor. The non‐specific adsorption on the m‐PHEMA beads was 1.4 mg · g−1. Reactive Red 120 attachment significantly increased the β‐casein adsorption up to 37.3 mg · g−1. More than 95.4% of the adsorbed β‐casein was desorbed in 1 h in a desorption medium containing 1.0 M KSCN at pH 8.0. We concluded that Reactive Red 120 attached m‐PHEMA beads can be applied for β‐casein adsorption without significant losses in the adsorption capacities.

Chemical structure of Reactive Red 120.

magnified image

Chemical structure of Reactive Red 120.
Erosion‐corrosion of Q235 and 5Cr1/2Mo steels in oil with naphthenic acid and/or sulfur compound at high temperature
Authors: Qu D. R. , Zheng Y. G. , Jing H. M. , Jiang X. , Ke W.
Published: July 2005

The erosion‐corrosion behaviors of Q235 steel and 5Cr1/2Mo steel in oil with naphthenic acid and/or sulfur compound at high temperature were studied in a hot oil loop simulating oil refining environments. The effects of impinging flow rate, incidence angle, and total acid number (TAN), and sulfur content on erosion‐corrosion behavior were assessed. The eroded surfaces were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and XPS. The results showed that both corrosion resistance and hardness of steels play an important role in combating erosion‐corrosion. Sulfide films formed on the surface were significant in understanding the erosion‐corrosion behavior when both naphthenic acid and sulfur compound were present. Erosion‐corrosion regimes were determined on the basis of mechanism analysis of the damage process.
Generalized Prikry forcing and iteration of generic ultrapowers
Authors: Sakai Hiroshi
Published: August 2005

It is known that there is a close relation between Prikry forcing and the iteration of ultrapowers: If U is a normal ultrafilter on a measurable cardinal κ and 〈Mn, jm,n | m ≤ n ≤ ω〉 is the iteration of ultrapowers of V by U, then the sequence of critical points 〈j0,n(κ) | n ∈ ω〉 is a Prikry generic sequence over Mω. In this paper we generalize this for normal precipitous filters. (© 2005 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Color Formation and Gelation of Xyloglucan Upon Addition of Iodine Solutions
Authors: Yuguchi Yoshiaki , Fujiwara Takayuki , Miwa Haruna , Shirakawa Mayumi , Yajima Hirofumi
Published: August 2005

Summary: We developed a novel thermo‐reversible gelation system by mixing xyloglucan with an iodine solution. Xyloglucan dissolves in water to produce a colorless solution. However, the addition of iodine solution induces color and gelation; heating causes the gel to melt and become colorless. According to results from spectroscopic and small‐angle X‐ray scattering experiments, the gelation mechanism was proposed to involve two xyloglucan chains that associate side‐by‐side and incorporate iodine and/or iodide ions.

Xyloglucan gel prepared by mixing xyloglucan and iodine solution and heating to 60 °C, followed by cooling.

image

Xyloglucan gel prepared by mixing xyloglucan and iodine solution and heating to 60 °C, followed by cooling.
Analysis of highly polar compounds in groundwater samples from ammunition waste sites. Part I—Characterization of the pollutant spectrum
Authors: Preiss Alfred , Elend Manfred , Gerling Susanne , Tränckner Simone
Published: July 2005

Five groundwater samples from the former ammunition production site at Elsnig, Germany, were analyzed for highly polar components by LC–NMR and LC–MS. A variety of unknown pollutants could be identified. Possibilities and limitations of the combined use of LC–NMR and LC–MS techniques for on‐line identification are discussed. Further unknown components were identified through isolation by HPLC cuts and off‐line NMR and MS investigations. Most of the polar compounds in the investigated samples could also be quantified. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Successful engraftment without radiation after fludarabine‐based regimen in Fanconi anemia patients undergoing genotypically identical donor hematopoietic cell transplantation
Authors: Tan Poh‐Lin , Wagner John E. , Auerbach Arleen D. , DeFor Todd E. , Slungaard Arne , MacMillan Margaret L.
Published: August 2005

Background

To potentially reduce late effects of malignancy, chronic graft‐versus‐host disease (GVHD), endocrinopathy, and infertility in patients with Fanconi anemia (FA) undergoing HLA‐matched related donor hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT), we developed a regimen using fludarabine (FLU), cyclophosphamide (CY), and anti‐thymocyte globulin (ATG) followed by infusion of T‐cell depleted (TCD) bone marrow (BM) or unmanipulated umbilical cord blood (UCB). GVHD prophylaxis consisted of cyclosporine and short course methylprednisolone.

Procedure

Between April 2000 and June 2003, 11 patients (10 aplastic anemia (AA), 1 myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS)) underwent HCT using this regimen. Stem cell sources were BM and UCB in eight and three patients, respectively.

Results

All patients demonstrated primary engraftment. Median days to neutrophil and platelet engraftment were 11 days (range 9–21) and 38 days (range 19–381), respectively. No patient developed GVHD after primary HCT. The patient with MDS relapsed with AML and a maternal donor recipient experienced secondary graft failure. For the nine FA patients with AA who underwent HLA‐identical sibling donor HCT, the Kaplan–Meier estimates of overall survival and event‐free survival (EFS) at 2 years are 100% and 82%, respectively, at a median follow‐up of 2.9 years (range 1.9–4.8).

Conclusions

In summary, a FLU‐based, non‐irradiation approach is effective for FA patients with AA undergoing HLA‐identical sibling donor HCT. © 2005 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
YAKUSA: A fast structural database scanning method
Authors: Carpentier Mathilde , Brouillet Sophie , Pothier Joël
Published: July 2005

YAKUSA is a program designed for rapid scanning of a structural database with a query protein structure. It searches for the longest common substructures called SHSPs (structural high‐scoring pairs) existing between a query structure and every structure in the structural database. It makes use of protein backbone internal coordinates (α angles) in order to describe protein structures as sequences of symbols. The structural similarities are established in 5 steps, the first 3 being analogous to those used in BLAST: (1) building up a deterministic finite automaton describing all patterns identical or similar to those in the query structure; (2) searching for all these patterns in every structure in the database; (3) extending the patterns to longer matching substructures (i.e., SHSPs); (4) selecting compatible SHSPs for each query–database structure pair; and (5) ranking the query–database structure pairs using 3 scores based on SHSP similarity, on SHSP probabilities, and on spatial compatibility of SHSPs. Structural fragment probabilities are estimated according to a mixture transition distribution model, which is an approximation of a high‐order Markov chain model. With regard to sensitivity and selectivity of the structural matches, YAKUSA compares well to the best related programs, although it is by far faster: A typical database scan takes about 40 s CPU time on a desktop personal computer. It has also been implemented on a Web server for real‐time searches. Proteins 2005. © 2005 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Novel cyclic azo‐bridged analogs of gonadotropin‐releasing hormone
Authors: Fridkin Gil , Rahimipour Shai , Ben‐Aroya Nurit , Kapitkovsky Aviva , Di‐Segni Susanna , Rosenberg Masha , Kustanovich Irina , Koch Yitzhak , Gilon Chaim , Fridkin Mati
Published: August 2005

Five linear analogs of GnRH containing a p‐aminophenylalanine (Pap) residue in their sequence and their six corresponding azo‐bridged cyclic derivatives were synthesized. The precyclic peptides were prepared on solid‐support, while azo‐cyclization was performed in solution by diazotization of the p‐aminophenylalanine residue followed by intramolecular coupling of the formed diazo salt with either tyrosine or histidine side chains present in the sequence. All peptides were examined for their binding ability to the GnRH receptor expressed on rat pituitary membranes and for their LH‐release activity from dispersed rat pituitary cells. Linear analogs 1 i.e [Pap5] GnRH and 3, i.e. [Tyr3, Pap5] GnRH, were found to bind to the GnRH receptors only slightly less avidly than native GnRH. Their cyclization, however, led to a marked reduction in the binding capacity, i.e. from IC50 of 10−9 M to the 10−7 M range, and in biopotency, i.e. LH‐release. All other linear and cyclic peptides were found to bind selectively to the GnRH receptor only in the low µM range. Only peptide 1 was found comparable to native GnRH in respect to LH‐release activity and thus may potentially be a good agonist of the parent peptide. Peptides 1–4, the most potent GnRH receptor binders, were examined for their conformational properties using CD. Cyclic‐azo peptides 2 and 4 were further evaluated by NMR spectroscopy in solution combined with molecular modeling. The structural information obtained explains in part the GnRH‐like biological activity observed. Copyright © 2005 European Peptide Society and John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Antibacterial peptides and proteins with multiple cellular targets
Authors: Otvos Laszlo
Published: August 2005

Native antimicrobial peptides and proteins represent bridges between innate and adaptive immunity in mammals. On the one hand they possess direct bacterial killing properties, partly by disintegrating bacterial membranes, and some also by inhibiting functions of intracellular biopolymers. On the other, native antimicrobial peptides and proteins upregulate the host defense as chemoattractants or by various additional immunostimulatory effects. Structure‐activity relationship studies indicate that residues responsible for the activities on bacterial membranes or for the secondary functions do not perfectly overlap. In reality, in spite of the relatively short size (18–20 amino acid residues) of some of these molecules, the functional domains can frequently be separated, with the cell‐penetrating fragments located at the C‐termini and the protein binding domains found upstream. As a cumulative effect, multifunctional and target‐specific (agonist or antagonist) antimicrobial peptides and proteins interfere with more than one bacterial function at low concentrations, eliminating toxicity concerns of the earlier generations of antibacterial peptides observed in the clinical setting. Copyright © 2005 European Peptide Society and John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Non-Vascularized Free Toe Phalanx Transplantation in the Treatment of Symbrachydactyly and Constriction Ring Syndrome
Authors: GOHLA T. , METZ CH. , LANZ U.
Published: August 2005

Forty-eight patients underwent a total number of 113 non-vascularized free toe phalanx transplantations for congenital short digits between 1975 and 2003, a mean number of 2.3 transplanted phalanges per patient. The mean age at the time of initial surgery was 3.6 years (range 6 months to 21 years). The follow-up time ranged from 4 months to 14 years with a mean of 6 years. Sixty-four phalanges showed radiographically measured growth, 22 phalanges showed signs of resorption, while 27 phalanges showed neither growth nor resorption. Resorption increased with patient age. Three patients developed donor site problems. The optimum timing for initial surgery is as early as possible because of the safer and greater growth potential and less resorption of the transplanted phalanges. Non-vascularized free toe phalanx transplantations offer a simple and safe method of lengthening with a significant improvement of hand function.
No best world: creaturely freedom
Authors: LEFTOW BRIAN
Published: August 2005

William Rowe and others argue that if this is a possible world than which there is a better, it follows that God does not exist. I now reject the key premise of Rowe's argument. I do so first within a Molinist framework. I then show that this framework is dispensable: really all one needs to block the better-world argument is the assumption that creatures have libertarian free will. I also foreclose what might seem a promising way around the ‘moral-luck’ counter I develop, and contend that it is in a way impossible to get around.
New World, No World: Seeking Utopia in Padmanabhan's Harvest
Authors: RAMACHANDRAN AYESHA
Published: July 2005

This essay examines the theoretical and practical implications of performance as a utopian gesture, particularly with regard to postcolonial drama. Analyzing Manjula Padmanabhan's futuristic play, Harvest, as a case study, I argue that ‘utopia’ is a crucial critical concept for postcolonial dramatic practice because it stands for the collision and convergence of aesthetic and political interests, using the body itself as a site for representation and resistance. The play explores the extreme outcome of the international trade in human organs as a metaphor for neocolonialism and the constraints of postcolonial societies rent apart by economic inequalities. In this, it presents a moment of personal moral reckoning as a paradigmatic marker for an entire culture's confrontation with its utopian desires and their consequences. Harvest reflects the utopian impulse of modern drama masked by dystopic expression: it demands a differently imagined and shaped future, even as it chronicles the collapse of utopian visions in absolutist excess.
The role of the retinal pigment epithelium in eye growth regulation
and myopia: A review
Authors: RYMER JODI , WILDSOET CHRISTINE F.
Published: August 2005

Myopia is increasing in prevalence world-wide, nearing epidemic
proportions in some populations. This has led to expanded research efforts
to understand how ocular growth and refractive errors are regulated. Eye
growth is sensitive to visual experience, and is altered by both form
deprivation and optical defocus. In these cases, the primary targets of
growth regulation are the choroidal and scleral layers of the eye that
demarcate the boundary of the posterior vitreous chamber. Of significance
to this review are observations of local growth modulation that imply that
the neural retina itself must be the source of growth-regulating signals.
Thus the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE), interposed between the retina
and the choroid, is likely to play a critical role in relaying retinal
growth signals to the choroid and sclera. This review describes the ion
transporters and signal receptors found in the chick RPE and their
possible roles in visually driven changes in eye growth. We focus on the
effects of four signaling molecules, otherwise implicated in eye growth
changes (dopamine, acetylcholine, vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP), and
glucagon), on RPE physiology, including fluid transport. A model for
RPE-mediated growth regulation is proposed.
MEG recording from the human ventro-occipital cortex in response to
isoluminant color stimulation
Authors: KURIKI ICHIRO , SADAMOTO KENJI , TAKEDA TSUNEHIRO
Published: August 2005

In contrast to PET and fMRI studies, color-selective responses from
the ventro-occipital area have rarely been reported in MEG studies. We
tried to minimize the stimulation to all areas in the visual system except
the color-processing ones by using a color space based on psychophysical
and physiological knowledge in order to maximize the signal-to-noise ratio
for MEG responses from the ventro-occipital area. MEG obtained from long
intermittent reversals (2.0–3.5 s) of isoluminant chromatic gratings
showed two major peaks at the latencies of approximately 100 and 150 ms.
The estimated location of the equivalent-current dipole for response at
100-ms latency was in the calcarine sulcus and that of the dipole for the
response at 150 ms was in the collateral sulcus in the ventro-occipital
area. The response around 150 ms was uniquely observed in MEG elicited by
chromatic reversals. The average of lags between MEG responses from the
calcarine sulcus and ventro-occipital area was 43 ms, which suggests
sequential processing of color information across the visual cortices.
Breeding biology of Southern Ground Hornbill Bucorvus leadbeateri in Zimbabwe: impacts of human activities
Authors: MSIMANGA A.
Published: August 2005

This paper summarizes current knowledge and outlines future work on the breeding biology of Southern Ground Hornbill Bucorvus leadbeateri in Zimbabwe. All available records since 1900 were analysed, including casual reports by members of BirdLife Zimbabwe and published records. Estimates were made for the start and end of the breeding season, group sizes, clutch size and productivity levels, together with an assessment of preferred habitats and nest-tree species. There is a need for intensive fieldwork to determine aspects of breeding biology such as incubation and nestling periods. Particularly important for sound management and conservation strategies is relative breeding success in different land-tenure systems. The author has started work in a communal area 40 km south of Bulawayo city; land-use systems such as new resettlement areas, commercial farms and protected areas remain to be studied.
Azimuthal anisotropy in the D″ layer beneath the Caribbean
Authors: Maupin Valérie , Garnero Edward J. , Lay Thorne , Fouch Matthew J.
Published: August 2005

The lowermost mantle beneath Central America has anisotropic seismic velocity structure manifested in shear wave splitting of signals from South American earthquakes recorded at North American broadband recording stations. Prior studies of deep mantle anisotropy in this region have characterized the structure as having vertical transverse isotropy (VTI), which is sufficient to explain a general trend of early tangential (SH) component arrivals. However, VTI models cannot quantitatively match systematic waveform complexities in the onset of many of the shear waves that graze this region. After accounting for splitting effects of upper mantle anisotropy beneath the recording stations, we model the corrected waveform data using full wave theory for mantle velocity models with an anisotropic D″ layer. This is the first attempt to quantitatively model a large data set including azimuthal anisotropy in D″. The models include transverse isotropy with either a vertical or tilted symmetry axis, the latter resulting in azimuthal anisotropy. For some initial shear wave polarizations, tilted transverse isotropy (TTI) produces small, reversed polarity arrivals on the SV components at the arrival time of SH, consistent with the data. Geographical variations in the azimuth of the TTI symmetry axis are indicated by the data. The lack of azimuthal coverage prevents unique resolution of the TTI orientation and also precludes distinguishing between TTI and other azimuthal anisotropy structures such as that predicted for lattice preferred orientation of minerals. Nonetheless, our modeling demonstrates the need for laterally varying anisotropic structure of more complex form than VTI for this region.
Features of the nonlinear internal wave spectrum in the coastal zone
Authors: Filonov Anatoliy , Novotryasov Vadim
Published: August 2005

This paper studies two examples of internal wave band temperature fluctuation spectra from moored instruments on the central Mexican Pacific Shelf and the western shelf of the Japan/East Sea. It is observed that for band f ≪ ω ≪ N, where N is the buoyancy frequency and f is the inertial frequency, the spectral falloff rate with frequency ω tends to ω−3. These features of spectra are simulated by the model spectrum of nonlinear internal waves in the shallow sea. It is shown that nonlinear internal waves with frequencies f ≪ ω ≪ N are governed by the modified simple wave equation. This equation underlie of the model spectrum of nonlinear internal waves on the shelf. The model spectrum shows ω−3 falloff rate with frequency in contrast with model spectrum proposed with Garrett and Munk, which shows ω−2 falloff rate.
Inducible Nitric Oxide Synthase Contributes to Gender Differences in Ischemic Brain Injury
Authors: Park Eun-Mi , Cho Sunghee , Frys Kelly A , Glickstein Sara B , Zhou Ping , Anrather Josef , Ross Margaret E , Iadecola Costantino
Published: July 2005

Estrogens have antiinflammatory actions and protect the brain from ischemic injury. Cerebral ischemia is accompanied by an inflammatory reaction that contributes to the tissue damage, an effect mediated in part by toxic amounts of nitric oxide (NO) produced by the inducible isoform of NO synthase (iNOS). Therefore, estrogens may protect the female brain by modulating postischemic iNOS expression. To test this hypothesis, we studied whether iNOS plays a role in the mechanisms of the reduced susceptibility to ischemic injury observed in female mice. The middle cerebral artery was occluded for 20 mins using an intraluminal filament in C57BI/6 mice, and infarct volume was assessed 3 days later in cresyl violet-stained sections. Infarcts were 53% smaller in female mice than in males ( P < 0.05), a reduction abolished by ovariectomy (OVX) and reinstated by estrogen replacement. In normal female mice, postischemic iNOS mRNA was lower than in males ( P < 0.05). Ovariectomy increased iNOS mRNA after ischemia and estrogen replacement blocked this effect. Furthermore, the iNOS inhibitor aminoguanidine reduced infarct volume in male, but not in female, mice. Similarly, male iNOS-null mice had smaller infarcts than wild-type mice, but female iNOS nulls were not protected. Ovariectomy and OVX with estrogen replacement did not affect infarct volume in iNOS-null female mice. The findings suggest that the neuroprotection conferred by estrogens is, in part, related to attenuation of iNOS expression. Such attenuation could result from the potent antiinflammatory effects of estrogens that downregulate iNOS expression via transcriptional or posttranscriptional mechanisms.
Purification, characterization and molecular cloning of glycosylphosphatidylinositol-anchored arginine-specific ADP-ribosyltransferases from chicken
Authors: Terashima Masaharu , Osago Harumi , Hara Nobumasa , Tanigawa Yoshinori , Shimoyama Makoto , Tsuchiya Mikako
Published: July 2005

Mono-ADP-ribosylation is a post-translational modification that regulates the functions of target proteins or peptides by attaching an ADP-ribose moiety. Here we report the purification, molecular cloning, characterization and tissue-specific distribution of novel arginine-specific Arts (ADP-ribosyltransferases) from chicken. Arts were detected in various chicken tissues as GPI (glycosylphosphatidylinositol)-anchored forms, and purified from the lung membrane fraction. By molecular cloning based on the partial amino acid sequence using 5′- and 3′-RACE (rapid amplification of cDNA ends), two full-length cDNAs of chicken GPI-anchored Arts, cgArt1 (chicken GPI-anchored Art1) and cgArt2, were obtained. The cDNA of cgArt1 encoded a novel polypeptide of 298 amino acids which shows a high degree of identity with cgArt2 (82.9%), Art6.1 (50.2%) and rabbit Art1 (42.1%). In contrast, the nucleotide sequence of cgArt2 was identical with that of Art7 cloned previously from chicken erythroblasts. cgArt1 and cgArt2 proteins expressed in DT40 cells were shown to be GPI-anchored Arts with a molecular mass of 45 kDa, and these Arts showed different enzymatic properties from the soluble chicken Art, Art6.1. RNase protection assays and real-time quantitative PCR revealed distinct expression patterns of the two Arts; cgArt1 was expressed predominantly in the lung, spleen and bone marrow, followed by the heart, kidney and muscle, while cgArt2 was expressed only in the heart and skeletal muscle. Thus GPI-anchored Arts encoded by the genes cgArt1 and cgArt2 are expressed extensively in chicken tissues. It may be worthwhile determining the functional roles of ADP-ribosylation in each tissue.