bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Ground‐based observations during the period between two strong November 2004 storms attributed to steady magnetospheric convection
Authors: Manninen J. , Kleimenova N. G. , Kozyreva O. V. , Ranta A. , Kauristie K. , Mäkinen S. , Kornilova T. A.
Published: September 2008

Strong geomagnetic storms are of great scientific interest because they drive the magnetosphere to an extreme state and result in nontypical magnetosphere‐ionosphere coupling. The present study examines the ground‐based signatures of the magnetosphere‐ionosphere disturbances during the recovery phase of the very intense storm on 7–8 November 2004. The recovery phase took place under steady and slightly negative (∼−5 nT) values of the IMF Bz. We compare this event with previously documented storm recovery phases occurring under positive IMF Bz and accompanied by morning Pc5 geomagnetic pulsations. During the period studied in this article the strongest pulsation activity was recorded in the evening and midnight sectors of the Earth. We analyze observations from the Scandinavian multipoint ground‐based instrumentation: (1) geomagnetic variations and pulsations, (2) auroras in visual wavelengths, and (3) energetic particle precipitation (riometer data). We show that several enhancements in electrojet, auroral, and energetic precipitation activity were recorded at auroral latitudes. The activations lasted 0.5–2 hours, and the associated negative magnetic field deviations were often more than 1000 nT. Only one of these activations shows typical substorm behavior (poleward expansion and geostationary particle injection). We demonstrate remarkably good correlation between the magnetic variations and cosmic noise absorption variations (in pulsations and slower variations) as well as between the optical auroras and cosmic noise absorption (Imaging Riometer for Ionospheric Studies riometer system) both in time and in space. Thus the auroral precipitation revealed a very coherent behavior over a wide energy range (∼1–40 keV) during the analyzed period. The images acquired by the network of MIRACLE all‐sky cameras show that the auroral distribution exhibited double oval configuration during our event. Double oval is often observed during so‐called Steady Magnetospheric Convection (SMC) episodes. Furthermore, multiple auroral streamers were recorded, implying probable occurrence of bursty bulk flows (BBFs) in the magnetotail. The absence of recurrent geostationary injections, the wide oval configuration, and BBF signatures lead us to suggest that the intermediate period between the two November 2004 superstorms can be attributed to a SMC period. Mapping the motion of ionospheric signatures to the magnetotail with the Tsyganenko 96 models suggests BBF earthward speeds of ∼600–800 km/s. We suppose that the main drivers for the above described recurrent and intensive ionospheric phenomena are energy input from the solar wind due to slightly negative values of IMF Bz as well as huge energy storage in the magnetotail due to the previous storm main phase.
Long‐term trends in the atmospheric water vapor content estimated from ground‐based GPS data
Authors: Nilsson T. , Elgered G.
Published: September 2008

We have used 10 years of ground‐based data from the Global Positioning System (GPS) to estimate time series of the excess propagation path due to the gases in the neutral atmosphere. We first derive the excess path caused by water vapor which in turn is used to infer the water vapor content above each one of 33 GPS receiver sites in Finland and Sweden. Although a 10 year period is much too short to search for climate change we use the data set to assess the stability and consistency of the linear trend of the water vapor content that can be estimated from the data. The linear trends in the integrated water vapor content range from −0.2 to +1.0 kg m−2 decade−1. As one may expect we find different systematic patterns for summer and winter data. The formal uncertainty of these trends, taking the temporal correlation of the variability about the estimated model into account, are of the order of 0.4 kg m−2 decade−1. Mostly, this uncertainty is due to the natural short‐term variability in the water vapor content, while the formal uncertainties in the GPS measurements have only a small impact on the trend errors.
Treatment of Alzheimer's Disease with Anti-Homocysteic acid Antibody
Authors: Hasegawa Tohru , Mikoda Nobuyuki , Kitazawa Masashi , LaFerla Frank
Published: September 2008

Homocysteic acid (HA) may play an important role in Alzhiemer disease (AD) as we previously reported that HA induced accumulation of intraneuronal A[beta]42. In this study, we first analyzed HA levels in a mouse model of AD. 4-month old pre-pathologic 3xTg-AD mice exhibited higher levels of HA in the hippocampus as compared to age-matched nontransgenic, suggesting that HA accumulation may precede both A[beta] and tau pathologies. To further determine the pathogenic role of HA in AD, we treated young 3xTg-AD mice with vitamin B6-deficient food for 3 weeks to induce the production of HA in the brain. Concominantly, mice received either saline or anti-HA antibody intraventricularly using a guide cannula every 3 days. Mice received anti-HA antibody significantly rescued cognitive impairment induced by vitamin B6 deficiency. Pathologically, 3-week treatment with vitamin B-6 deficient food resulted in strong neurodegeneration in the hippocampal CA1 zone and decreased hippocampal volume. In contrast, anti-HA antibody treatment attenuated these pathological changes. Taken together, we conclude that increased brain HA triggers memory impairment whose condition was deteriorated by amyloid and subsequent neurodegeneration and reduction of neurogenesis. Our results indicate a pathogenic role of HA in AD.
Scaling exponent within the side-jump mechanism of Hall effect size-dependence in Ni nanocrystals
Authors: Kumar Dhananjay , Oh Sang Ho , Pennycook Stephen J. , Majumdar A. K.
Published: September 2008

High-resolution Hall data in only 3.5 μg of Ni nanocrystals, grown in a planar array on TiN, are reported. We conclude from the exponent, n∼1.06±0.01 in Rs∼ρn, where Rs is the extraordinary Hall constant and ρ is the Ohmic resistivity, that the side-jump mechanism could still be operative if the nanocrystals are below a certain critical size and the mean free path of the electrons is strongly temperature dependent only in the magnetic layer. Also, the 1000 times larger value of Rs than those in bulk Ni makes it an ideal candidate for magnetic sensors.
Fabrication and microstructure of p-type transparent conducting CuS thin film and its application in dye-sensitized solar cell
Authors: Yuan K. D. , Wu J. J. , Liu M. L. , Zhang L. L. , Xu F. F. , Chen L. D. , Huang F. Q.
Published: September 2008

By reducing film thickness to a few nanometers, the narrow-band-gap CuS turns highly transparent. Surface modification by a self-assembled monolayer is the key factor to obtain a thin, dense, and continuous film. The film growth mechanism is identified as “layer-by-layer growth followed by islanding.” After annealing, a p-type conductivity of ∼2×103Scm−1 is achieved at room temperature, and the thinnest conductive film has an average transparency of 92% between 400 and 800nm. Using p-type CuS films as front contact layers, a dye-sensitized solar cell was fabricated with a significant photoelectric response.
Psychophysics of Perceiving Eye-Gaze and Head Direction with Peripheral Vision: Implications for the Dynamics of Eye-Gaze Behavior
Authors: Loomis Jack M , Kelly Jonathan W , Pusch Matthias , Bailenson Jeremy N , Beall Andrew C
Published: September 2008

Two psychophysical experiments are reported, one dealing with the visual perception of the head orientation of another person (the ‘looker’) and the other dealing with the perception of the looker's direction of eye gaze. The participant viewed the looker with different retinal eccentricities, ranging from foveal to far-peripheral viewing. On average, judgments of head orientation were reliable even out to the extremes of peripheral vision (90° eccentricity), with better performance at the extremes when the participant was able to view the looker changing head orientation from one trial to the next. In sharp contrast, judgments of eye-gaze direction were reliable only out to 4° eccentricity, signifying that the eye-gaze social signal is available to people only when they fixate near the looker's eyes. While not unexpected, this vast difference in availability of information about head direction and eye direction, both of which can serve as indicators of the looker's focus of attention, is important for understanding the dynamics of eye-gaze behavior.
Perceptual Stability—Going with the Flow
Authors: Abadi Richard V , Kulikowski Janus J
Published: September 2008

Historically, inflow and outflow hypotheses have been formulated as the primary explanations for perceptual stability. Central to these hypotheses is the postulation that, following an intended eye movement, knowledge of eye position cancels the consequences of the retinal image motion. Here, we reconsider the evidence for the extra-retinal signal and discuss whether this cancellation approach is compatible with the available empirical evidence. In particular, we propose that visual-oculomotor processing is a distributed process and that population-coding models of sensorimotor transformations are critical elements that need to be incorporated in any comprehensive explanation of spatial constancy.
Neural Correlates of Transformational Apparent Motion
Authors: Mirabella Giuseppe , Norcia Anthony M
Published: September 2008

Transformational apparent motion (TAM) arises when a shape that is abruptly flashed on and off next to a static shape of similar color or texture appears as a protrusion that extends and retracts smoothly from the static object. Here we report that the strength of the TAM percept can be predicted from the waveform of visual evoked potentials (VEPs) measured while observers rated their percepts. The VEPs at pattern onset and offset are maximally symmetric when the static inducer and the flashing patches of the display are of the same contrast. VEP symmetry is affected by how the two patches can be matched as a single surface and may reflect the relative contribution of different motion and object detection systems in visual cortex.
At First Glance, Transparency Enhances Assimilation
Authors: Koning Arno , de Weert Charles M M , van Lier Rob
Published: September 2008

We investigated the role of transparency, perceptual grouping, and presentation time on perceived lightness. Both transparency and perceptual grouping have been found to result in assimilation effects, but only for ambiguous stimulus displays and with specific attentional instructions. By varying the presentation times of displays with two partly overlapping transparent E-shaped objects, we measured assimilation in unambiguous stimulus displays and without specific attentional instructions. The task was to judge which of two simultaneously presented E-shaped objects was darker. With unrestrained presentation times, if a transparency interpretation was possible, assimilation was not found. Inhibiting a transparency interpretation by occluding the local junctions between the two E-shaped objects, did lead to assimilation. With short presentation times, if a transparency interpretation was possible, assimilation was now also found. Thus, we conclude that, although transparency appears to enhance assimilation, with unambiguous stimulus displays and without specific attentional instructions, perceptual grouping is more important for assimilation to occur.
The Dam1 ring binds microtubules strongly enough to be a processive as well as energy-efficient coupler for chromosome motion
Authors: Grishchuk Ekaterina L. , Efremov Artem K. , Volkov Vladimir A. , Spiridonov Ilia S. , Gudimchuk Nikita , Westermann Stefan , Drubin David , Barnes Georjana , McIntosh J. Richard , Ataullakhanov Fazly I.
Published: September 2008

Accurate chromosome segregation during mitotic division of budding yeast depends on the multiprotein kinetochore complex, Dam1 (also known as DASH). Purified Dam1 heterodecamers encircle microtubules (MTs) to form rings that can function as “couplers,” molecular devices that transduce energy from MT disassembly into the motion of a cargo. Here we show that MT depolymerization develops a force against a Dam1 ring that is sixfold larger than the force exerted on a coupler that binds only one side of an MT. Wild-type rings slow depolymerization fourfold, but rings that include a mutant Dam1p with truncated C terminus slow depolymerization less, consistent with the idea that this tail is part of a strong bond between rings and MTs. A molecular-mechanical model for Dam1-MT interaction predicts that binding between this flexible tail and the MT wall should cause a Dam1 ring to wobble, and Fourier analysis of moving, ring-attached beads corroborates this prediction. Comparison of the forces generated against wild-type and mutant complexes confirms the importance of tight Dam1-MT association for processive cargo movement under load.
Blood and Soil of the Soviet Academy: Politically Institutionalized Anti-Semitism in the Moscow Academic Circles of the Brezhnev Era through the Life Stories of Russian Academic Emigrants
Authors: Isaakyan Irina L.
Published: September 2008

The blood-and-soil concept relates to nationalism tied to land that is tied to specific bloodlines—meaning reconsideration of national membership on the basis of ethnicity. Soil affiliation implies objective criteria of national membership, related to birthplace or residence and associated with providing roots (homeland attachments, friends, marriage, children, or citizenship). The idea of blood and soil is about rejecting a soil claim in those with different, “wrong,” blood. As part of national purification, blood-and-soil nationalism emerges as a political process using the “blood” concept as a mechanism to restrict national membership—to reconsider the soil benefits by not making them accessible to everybody. In this work I will use the term “blood and soil'” to stress the exclusive nature of Soviet Russian ethnonationalism in relation to Jews as its number one target and to show the controversy surrounding Soviet membership.
Human PMS2 deficiency is associated with impaired immunoglobulin class switch recombination
Authors: Péron Sophie , Metin Ayse , Gardès Pauline , Alyanakian Marie-Alexandra , Sheridan Eamonn , Kratz Christian Peter , Fischer Alain , Durandy Anne
Published: September 2008

Immunoglobulin (Ig) class switch recombination (CSR) deficiencies are rare primary immunodeficiencies characterized by the lack of switched isotype (IgG/IgA/IgE) production. In some cases, CSR deficiencies can be associated with abnormal somatic hypermutation. Analysis of CSR deficiencies has helped reveal the key functions of CSR-triggering molecules, i.e., CD40L, CD40, and effector molecules such as activation-induced cytidine deaminase and uracil N-glycosylase. We report a new form of B cell–intrinsic CSR deficiency found in three patients with deleterious, homozygous mutations in the gene encoding the PMS2 component of the mismatch repair machinery. CSR was found partially defective in vivo and markedly impaired in vitro. It is characterized by the defective occurrence of double-strand DNA breaks (DSBs) in switch regions and abnormal formation of switch junctions. This observation strongly suggests a role for PMS2 in CSR-induced DSB generation.
Attitudes towards the doctor–patient relationship: a prospective study in an Asian medical school
Authors: Lee Kheng Hock , Seow Adeline , Luo Nan , Koh David
Published: September 2008

Context  Patient‐centredness is an accepted guiding principle for health system reform, patient care and medical education. Although these attitudes are strongly linked with cultural values, few studies have examined attitudes towards patient‐centredness in a cross‐cultural setting.

Objectives  This prospective study evaluated attitudes towards patient‐centredness in a cohort of Asian medical students and examined changes in these attitudes in the same students on completion of their junior clinical clerkships.

Methods  The study was conducted in a cohort of 228 medical students entering Year 3 in medical school. The Patient–Practitioner Orientation Scale (PPOS), a validated instrument which scores an individual’s level of patient‐centredness, was used.

Results  Being female and having personal experience of continuing care were significantly associated with higher scores. Students in the USA were previously reported to have similar ‘caring’ but higher ‘sharing’ scores on the same scale. At the end of the junior clinical clerkship, there were improvements in the ‘caring’ subscale, but no change or a reduction in ‘sharing’. Students who did not have previous personal experience with continuing care experienced a greater increase in overall PPOS score.

Conclusions  When compared with students in the USA, the students in our study appear to have a lower propensity to view the doctor–patient relationship as a partnership. This may be a reflection of differences in cultural norms and expectations of doctor–patient interaction in different societies. Our finding that attitudes towards patient‐centredness did not decline over the course of the year, which contrasts with findings of other studies, may be attributed to various factors and warrants further study.
HLA class II polymorphism in the Ticuna of Brazil: Evolutionary implications of the DRB1*0807 allele
Authors: Mack S.J. , Erlich H.A.
Published: September 2008

Abstract: The alleles at the HLA class II loci HLA‐DRB1, DQA1, DQB1 and DPB1 were determined for 49 individuals of the Ticuna, a Native South American population living in Brazil, using PCR/SSO probe hybridization and DNA sequencing. A newly described DRB1*08 variant, DRBl*0807, which has previously been reported only in native Colombians and contemporary Brazilians of African and Caucasian descent, was identified in the Ticuna at a high frequency (f=0.225). Because *0807 has been observed only in South American populations, we propose that it was generated from a parental *0802 allele recently, after the isolation of various Native South American populations, and infer that the DRB1*0807 allele was generated by a C to T change at codon 57 (Asp→Val, GAT→GTT) from the ancestral *0802. This inference is supported by the sequence of a complex VNTR in the second intron of the DRB1 gene. The DPB1 alleles *0401, *0402 and *1401 constituted 76% of the observed Ticuna DPB1 alleles (f=0.166, 0.427 and 0.166 respectively). In addition, the DPB1 allele *3501, which has been observed in a few other Native South American groups, was observed at a frequency of 0.053 and may have been generated from the putative ancestral allele *1401 allele in South America. The DRB1 and DPB1 allele frequencies for the Ticuna deviate from expected Hardy‐Weinberg equilibrium proportions, while DQA1 and DQB1 allele frequencies do not. When this deviation, which involves an observed excess of DRB1*0807 heterozygotes, is considered with the high frequency of the DRB1*0807 and DPB1*1401 alleles, we infer that native South American populations may have been under selection pressure for increased allele diversity.
Comprehensive HLA‐DP typing using polymerase chain reaction with sequence‐specific primers and 95 sequence‐specific primer mixes
Authors: Gilchrist F.C. , Bunce M. , Lympany P.A. , Welsh K.I. , du Bois R.M.
Published: September 2008

Abstract: HLA‐DP is the third of the class II molecules. Its role is antigen presentation, and it has been suggested to play a part in the susceptibility to certain diseases such as berylliosis, sarcoidosis and juvenile chronic arthritis. The standard typing method is SSO typing, although other methods have been used. Probably the best is sequence‐based typing, but this is time‐consuming and requires expensive equipment. We describe a method for comprehensive HLA‐DPB1 and HLA‐DPA1 typing using sequence‐specific primers. This method has the advantages that it is rapid ‐ typing a single DNA sample takes under 3 hours ‐ and does not require any special equipment or reagents. The method has been shown to be highly accurate by typing 60 cell line DNA samples in which there was 100% agreement between the types obtained and the published information. Similarly typing of 20 DNA samples previously typed by sequence‐based typing gave 100% concordance. We used the method to type DNA samples from 102 UK Cauca‐soid kidney donors. The allele frequencies agree with previously published data. Linkage disequilibria between HLA‐DPB1, HLA‐DPA1 and the other class II antigens have been investigated. Strong linkage disequilibria exist between certain HLA‐DPB1 and HLA‐DPA1 alleles. This is unsurprising in view of their proximity on the chromosome. More unexpectedly, the data also suggest that genes further away along the chromosome are in linkage disequilibrium with HLA‐DP, forming extended haplotypes.
Sequence of four new HLA‐Cw alleles: a possible role of interallelic recombination
Authors: Grundschober C. , Labonne M.‐P. , Javaux F. , Steiner Q.‐G. , Gebuhrer L. , Tiercy J.‐M.
Published: September 2008

Abstract: In order to extend our current understanding of HLA‐C polymorphism, four new alleles have been cloned and sequenced: Cw*1801 in a donor of mixed origin, Cw*02024 in a Senegalese individual, Cw*1205 and Cw*1604 in European Caucasoid blood donors. HLA‐Cw*1801, which most likely results from an interallelic recombination between Cw*0704 and 0401 alleles, was not associated with B*8101, but with either B*4403 or B18. The Cw*02024 allele differs from Cw*02022 by a silent mutation in exon 3. Both Cw*1801 and Cw*02024 appear to be rather frequent in populations of African origin but have not yet been detected in Caucasoids. HLA‐Cw*1604 differs from Cw*1601 by two nucleotides at codon 156 leading to a Gln to Trp substitution. This new Cw16 subtype was subsequently identified in three additional unrelated families, all of South‐European origin, and presented an unusual association with B*4402 in all cases. HLA‐Cw*1205 is a composite allele with the α1 domain of Cw*1602 and the α2 domain of Cw*1203. It appears to be rare, at least in European Caucasoids. Three of these four alleles may have resulted from gene conversion‐like or interallelic recombination events.
HLA‐DQB1*0602 homozygosity increases relative risk for narcolepsy but not disease severity in two ethnic groups
Authors: Pelin Z. , Guilleminault C. , Risch N. ,   F.C. Grumet US Modafinil in Narcolepsy Multicenter Study Group, Mignot E.
Published: September 2008

Abstract: Narcolepsy is a neurological disorder known to be tightly associated with HLA‐DQA1*0102 and DQB1*0602. In this study, we have examined if homozygosity for DQB1*0602 increases disease susceptibility and/ or severity. Patients diagnosed at Stanford University (n=160) or enrolled in a multicenter clinical trial (n=509) were included in this analysis. In both African‐Americans and Caucasian‐Americans with or without cataplexy, a significantly higher than expected number of subjects were DQB1*0602 homozygotes. Relative risks were 2–4 times higher in DQB1*0602 homozy‐gotes vs heterozygotes across all patient groups. In contrast, symptom severity did not differ between DQB1*0602 homozygous and heterozygous subjects. These results indicate that HLA‐DQB1*0602 homozygosity increases susceptibility to narcolepsy but does not appear to influence disease severity.
HLA class II DNA polymorphism in a Moroccan population from the Souss, Agadir area
Authors: Izaabel H. , Garchon H.‐J. , Caillat‐Zucman S. , Beaurain G. , Akhayat O. , Bach J.‐F. , Sanchez‐Mazas A.
Published: September 2008

Abstract: HLA DRB1, DQA1 and DQB1 polymorphisms were analyzed by PCR‐SSO typing in a sample of the Moroccan population from Souss. Uneven allelic frequency distributions are observed at each locus, with particularly high frequencies for DRB1*0701, DRB1*0301, DQA1*0501, DQA1*0201, and DQB1*0201. Only three haplotypes (DRB1*0701‐DQA1*0201‐DQB1*0201, DRB1*0301‐DQA1*0501‐DQB1*0201 and DRB1*11‐DQA1*0501‐DQB1*0301) account for nearly 50% of the total gene frequencies. A genetic distance analysis reveals that the Moroccan population is close to the Spanish and the Algerians, who live in geographically neighboring areas. However, the Souss population is also characterized by a lower level of genetic diversity compared to other African and European populations from the Mediterranean area. This may be the result of a rapid genetic drift due to their likely geographical and/or cultural isolation.
Neoblast‐enriched fraction rescues eye formation in eye‐defective planarian ‘menashi’Dugesia ryukyuensis
Authors: Kobayashi Kazuya , Hashiguchi Toshiyuki , Ichikawa Taiichiro , Ishino Yugo , Hoshi Motonori , Matsumoto Midori
Published: September 2008

Planarians are well known for their remarkable regenerative capacity. This capacity to regenerate is thought to be due to the presence of totipotent somatic stem cells known as ‘neoblasts’, which have particular morphological characteristics. The totipotency of neoblasts was supported by Baguñà's experiment, which involved the introduction of donor cells into irradiated hosts. However, since Baguñà's experiment did not include the use of a phenotypic marker, the donor cells could not be traced. In the current study, a genetic mutant planarian, menashi, an eye‐defective mutant that lacks the pigmented area in the eyes, was established. This planarian is excellent for tracing the fate of cells after their introduction into irradiated hosts. To investigate the differentiation potency more directly, a neoblast‐rich fraction obtained from normal worms was transplanted into an X‐ray‐irradiated menashi strain. Planarians that survive X‐ray irradiation were developed, and we observed the pigment of the area in the eyes of the regenerating planarians. This result suggests that the neoblast‐rich fraction contains cells that can proliferate and differentiate. These cells can replace the cells and structures lost by X‐ray irradiation and ablation, and they can also differentiate into eye pigment cells.
Impairment of exploratory eye movement in schizophrenia patients and their siblings
Authors: Takahashi Sakae , Tanabe Eiichi , Yara Kazuo , Matsuura Masato , Matsushima Eisuke , Kojima Takuya
Published: September 2008

Aims:  Previous family, adoption and twin studies of schizophrenia have shown that genetic factors contribute significantly to the risk of schizophrenia. The aim of the present study was therefore to investigate whether exploratory eye movement (EEM) abnormalities are related to the genetic markers linked to schizophrenia.

Methods:  Twenty‐three probands with schizophrenia, 23 of their healthy siblings (23 proband–sibling pairs), and 43 unrelated normal controls performed EEM tasks. Two parameters were measured: (i) number of eye fixations in responsive search (NEFRS) and (ii) responsive search score (RSS).

Results:  Abnormalities in NEFRS and RSS were more frequent in schizophrenia probands than in their unaffected siblings and in normal controls, and were also more frequent in the healthy siblings than in normal controls. Thus, the EEM test performances of the healthy siblings were intermediate between those of the probands with schizophrenia and those of normal controls.

Conclusion:  Abnormalities of the EEM test parameters may be related to the genetic etiology of schizophrenia. The use of EEM parameters as an endophenotype for schizophrenia may facilitate linkage and association studies in schizophrenia.
Profiles associated with treatment retention in Japanese patients with methamphetamine use disorder: Preliminary survey
Authors: Kobayashi Ohji , Matsumoto Toshihiko , Otsuki Masaki , Endo Keiko , Okudaira Kenichi , Wada Kiyoshi , Hirayasu Yoshio
Published: September 2008

Aims:  To identify profiles associated with treatment retention in Japanese patients with methamphetamine use disorder.

Methods:  The study used a retrospective design based on clinical records. The subjects were 101 patients at the Kanagawa Psychiatric Center, Serigaya Hospital, who were diagnosed as having methamphetamine use disorder. They were divided in two groups, namely those who remained in treatment 3 months after the initial assessment, and those who did not. The primary analysis compared patient profiles between the two groups to detect discriminating variables, which were then submitted for secondary analysis using logistic regression to determine the most relevant predictor of retention.

Results:  Primary analysis indicated that older age, having psychotic symptoms, receiving public assistance, and history of incarceration were associated with treatment retention after 3 months. Secondary analysis showed that positive history of incarceration was the most significant predictor of the outcome.

Conclusions:  History of incarceration had the most significant treatment‐retention effect on Japanese patients with methamphetamine use disorder. The development and introduction of integrated programs that link methamphetamine‐dependent offenders to drug treatment is recommended in outpatient treatment for Japanese patients with methamphetamine user disorder.
Pharmacokinetic interaction between tandospirone and fluvoxamine in the rat contextual conditioned fear stress model and its functional consequence: Involvement of cytochrome P450 3A4
Authors: Nishikawa Hiroyuki , Inoue Takeshi , Masui Takuya , Izumi Takeshi , Nakagawa Shin , Koyama Tsukasa
Published: September 2008

Aims:  In a previous study it was demonstrated that the anxiolytic action of tandospirone, a 5‐hydroxytryptamine (5‐HT)1A receptor agonist, is facilitated by cytochrome P450 (CYP) 3A4 inhibitors, such as ketoconazole and cimetidine. It is also known that fluvoxamine, a selective serotonin re‐uptake inhibitor (SSRI), inhibits CYP3A4. The purpose of the present study was to clarify the pharmacokinetic interaction between tandospirone and fluvoxamine and to evaluate their combined effect in the rat anxiety model.

Methods:  The anxiolytic action of co‐administration of tandospirone and fluvoxamine was examined using the rat contextual conditioned fear stress model. After testing the conditioned fear, plasma concentrations of tandospirone and its major metabolite 1‐(2‐pyrimidyl) piperazine were determined.

Results:  One day after fear conditioning, both tandospirone (60 mg/kg, p.o.) and fluvoxamine (60 mg/kg, p.o.) significantly inhibited conditioned freezing and their combination effect was additive. In addition, plasma concentration of tandospirone was increased by fluvoxamine.

Conclusions:  There is a CYP3A4‐related drug–drug interaction between tandospirone and fluvoxamine. Therefore, fluvoxamine may facilitate the anxiolytic effect of tandospirone via CYP3A4 inhibition.
Environmental detection of octahaem cytochrome c hydroxylamine/hydrazine oxidoreductase genes of aerobic and anaerobic ammonium‐oxidizing bacteria
Authors: Schmid Markus C. , Hooper Alan B. , Klotz Martin G. , Woebken Dagmar , Lam Phyllis , Kuypers Marcel M. M. , Pommerening‐Roeser Andreas , Op Den Camp Huub J. M. , Jetten Mike S. M.
Published: September 2008

Bacterial aerobic ammonium oxidation and anaerobic ammonium oxidation (anammox) are important processes in the global nitrogen cycle. Key enzymes in both processes are the octahaem cytochrome c (OCC) proteins, hydroxylamine oxidoreductase (HAO) of aerobic ammonium‐oxidizing bacteria (AOB), which catalyses the oxidation of hydroxylamine to nitrite, and hydrazine oxidoreductase (HZO) of anammox bacteria, which converts hydrazine to N2. While the genomes of AOB encode up to three nearly identical copies of hao operons, genome analysis of Candidatus‘Kuenenia stuttgartiensis’ showed eight highly divergent octahaem protein coding regions as possible candidates for the HZO. Based on their phylogenetic relationship and biochemical characteristics, the sequences of these eight gene products grouped in three clusters. Degenerate primers were designed on the basis of available gene sequences with the aim to detect hao and hzo genes in various ecosystems. The hao primer pairs amplified gene fragments from 738 to 1172 bp and the hzo primer pairs amplified gene fragments from 289 to 876 bp in length, when tested on genomic DNA isolated from a variety of AOB and anammox bacteria. A selection of these primer pairs was also used successfully to amplify and analyse the hao and hzo genes in community DNA isolated from different ecosystems harbouring both AOB and anammox bacteria. We propose that OCC protein‐encoding genes are suitable targets for molecular ecological studies on both aerobic and anaerobic ammonium‐oxidizing bacteria.
Relative abundance and diversity of ammonia‐oxidizing archaea and bacteria in the San Francisco Bay estuary
Authors: Mosier Annika C. , Francis Christopher A.
Published: September 2008

Ammonia oxidation in marine and estuarine sediments plays a pivotal role in the cycling and removal of nitrogen. Recent reports have shown that the newly discovered ammonia‐oxidizing archaea can be both abundant and diverse in aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems. In this study, we examined the abundance and diversity of ammonia‐oxidizing archaea (AOA) and betaproteobacteria (β‐AOB) across physicochemical gradients in San Francisco Bay – the largest estuary on the west coast of the USA. In contrast to reports that AOA are far more abundant than β‐AOB in both terrestrial and marine systems, our quantitative PCR estimates indicated that β‐AOB amoA (encoding ammonia monooxygenase subunit A) copy numbers were greater than AOA amoA in most of the estuary. Ammonia‐oxidizing archaea were only more pervasive than β‐AOB in the low‐salinity region of the estuary. Both AOA and β‐AOB communities exhibited distinct spatial structure within the estuary. AOA amoA sequences from the north part of the estuary formed a large and distinct low‐salinity phylogenetic group. The majority of the β‐AOB sequences were closely related to other marine/estuarine Nitrosomonas‐like and Nitrosospira‐like sequences. Both ammonia‐oxidizer community composition and abundance were strongly correlated with salinity. Ammonia‐oxidizing enrichment cultures contained AOA and β‐AOB amoA sequences with high similarity to environmental sequences. Overall, this study significantly enhances our understanding of estuarine ammonia‐oxidizing microbial communities and highlights the environmental conditions and niches under which different AOA and β‐AOB phylotypes may thrive.
The microbial nitrogen cycle
Authors: Jetten Mike S. M.
Published: September 2008

This special issue highlights several recent discoveries in the microbial nitrogen cycle including the diversity of nitrogen‐fixing bacteria in special habitats, distribution and contribution of aerobic ammonium oxidation by bacteria and crenarchaea in various aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems, regulation of metabolism in nitrifying bacteria, the molecular diversity of denitrifying microorganisms and their enzymes, the functional diversity of freshwater and marine anammox bacteria, the physiology of nitrite‐dependent anaerobic methane oxidation and the degradation of recalcitrant organic nitrogen compounds. Simultaneously the articles in this issue show that many questions still need to be addressed, and that the microbes involved in catalyzing the nitrogen conversions still harbour many secrets that need to be disclosed to fully understand the biogeochemical nitrogen cycle, and make future predictions and global modelling possible.
COMMON STOCHASTIC TRENDS AMONG THE CYPRUS STOCK EXCHANGE AND THE ASE, LSE AND NYSE
Authors: Constantinou Eleni , Kazandjian Avo , Kouretas Georgios P. , Tahmazian Vera
Published: September 2008

Common stochastic trends among major international stock price indices have been an intensively analysed issue mainly as a result of the 1987 stock market crash and the need for policy coordination in financial markets. This paper investigates the existence of common stochastic trends among an emerging equity market, the Cyprus Stock Exchange, and three mature equity markets, namely the Athens Stock Exchange (ASE), the London Stock Exchange (LSE) and the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE).
THE SOURCES OF AGGREGATE PRODUCTIVITY GROWTH: US MANUFACTURING INDUSTRIES, 1958–1996
Authors: Krüger Jens J.
Published: September 2008

The sources of aggregate productivity growth are explored using detailed data for four‐digit US manufacturing industries during 1958–96 and a decomposition formula that allows us to quantify the contribution of structural change. Labour productivity as well as total factor productivity are considered with either value‐added or employment shares serving as aggregation weights. It is shown that structural change generally works in favour of industries with increasing productivity. This effect is particularly strong in the years since 1990, in high‐tech industries and in durable goods producing industries. The impact of the computer revolution can be clearly identified.
NORMEN HOCHSPRACHLICHEN SPRECHENS ZWISCHEN SCHRIFTSPRACHE UND PLURIZENTRISCHER SPRACHKULTUR
Authors: Eichinger Ludwig M.
Published: September 2008

Erst seit dem 19. Jahrhundert gewinnt die deutsche Hochsprache in ihrer gesprochenen Form in großen Kreisen der Bevölkerung an Bedeutung. Bis dahin spricht der Großteil der Bevölkerung eine jener regionalen Varietäten des Deutschen, die unter dem Eindruck der Ausbreitung der Hochsprache und von sogenannten Umgangssprachen eine Verschiebung ihrer Funktion mitmachen, als der Hochsprache gegenüberstehender Pol verstanden, so als ‘Dialekt’ wissenschaftlich beschrieben und ideologisch integriert werden. Spätestens seit der Mitte des 20. Jahrhunderts verändert sich der Sprachgebrauch in eine Richtung, die eine solche dichotomische Einordnung als obsolet erscheinen lässt. In den letzten zwei Jahrzehnten beobachtet man eine beschleunigte weiträumige und tiefgreifende Annäherung an die Standardsprache auch beim Sprechen. Das hat Konsequenzen für die normativen Vorstellungen von solch einer Sprachform, für die das Bild vom plurizentrischen Charakter des Deutschen keine hinreichende Basis mehr abgibt. Eine andere Frage ist, wie sich diese Entwicklungen angemessen modellieren lassen und welche Rolle die Kategorie Regionalität dabei spielt.
THE GERMAN LANGUAGE AND THE FUTURE OF EUROPE: TOWARDS A RESEARCH AGENDA ON THE POLITICS OF LANGUAGE
Authors: Stevenson Patrick
Published: September 2008

Most accounts of nationalism and national identity include the idea of a ‘national language’ as a foundational element and key organising principle, yet even before the advent of new technologies of communication these defining codes were rarely, if ever, contained within national boundaries. The coexistence of what are perceived as distinct linguistic varieties (‘languages’) is therefore the normal condition of the nation‐state. This contradiction between the multilingual reality of individuals and communities and what Ingrid Gogolin calls the ‘monolingual habitus’ is fundamental to Susan Gal's (2006) discussion of the ironies of linguistic regimes in contemporary Europe that continue to be based on Herderian principles in spite of the pluralising rhetoric of European institutions.

In this paper, I start from Gal's observations on migration, minorities, and multilingualism in Europe and consider their implications for a research agenda on the politics of language that takes account of the multiple layers of language policy on the one hand and the complexity of individual experiences with language on the other. I then illustrate this agenda with reference to a project on the present relationship between the German language and different forms of social identification in central Europe.
Disentangling Energy Policy from Environmental Policy*
Authors: Lowry William R.
Published: September 2008

Objectives. I attempt to disentangle energy policy from environmental policy in order to explain the shifting politics surrounding the former. I can then explain why energy policies have historically provided distributive benefits but also the implications of the fact that energy proposals have in recent years become more regulatory in nature.

Methods. I use a range of methods. These include qualitative accounts of the evolution of energy policy, graphic depictions of congressional activity, spending, and partisanship, and multivariate analyses of oversight activities.

Results. I find that policymakers have historically treated energy issues as distributive policy, resulting in an emphasis on spending and oversight but not on substantial legislation. Over the last three decades, as policymakers push energy proposals that are more regulatory in nature, energy politics have become more divisive and partisan.

Conclusion. Ultimately, I conclude that the enactment of strong energy policies will necessarily involve conditions that have been conducive to passage of other strong regulatory policies.
Environmental Policy Attitudes: Issues, Geographical Scale, and Political Trust*
Authors: Konisky David M. , Milyo Jeffrey , Richardson Lilliard E.
Published: September 2008

Objectives. This article examines environmental policy attitudes, focusing on the differences in preferences across issue type (i.e., pollution, resource preservation) and geographical scale (i.e., local, national, global). In addition, we study whether an individual's trust in government influences environmental policy attitudes.

Methods. Analyzing data from the 2007 Cooperative Congressional Election Study, we estimate a series of OLS regression models to examine the public's environmental policy attitudes.

Results. We find stronger public support for government action to address pollution issues than resources issues, and stronger support for local and national pollution abatement than dealing with global problems. We also find that Republicans and ideological conservatives are less likely to support further government effort to address the environment, and that more trusting individuals are more favorable to government action to address pollution and global issues.

Conclusion. Environmental policy attitudes vary by the nature of the issue; however, political ideology and partisan affiliation are consistent predictors of preferences across issues, even when controlling for an individual's level of trust in government.
Exploring the Social Roots of Smart Growth Policy Adoption by Cities*
Authors: O'Connell Lenahan
Published: September 2008

Objective. This study identifies: (1) the smart growth policies adopted in a sample of U.S. cities; and (2) the relative impact of four social factors—education, local environmental activism, race, and homeownership on policy adoption.

Method. A survey was sent to planning and development officials in a sample of 340 cities.

Results. On average, the cities have 4.96 smart growth policies on their books. Adoption of such policies is more associated with two indicators of the new political culture (NPC)—the presence of environmental activist groups at the local level and the percent of college‐educated residents—than with the percent of residents who are white or the percent who are homeowners.

Conclusion. The smart growth movement at the local level is a product of the environmental concerns associated with the NPC and is more likely to influence the adoption of land‐preserving policies than land‐use‐intensifying policies.
Expression of PLUNC family members in benign and malignant salivary gland tumours
Authors: Vargas PA , Speight PM , Bingle CD , Barrett AW , Bingle L
Published: September 2008

Objectives:  The aim of this study was to determine the expression of PLUNC proteins in benign and malignant salivary gland tumours and thus their potential use as diagnostic and / or prognostic tools.

Materials and methods:  A tissue microarray was assembled from 64 salivary gland tumours including adenoid cystic carcinoma, carcinoma ex‐pleomorphic adenoma, mucoepidermoid carcinoma, polymorphous low‐grade adenocarcinoma, pleomorphic adenoma, acinic cell carcinoma, myoepithelial carcinoma and papillary cystadenocarcinoma. Clinicopathological data were collected retrospectively and immunohistochemical analysis of three PLUNC proteins (SPLUNC1, SPLUNC2 and LPLUNC1) was performed. Immunoreactivity was assessed as positive or negative.

Results:  PLUNC expression was only found in mucoepidermoid carcinomas and papillary cystadenocarcinoma; all other tumours studied were negative. Mucin plugs, mucous and intermediate cells of mucoepidermoid carcinomas were positive for LPLUNC1 and SPLUNC2, but areas composed of epidermoid and clear cells were negative for all PLUNCs. Papillary cystadenocarcinoma was positive for all PLUNCs. No correlation was found with tumour grade or outcome.

Conclusions:  Intense expression of two PLUNC proteins in mucous cells and mucin plugs of mucoepidermoid carcinoma and papillary cystadenocarcinoma indicate that they could be used as additional diagnostic tools in some equivocal cases, but further studies are needed to understand the biological processes involved in PLUNC expression.
Development of the female reproductive system in the freshwater crayfish Cherax quadricarinatus (Decapoda, Parastacidae)
Authors: Vazquez Fernanda J. , Tropea Carolina , López Greco Laura S.
Published: September 2008

Abstract. The differentiation of the female reproductive system from a macroscopic and microscopic point of view was studied in Cherax quadricarinatus. For this characterization, 184 females were dissected and processed for the histological analysis. From the differentiation of the ovary up to its maturity, three ovarian morphotypes could be distinguished macroscopically: parallel strands without any contact between them, an H‐shaped ovary, and a Y‐shaped ovary. These morphotypes were compared within the Astacida. Four ovarian developmental stages were recognized based on ovary color, and the histological structure and relative proportion of cellular types. The post‐spawning ovary was also characterized. The components of the female reproductive system sheath were described and its modifications in the ovary and oviducts were determined and compared. Theoretical aspects of the study of sexual differentiation in C. quadricarinatus were discussed within a phylogenetic framework.
Activity Patterns of a Neotropical Ambush Predator: Spatial Ecology of the Fer‐de‐lance (Bothrops asper, Serpentes: Viperidae) in Costa Rica
Authors: Wasko Dennis K. , Sasa Mahmood
Published: September 2008

Patterns of movement and space usage are important components of the ecology of any organism. Among snakes, this information is often lacking even for species that are abundant, ecologically important, and/or relevant to human health. We used radiotelemetry to examine the spatial ecology and behavior of the fer‐de‐lance (Bothrops asper), a highly venomous pit viper that is ubiquitous throughout much of Central America. Sixteen adult snakes were tracked over 2 yr in lowland rainforest of Costa Rica to determine home range, movement patterns, and foraging behavior. Consistent with previous descriptions, B. asper was found to be a highly nocturnal ambush predator, exhibiting virtually no activity during the day. Overall home range was determined using both minimum convex polygon (mean size = 5.95 ha) and 95 and 50 percent kernel density (mean size = 3.71 and 0.370 ha, respectively); home range size did not differ between males and females by any estimation method. Movement pattern was largely aseasonal and unrelated to any observed environmental conditions other than the daily low temperature. Most movements consisted of short (< 10 m) movements between daytime shelter and nocturnal ambush sites within a given area, interspersed with longer distance (> 50 m) movements to new foraging areas. Compositional analysis of habitat usage indicated an avoidance of developed areas and selection of swamp habitat. Most snakes had several activity cores (50% kernel density), the majority which were in or near swamps. These patterns suggest that space and habitat usage of fer‐de‐lance may be related to foraging strategy.