bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Anodization of electrolytically polished Ta surfaces for enhancement of carrier injection into organic field-effect transistors
Authors: Ueno Keiji , Abe Shigeomi , Onoki Ryo , Saiki Koichiro
Published: December 2005

Electrolytically polished surfaces of Ta sheets were anodized in an aqueous KI solution to form Ta2O5 films with a relatively high dielectric constant and a high breakdown electric field. Organic field-effect transistors (OFETs) were fabricated on these Ta2O5∕Ta substrates with a bottom gate configuration. The Ta2O5 films anodized at 100V were about 200nm thick, and the dielectric strength was as high as 5MV∕cm. A p-type pentacene OFET fabricated on this bottom gate showed the good field-effect mobility of 0.35cm2∕Vs. By using this high-k gate substrate, it becomes possible to inject a higher amount of charge carriers into organic active layers than on the SiO2∕Si gate conventionally used in most OFETs.
Dynamic imaging of 13.5 nm extreme ultraviolet emission from laser-produced Sn plasmas
Authors: Tao Y. , Nishimura H. , Okuno T. , Fujioka S. , Ueda N. , Nakai M. , Nagai K. , Norimatsu T. , Miyanaga N. , Nishihara K. , Izawa Y.
Published: December 2005

Temporally resolved imaging of 13.5 nm extreme ultraviolet (EUV) emission from laser-produced Sn plasmas was experimentally investigated with a monochromatic EUV imager. Absorption caused by the surrounding plasma was eliminated by adopting a stripe Sn target laminated on a plastic film so that the CH plasma tamped lateral expansion of the Sn plasma. The experimental results revealed that reabsorption induced by plasma, both in EUV emission-dominant and long scale coronal regions, plays an key role in extracting the EUV light from the plasma efficiently.
Deep-level transient spectroscopy of TiO2∕CuInS2 heterojunctions
Authors: Nanu Marian , Boulch Florence , Schoonman Joop , Goossens Albert
Published: December 2005

Deep-level transient spectroscopy (DLTS) has been used to measure the concentration and energy position of deep electronic states in CuInS2. Flat TiO2∣CuInS2 heterojunctions as well as TiO2-CuInS2 nanocomposites have been investigated. Subband-gap electronic states in CuInS2 films are mostly due to antisite point defects and vacancies. Substitution of indium with copper, CuInII, leads to an acceptor state 0.15 eV above the valence band, while copper vacancies, VCuI, are acceptor states at 0.1 eV. Furthermore, indium on a copper position, InCu″, yields a donor state at 0.07 eV below the conduction band, while sulphur vacancies are donor states at 0.0=eV. With DLTS, these states are indeed found. For flat configurations, VCuI are the dominant acceptors with a concentration of 1.83×1017cm−3. In contrast for nanocomposites CuInII are the dominant acceptors having a concentration of 6.7×1017cm−3. We conclude that the concentration of antisite defects in nanocomposite CuInS2 is significantly higher than that in flat films of CuInS2.
Roll-type thermoelectric devices with InN thin films
Authors: Izaki Ryohei , Kaiwa Nakaba , Hoshino Masayuki , Yaginuma Tadashi , Yamaguchi Shigeo , Yamamoto Atsushi
Published: December 2005

In terms of the approach to the integration of thermoelectric devices, we proposed a roll-type thermoelectric device. We studied the load characteristics of the thermoelectric microdevices using InN thin films prepared by reactive radio-frequency sputtering. It consisted 60-pair or 120-pair InN-chromel films, which were deposited on polyimide film. For the 120-pair device, the maximum open output voltage and the maximum output power were 210 mV and 65 nW, respectively, at temperature difference of 168 K.
Strong green upconversion emission in ZrO2:Yb3+–Ho3+ nanocrystals
Authors: De la Rosa E. , Salas P. , Desirena H. , Angeles C. , Rodríguez R. A.
Published: December 2005

Structural and upconversion emission properties of ZrO2:Yb3+–Ho3+ nanocrystals were analyzed as function of Yb3+ concentration. Structural characterization shows a crystallite size up to 80 nm and tetragonal and cubic phase as the main crystalline structures. Strong green (540 nm) and weak red (670 nm) and near infrared (760 nm) emission bands were observed with 968 nm excitation. The upconversion is based on two photons absorption either by the energy transfers from Yb3+ ion or by the excited state absorption. The energy transfer efficiency was calculated to be 50% for 2 mol % of Yb3+ diminishing to less than 20% for higher concentration. The Yb3+ concentration also affects the decay time of the green emission of Ho3+ ion diminishing from 140μs for 2 mol % of Yb to 76μs for higher concentration.
Enhancement of Pr3+ luminescence in PbO–GeO2 glasses containing silver nanoparticles
Authors: Naranjo Luz Patrícia , de Araújo Cid B. , Malta Oscar L. , Cruz Petrus A. Santa , Kassab Luciana R. P.
Published: December 2005

Pr 3 + -doped PbO–GeO2 (PGO) glasses containing silver nanoparticles (NPs) were prepared and their spectroscopic characteristics were studied. The PGO samples and the nucleation of silver NP were obtained melting the starting oxide powders, quenching and annealing. Transmission electron microscopy was used to characterize the NP size distribution. Isolated silver particles with average diameter of 2 nm and aggregates with dimensions smaller than 100 nm were observed. Optical absorption and luminescence experiments were performed to investigate the properties of the composite system. Enhancement of the Pr3+ ions’ luminescence was observed due to the presence of the silver NP.
Optically transparent bionanofiber composites with low sensitivity to refractive index of the polymer matrix
Authors: Nogi Masaya , Handa Keishin , Nakagaito Antonio Norio , Yano Hiroyuki
Published: December 2005

Transparent polymers were reinforced by bacterial cellulose (BC) nanofibers, which are 10×50nm ribbon-shaped fibers. They exhibited high luminous transmittance at a fiber content as high as 60 wt %, and low sensitivity to a variety of refractive indices of matrix resins. Due to the nanofiber size effect, high transparency was obtained against a wider distribution of refractive index of resins from 1.492 to 1.636 at 20 °C. The optical transparency was also surprisingly insensitive to temperature increases up to 80 °C. As such, BC nanofibers appear to be viable candidates for optically transparent reinforcement.
ZnO nanoclusters: Synthesis and photoluminescence
Authors: Antony J. , Chen X. B. , Morrison J. , Bergman L. , Qiang Y. , McCready D. E. , Engelhard M. H.
Published: December 2005

ZnO nanoclusters were prepared and deposited at room temperature using a newly developed cluster source. The nanoclusters act as a building block for the cluster films deposited on various substrates. The cluster films were characterized by transmission electron microscopy, x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, x-ray diffraction, and photoluminescence. We prepared monodispersed crystalline ZnO nanoclusters of ∼7nm diameter. These clusters have a significant blueshift of ∼125meV (compared to the results published so far) within the ultraviolet region at room temperature. No PL in our samples was observed in the visible region, which implies negligible defect formation in ZnO nanocluster films.
Contributions to Geography? The Spaces of Heidegger's Beiträge
Authors: Elden Stuart
Published: December 2005

In this paper I provide a reading of Heidegger's Beiträge zur Philosophie (Vom Ereignis) [the contributions to philosophy (of propriation)] as a contribution to geography. This collection of manuscripts, written between 1936 and 1938, is extremely important in terms of the development of Heidegger's work, his political career, and his rethinking of the relation between space and time. This rethinking is one of the key themes discussed, along with the political and geographical implications of Heidegger's notion of calculation. In order to situate these insights, I first provide a discussion of the context within which Heidegger wrote the work. After outlining this biographical, intellectual, and political situation, I move to the geographical contributions, suggesting ways in which Heidegger's thought can impact on our thinking of environment, nature, globalisation, and measurement.
Aesthetics, Genetics, and Evaluating Animal Bodies: Locating and Displacing Cattle on Show and in Figures
Authors: Holloway Lewis
Published: December 2005

In this paper I examine intertwined modes of bodily evaluation and genetic understanding evident in relation to ‘modernising’ tendencies in contemporary agriculture, using a case study of pedigree cattle breeding. These modes afford different perspectives on the same bodies. Visual evaluation is associated with aesthetic appreciation of physically present animal bodies, and takes on a particular intensity in the ritual of judging during agricultural shows. Statistical techniques of genetic evaluation are concerned to construct numerical estimates of the genetic ‘worth’ or ‘potential’ of an animal, which can stand for the animal and be transported over space and time. In both instances, animals become understood through a series of relationships between material bodies, semiotic practices, social institutions, and spatialities, and both constitute different sorts of assessment of something of the interiority of animal bodies from the outside. Both draw on different practical understandings of bodies and of bodily quality, which are directly related to breeding practices and the production and constitution of new animal bodies. I explore the production of different knowledge practices associated with these modes of evaluation, and examine the interplay and tensions between them. Simultaneously taking into account aesthetic and technical knowledge practices is suggested to be valuable in considerations of the constitution of bodies embedded in specific nature–society relations. Finally, it is suggested that there is evidence for an intensification of genetic discourse in livestock breeding, implying continuing processes of change in the knowledge practices of breeding and in the locus of decisionmaking and relations of power in agriculture.
Strange Star Equations of State Revisited
Authors: Menezes Debora P. , Melrose Don B.
Published: December 2005

Motivated by recent suggestions that strange stars can be responsible for glitches and other observational features of pulsars, we review some possible equations of state and their implications for models of neutron, hybrid, and strange stars. We consider the MIT bag model and also strange matter in the colour–flavour locked phase. The central energy densities for strange stars are higher than the central densities of ordinary neutron stars. Strange stars are bound by the strong force and so can also rotate much faster than neutron stars. These results are only weakly dependent on the model used for the quark matter. If just one of the existing mass-to-radius ratio constraint is valid, most neutron stars equations of state are ruled out, but all the strange stars equations of state presented in this work remain consistent with the constraint.
Short-amplitude high-frequency wing strokes determine the aerodynamics of honeybee flight
Authors: Altshuler Douglas L. , Dickson William B. , Vance Jason T. , Roberts Stephen P. , Dickinson Michael H.
Published: December 2005

Most insects are thought to fly by creating a leading-edge vortex that remains attached to the wing as it translates through a stroke. In the species examined so far, stroke amplitude is large, and most of the aerodynamic force is produced halfway through a stroke when translation velocities are highest. Here we demonstrate that honeybees use an alternative strategy, hovering with relatively low stroke amplitude (≈90°) and high wingbeat frequency (≈230 Hz). When measured on a dynamically scaled robot, the kinematics of honeybee wings generate prominent force peaks during the beginning, middle, and end of each stroke, indicating the importance of additional unsteady mechanisms at stroke reversal. When challenged to fly in low-density heliox, bees responded by maintaining nearly constant wingbeat frequency while increasing stroke amplitude by nearly 50%. We examined the aerodynamic consequences of this change in wing motion by using artificial kinematic patterns in which amplitude was systematically increased in 5° increments. To separate the aerodynamic effects of stroke velocity from those due to amplitude, we performed this analysis under both constant frequency and constant velocity conditions. The results indicate that unsteady forces during stroke reversal make a large contribution to net upward force during hovering but play a diminished role as the animal increases stroke amplitude and flight power. We suggest that the peculiar kinematics of bees may reflect either a specialization for increasing load capacity or a physiological limitation of their flight muscles.
The multidomain proapoptotic molecules Bax and Bak are directly activated by heat
Authors: Pagliari Lisa J. , Kuwana Tomomi , Bonzon Christine , Newmeyer Donald D. , Tu Shine , Beere Helen M. , Green Douglas R.
Published: December 2005

During apoptosis, engagement of the mitochondrial pathway involves a decisive event characterized by the release of mitochondrial intermembrane space proteins, such as cytochrome
c
. This permeabilization of the mitochondrial outer membrane depends on activation and oligomerization of multidomain Bcl-2-family proteins Bax or Bak. Although specific members of the Bcl-2 family can activate these proapoptotic proteins, we found that heat directly activated Bax or Bak to induce cytochrome
c
release. A preparation of mitochondria heated at 43°C released cytochrome
c
in association with Bak oligomerization, and Bcl-xL prevented these events. Similarly, heat induced the oligomerization of recombinant Bax, conferring an ability to permeabilize mitochondria. Compared with wild-type cells,
bax
–/–
bak
–/–
mouse embryonic fibroblasts and mitochondria isolated from these cells were resistant to heat-induced cytochrome
c
release. Cytosol from untreated cells inhibited heat-activated Bax or Bak; however, depletion of cytosolic Bcl-xL ablated this protection. Although mitochondria heated in the presence of cytosol did not release cytochrome
c
, they displayed a dramatic increase in sensitivity to permeabilization by the BH3-only protein Bid. Additionally, a peptide corresponding to the BH3 domain of Puma counteracted the inhibitory effect of cytosol and permitted heat-activated Bak to permeabilize the mitochondria. Therefore, heat represents a condition under which multidomain proapoptotic proteins are activated, and this activation is regulated by both antiapoptotic and BH3-only members of the Bcl-2 family. Our results support an emerging paradigm, wherein the activation of Bax or Bak and the blockade of antiapoptotic Bcl-2 proteins are pivotal steps in the mitochondrial pathway of apoptosis.
Polyproline II propensities from GGXGG peptides reveal an anticorrelation with β-sheet scales
Authors: Shi Zhengshuang , Chen Kang , Liu Zhigang , Ng Angela , Bracken W. Clay , Kallenbach Neville R.
Published: December 2005

There is growing appreciation of the functional relevance of unfolded proteins in biology. However, unfolded states of proteins have proven inaccessible to the usual techniques for high-resolution structural and energetic characterization. Unfolded states are still generally conceived of as statistical coils, based on the pioneering work of Flory [(1969)
Statistical Mechanics of Chain Molecules
(Wiley, New York)] and Tanford [(1968)
Adv. Protein Chem.
23, 121–282]. Recently, several lines of independent evidence have raised doubts about the random coil model and offer support for alternative views. Here, we show that polyproline II conformation is dominant in a host–guest peptide model AcGGXGGNH
2
(X ≠ glycine), in equilibrium predominantly with β-structure. This result is inconsistent with a random coil model and the general view that these peptides are unstructured. By calculating a set of apparent Δ
G
values from the measured coupling constants of the backbone amides, we can construct a polyproline II scale that correlates negatively with β-sheet scales.
Developmental checkpoints of the basophil/mast cell lineages in adult murine hematopoiesis
Authors: Arinobu Yojiro , Iwasaki Hiromi , Gurish Michael F. , Mizuno Shin-ichi , Shigematsu Hirokazu , Ozawa Hidetoshi , Tenen Daniel G. , Austen K. Frank , Akashi Koichi
Published: December 2005

Basophils and mast cells, which are selectively endowed with the high-affinity IgE receptor and mediate a range of adaptive and innate immune responses, have an unknown developmental relationship. Here, by evaluating the expression of the β7 integrin, a molecule that is required for selective homing of mast cell progenitors (MCPs) to the periphery, we identified bipotent progenitors that are capable of differentiating into either cell type in the mouse spleen. These basophil/mast cell progenitors (BMCPs) gave rise to basophils and mast cells at the single-cell level and reconstituted both mucosal and connective tissue mast cells. We also identified the basophil progenitor (BaP) and the MCP in the bone marrow and the gastrointestinal mucosa, respectively. We further show that the granulocyte-related transcription factor CCAAT/enhancer-binding protein α (C/EBPα) plays a primary role in the fate decision of BMCPs, being expressed in BaPs but not in MCPs. Thus, circulating basophils and tissue mast cells share a common developmental stage at which their fate decision might be controlled principally by C/EBPα.
The heteromeric
Nanoarchaeum equitans
splicing endonuclease cleaves noncanonical bulge–helix–bulge motifs of joined tRNA halves
Authors: Randau Lennart , Calvin Kate , Hall Michelle , Yuan Jing , Podar Mircea , Li Hong , Söll Dieter
Published: December 2005

Among the tRNA population of the archaeal parasite
Nanoarchaeum equitans
are five species assembled from separate 5′ and 3′ tRNA halves and four species derived from tRNA precursors containing introns. In both groups an intervening sequence element must be removed during tRNA maturation. A bulge–helix–bulge (BHB) motif is the hallmark structure required by the archaeal splicing endonuclease for recognition and excision of all introns. BHB motifs are recognizable at the joining sites of all five noncontinuous tRNA species, although deviations from the canonical BHB motif are clearly present in at least two of them. Here, we show that the
N. equitans
splicing endonuclease cleaves tRNA precursors containing normal introns, as well as all five noncontinuous precursor tRNAs, at the predicted splice sites, indicating the enzyme's dual role in the removal of tRNA introns and processing of tRNA halves to be joined in trans. The cleavage activity on a set of synthetic canonical and noncanonical BHB constructs showed that the
N. equitans
splicing endonuclease accepts a broader range of substrates than the homodimeric
Archaeoglobus fulgidus
enzyme. In contrast to the
A. fulgidus
endonuclease, the
N. equitans
splicing enzyme possesses two different subunits. This heteromeric endonuclease type, found in
N. equitans
, in all Crenarchaeota, and in
Methanopyrus kandleri
, is able to act on the noncanonical tRNA introns present only in these organisms, which suggests coevolution of enzyme and substrate.
Assembly and Disassembly of Viral Capsids
Authors: Zandi Roya , Reguera David , Bruinsma Robijn , Gelbart William , Rudnick Joseph
Published: December 2005

We address here a theoretical basis for the icosahedral symmetry that is observed so commonly for viral capsids, i.e., the single‐protein‐thick rigid shells that protect the viral genome. In particular, we outline the phenomenological hamiltonian approach developed recently (see Zandi, R., Reguera, D., Bruinsma, R., Gelbart, W.M. and Rudnick, J. (2004), Original of icosahedral symmetry in viruses, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci., 101, 15556–15560) to account for the overwhelming prevalence of the Caspar‐Klug “T‐number” structures that are found for “spherical” viruses. We feature the role of “conformational switching energies” defining the competing multimeric states of the protein subunits. The results of Monte Carlo simulation of this model are argued to shed light as well on the mechanical properties and genome release mechanism for these viruses.
Local Rule Simulations of Capsid Assembly
Authors: Schwartz R. , Shor P. W. , Berger B.
Published: December 2005

Local rules theory describes virus capsid self‐assembly in terms of simple local binding preferences of discrete subunit conformations. The theory offered a parsimonious explanation for the complexity and regularity of virus capsids that resolved several inconsistencies between experimental observations and prior theories. Simultaneously, it provided a valuable practical abstraction for simulating the assembly process. Local rule models offered important advantages over other methods in rapidly developing simulations of complex geometries and assembly processes. Subsequent extensions considerably augmented the range of assembly phenomena amenable to simulation studies. Here we review the development of local rule‐based simulation models and their applications to basic biology and medicine. We conclude by discussing the future prospects of local rule models for in silico experimentation with capsid assembly.
RNA Multimerisation in the DNA Packaging Motor of Bacteriophage φ29
Authors: Wood Jonathan P. A. , Capaldi Stephanie A. , Robinson Mark A. , Baron Andrew J. , Stonehouse Nicola J.
Published: December 2005

The use of bacteriophages as experimental tools allows the investigation of interactions between components at the molecular level that are often not possible in more complex virus systems. The bacteriophage φ29 acts as a molecular machine to package its own genomic DNA during viral assembly. Self‐associating RNA molecules, called pRNA, have an essential role in the function of this machine. This paper reports the characterization of this self‐association (which leads to multimerisation of wild‐type and truncated variant pRNAs) by analytical ultracentrifugation (including determination of the partial specific volume of the pRNA), together with an investigation into the domains of the molecule important for multimerisation by the use of complementary DNA probes.
A Coarse Grained Model for DNA and Polymer Packaging: Statics and Dynamics
Authors: Ali I. , Marenduzzo D. , Micheletti C. , Yeomans J. M.
Published: December 2005

We present a numerical characterization of the statics and dynamics of the packaging of a semi‐flexible polymer inside a sphere. The study is motivated by recent experiments on the packaging of DNA inside viral capsids. It is found that the force required to confine the coarse‐grained polymer is in fair agreement with that found in experiments for the packaging of the phi29 bacteriophage genome. Despite its schematic nature, the model is capable of reproducing the most salient dynamical features of packaging experiments such as the presence of pauses during individual packaging processes and the trend of the resisting force as a function of chain packed fraction.
Tick prevention in a population living in a highly endemic area
Authors: Stjernberg Louise , Berglund Johan
Published: December 2005

Aims: To describe environmental and personal tick-preventive measures and their predictors, taken by a population living in a highly tick-endemic area. Methods: Owing to the recent confirmation of human tick-borne encephalitis cases, vaccination against tick-borne encephalitis was offered to the population living in the endemic area through the use of leaflets and media campaigns. At the time of the initial dose, information and enrollment to this cohort study was carried out. Participants' characteristics, frequency of tick-bites and preventive measures were included in questionnaires. Logistic analysis was used to determine behavioural differences in activities taken in order to prevent tick bites. Conclusion: In total, 70% of the permanent residents had themselves vaccinated before the next tick season. Of the studied participants 356/517 (69%) regularly took preventive measures in their environment and/or personally. Women in particular, and those previously treated for a tick-borne disease, took significantly more preventive measures. When analysing all variables together, spending less time in a tick-endemic area and being tick-bitten during the latest tick season significantly increased the probability of taking preventive measures. After being tick-bitten, men were more inclined to start taking preventive measures than women. Awareness of the risks caused by living in a high tick-endemic area influenced the participant's daily life through preventive activities. Public health action should be considered, thus encouraging out-of-door activities for the population without anxiety as to the risks of contracting tick-borne disease after being tick-bitten.
Hospital waiting time in Norway: What is the role of organizational change?
Authors: Midttun Linda , Martinussen Pål E.
Published: December 2005

Background: During the last five years the Norwegian hospital sector has experienced massive reorganization efforts. The aim of this study is to establish whether two such initiatives — the introduction of ring fencing of elective surgery and activity-based budgets at department level — have had any effects on one of the most profiled objectives on the health political agenda: reduction in waiting time. Methods: The sample studied includes 41 hospitals observed at two points of time, 1999 and 2001. Waiting time is expected to be a result of imbalance between demand and supply. Measures representing the supply side (ring fencing, activity-based budgets at departmental level, physician rate, share of emergency admissions, technical efficiency, and hospital type) and the demand side (living conditions and share of persons aged 67 or older) are included in the operationalized model. The model is estimated via stepwise OLS regression. Results: The results document a negative relationship between ring fencing and waiting time, with the estimated waiting time reduction amounting to 22 days. Both the demand side variables also exert significant effects on waiting time. Conclusion: Although information on ring fencing, living conditions, and age distribution renders possible some predictions concerning waiting time, the current research topic should be revisited when a longer time period has elapsed. When the organizational changes have become more thoroughly embedded in the hospitals, more refined conclusions regarding hospital organizations' behaviour and effects of reorganization can be drawn.
Overweight and all-cause mortality in a Swedish rural population: Skaraborg Hypertension and Diabetes Project
Authors: Nyholm Maria , Merlo Juan , Råstam Lennart , Lindblad Ulf
Published: December 2005

Aims: To explore the prevalence of overweight in men and women in a Swedish rural community and to examine its associations with all-cause mortality. Methods: A community-based cohort study. A total of 1,109 men and women aged ≥40 years participated in a survey of cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors in the city of Skara in Skaraborg, Sweden, in 1993—94. Overweight was defined as a BMI≥25.0 kg m-2. Vital status was ascertained to 31 December 1999 and sex-specific associations between overweight and mortality were explored. Results: The prevalence of overweight according to the WHO's criteria exceeded 50% in men and 35% in women. In men there was an inverse association between BMI and mortality. Men in the lowest quartile of BMI experienced the highest mortality with 44.1 deaths per 1,000 person-years. The hazard ratio (HR) in the highest quartile was 0.6 (95% CI 0.4—0.9). In women there were no significant differences in mortality between quartiles of BMI. In both men and women with previous CVD the mortality rates decreased with quartiles of increasing BMI. The inverse association between BMI and mortality was confined to elderly men with a history of CVD. Conclusion: In both sexes the association between BMI and mortality differed across subgroups of age and of a history of previous CVD. No indication of overweight being negative for longevity was found in this population. Higher age and a history of previous CVD contribute to the excess mortality seen in subjects with low BMI.
Growing social inequalities in the occurrence of overweight and obesity among young men in Sweden
Authors: Kark Malin , Rasmussen Finn
Published: December 2005

Aims: The aims of the present study are to investigate time trends and social inequalities in mean body mass index (BMI), overweight, and obesity among 18-year-old men in Sweden from 1970 to 2000 and to explore whether social inequalities in these conditions have increased. Methods: A record linkage was made between the Military Service Conscription Register, Population and Housing Censuses, the Register of Education and the Register of the Total Population. All 1,748,800 males born in 1952—82 who were living in Sweden at the age of 17 years in 1969—99 were eligible for this nationwide study. The study population comprises 1,500,499 18-year-old men with information on BMI (86% of eligible subjects). Results: During the study period from 1970 to 2000, mean BMI increased from 20.89 kg/m2 to 22.49 kg/m2, the prevalence of overweight increased from 6.6% to 13.6% and the prevalence of obesity increased from 1.0% to 3.8%. Mean BMI and the prevalence of overweight and obesity were higher among young men with low-educated mothers than among those with high-educated mothers. A noteworthy finding was that the socioeconomic gap increased over time. Conclusions: Between 1970 and 2000, the prevalence of overweight increased twofold and the prevalence of obesity increased fourfold in this study population. The social inequalities in overweight and obesity have steadily increased among young men in Sweden during the past three decades.
Immune stimulation mediated by autoantigen binding sites within small nuclear RNAs involves Toll-like receptors 7 and 8
Authors: Vollmer Jörg , Tluk Sibylle , Schmitz Claudia , Hamm Svetlana , Jurk Marion , Forsbach Alexandra , Akira Shizuo , Kelly Kindra M. , Reeves Westley H. , Bauer Stefan , Krieg Arthur M.
Published: December 2005

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is an autoimmune disease characterized by the production of autoantibodies to certain cellular macromolecules, such as the small nuclear ribonucleoprotein particles (snRNPs), which had been considered to be passive targets of the autoimmune response. SLE is also characterized by the increased expression of type I interferon (IFN), which appears to be associated with the development and severity of disease. Here, we show that specific, highly conserved RNA sequences within snRNPs can stimulate Toll-like receptors (TLRs) 7 and 8 as well as activate innate immune cells, such as plasmacytoid dendritic cells (pDCs), which respond by secreting high levels of type I IFN. SLE patient sera containing autoantibodies to snRNPs form immune complexes that are taken up through the Fc receptor γRII and efficiently stimulate pDCs to secrete type I IFNs. These results demonstrate that a prototype autoantigen, the snRNP, can directly stimulate innate immunity and suggest that autoantibodies against snRNP may initiate SLE by stimulating TLR7/8.
A fundamental bimodal role for neuropeptide Y1 receptor in the immune system
Authors: Wheway Julie , Mackay Charles R. , Newton Rebecca A. , Sainsbury Amanda , Boey Dana , Herzog Herbert , Mackay Fabienne
Published: December 2005

Psychological conditions, including stress, compromise immune defenses. Although this concept is not novel, the molecular mechanism behind it remains unclear. Neuropeptide Y (NPY) in the central nervous system is a major regulator of numerous physiological functions, including stress. Postganglionic sympathetic nerves innervating lymphoid organs release NPY, which together with other peptides activate five Y receptors (Y1, Y2, Y4, Y5, and y6). Using Y1-deficient (Y1−/−) mice, we showed that Y1−/− T cells are hyperresponsive to activation and trigger severe colitis after transfer into lymphopenic mice. Thus, signaling through Y1 receptor on T cells inhibits T cell activation and controls the magnitude of T cell responses. Paradoxically, Y1−/− mice were resistant to T helper type 1 (Th1) cell–mediated inflammatory responses and showed reduced levels of the Th1 cell–promoting cytokine interleukin 12 and reduced interferon γ production. This defect was due to functionally impaired antigen-presenting cells (APCs), and consequently, Y1−/− mice had reduced numbers of effector T cells. These results demonstrate a fundamental bimodal role for the Y1 receptor in the immune system, serving as a strong negative regulator on T cells as well as a key activator of APC function. Our findings uncover a sophisticated molecular mechanism regulating immune cell functions that can lead to stress-induced immunosuppression.
Regulatory T cells and IL-10 in allergic inflammation
Authors: Hawrylowicz Catherine M.
Published: December 2005

Recent studies suggest that human regulatory T (T reg) cells protect against the development of allergic and asthmatic disease and that their function is impaired during active disease. Two new studies contribute to our understanding of the role that T reg cells play in the control of allergic airway disease in mice. However, these studies also highlight several outstanding questions in the field.
Autoantibodies make a U-turn
Authors: Martin David A. , Elkon Keith B.
Published: December 2005

Like the immune response itself, our efforts to understand the “rules” for self–nonself discrimination are constantly evolving. The discovery of pattern recognition receptors—the Toll-like receptor (TLR) family in particular—shifted the emphasis of self–nonself recognition from lymphocytes functioning in the adaptive immune system to antigen-presenting cells (APCs) functioning in the innate immune system. Two new articles, one in a recent issue (1) and one in this issue (see Vollmer et al. [2] on p. 1575), demonstrate that antigen–antibody complexes containing RNAs activate B lymphocytes and dendritic cells (DCs) through interaction with TLR7 and/or TLR8. From these and other papers, one begins to see how specific types of autoantigens—by virtue of their capacity to act as TLR ligands—favor autoantibody production. This is known as the Toll hypothesis.
Beijing Plus Ten: An Ambivalent Record on Gender Justice
Authors: Molyneux Maxine , Razavi Shahra
Published: December 2005

The 1995 Fourth World Conference on Women (the ‘Beijing Conference’) was a landmark in policy terms, setting a global policy framework to advance gender equality. Ten years after Beijing, in March 2005, the UN's Commission on the Status of Women presided over an intergovernmental meeting in New York to review the progress achieved on the commitments made in the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action. This ‘Plus 10’ event was decidedly low key. Its aim was not agenda setting but agenda confirming; not policy formulation but policy affirmation. Whether it proves to be part of an ongoing worldwide movement in support of gender equality, or whether it marks the decline of that process, is a question that many in international women's movements are asking. This article, drawing on research undertaken for the UNRISD report, Gender Equality: Striving for Justice in an Unequal World, reflects on the ambivalent record of progress achieved by women over the last decades and considers how the policy environment has changed over the period since the high point of global women's movements. It examines how the changing international policy and political climate over this period has given rise to new issues and challenges for those active in global women's movements.
Will Services be the New Engine of Indian Economic Growth?
Authors: Dasgupta Sukti , Singh Ajit
Published: December 2005

This article revisits the role of manufacturing and services in economic development in the light of a number of new phenomena: a faster growth of services than of manufacturing in many developing countries; the emergence of ‘de‐industrialization’ in several developing countries, at low levels of per capita income; jobless growth in the formal sector, even in fast‐growing countries such as India; and a large expansion of the informal sector in developing countries. Although this article examines these phenomena in the specific context of the Indian economy, the analysis has much wider application and implications, both for economic policy and for theories of growth and structural change.
Industrialization and Economic Growth in Mexico after NAFTA: The Road Travelled
Authors: Moreno‐Brid Juan Carlos , Santamaría Jesús , Rivas Valdivia Juan Carlos
Published: December 2005

This article examines Mexico's industrial policy and economic performance, focusing on an analysis of the structural changes in its manufacturing sector associated with NAFTA. The aim of the article is to improve our understanding of why the post‐NAFTA evolution of the Mexican economy has been characterized by lights and shadows, with low inflation, low budget deficits and a surge in non‐oil exports on the one hand, and on the other hand a slower than expected expansion of economic activity and employment. The article also presents some policy implications on the need for a new development agenda if Mexico is to finally succeed in its quest for high and sustained economic growth.
Consumption of erythrocyte CR1 (CD35) is associated with protection against systemic lupus erythematosus renal flare
Authors: Birmingham D J , Gavit K F , McCarty S M , Yu C Y , Rovin B H , Nagaraja H N , Hebert L A
Published: December 2005

Erythrocyte complement receptor type one (E-CR1) is thought to protect against immune complex (IC) disease through interactions that lead to E-CR1 consumption, and low E-CR1 levels are characteristic of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). The purpose of this study was to test the hypothesis that E-CR1 consumption can predict or mark SLE flare. Recurrently active SLE patients [n = 43; 28 with past or present major renal manifestations (SLER) and 15 without (SLENR)], were evaluated every 2 months by detailed protocol testing (mean follow-up 22 months), including direct measurements of E-CR1 levels using a radioimmunoassay. In all patients, detectable E-CR1 levels fluctuated widely through acute periods of consumption and regeneration, preventing the use of any single value as a baseline. However, when individual chronic baseline values were used, determined as the mean of all E-CR1 values 4 months or more from a flare, a clear trend was observed. In 16 of 16 instances of non-renal flare in SLER patients, E-CR1 levels decreased at flare (mean decrease 34%, P < 0·0001). In contrast, no consistent difference was observed for flare in SLENR patients or for renal flare in SLER patients. Changes in E-CR1 levels did not correlate with plasma CR1 levels. In conclusion, single occurrences of E-CR1 consumption did not generally predict or mark SLE flare. However, compared to the average E-CR1 levels measured during no-flare intervals, E-CR1 consumption in SLER patients at flare was strongly associated with freedom from signs of renal involvement. We postulate that E-CR1 consumption reflects E-CR1 function that includes protecting against SLE nephritis.
Association of apoptosis-related microsatellite polymorphisms on chromosome 1q in Taiwanese systemic lupus erythematosus patients
Authors: Chen J-Y , Wang C-M , Lu S-C , Chou Y-H , Luo S-F
Published: December 2005

Apoptosis is important in the pathogenesis of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Several genome-wide scan studies have suggested chromosome 1q as a genetic susceptibility locus for SLE. This study investigated the association of apoptosis-related genes on chromosome 1q, Fas ligand (FasL), interleukin (IL)-10 and poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP), promoter microsatellite multi-allelic polymorphisms with SLE susceptibility and clinical characteristics in Taiwan. This study recruited 237 SLE patients and 304 healthy controls. FasL, IL-10 and PARP promoter microsatellite polymorphisms were genotyped employing gene scan. IL-10, located on 1q31–32, emerged as a significant susceptibility gene locus in Taiwanese SLE (T4 statistic = 0·01). IL-10 CA21 allele was the most common allele of 15 identified in Taiwanese, displaying skewed distribution of susceptibility in Taiwanese SLE patients. Conversely, the IL-10 CA20 allele showed a protective effect of SLE susceptibility. Additionally, the IL-10 CA26 allele displayed a negative significant association with ascites and IL-10 CA25 allele increased the occurrence of the anti-cardiolipin IgM antibody. This study identified five alleles of FasL and nine alleles of PARP of microsatellite polymorphisms in Taiwanese patients. FasL and PARP alleles displayed no skewing distribution between Taiwanese SLE patients and controls. However, FasL GT15 and PARP CA17 allele demonstrated a high discoid rash presentation (T4 statistic 0·01 and 0·03, respectively) and PARP CA12 allele displayed a significant association with anti-cardiolipin IgM antibody production (T4 statistic 0·02). IL-10, FasL and PARP microsatellite polymorphisms exhibited significant associations with SLE susceptibility and/or clinical characteristics in Taiwanese patients. Thus, SLE is a complex and multiple genetics determined autoimmune disease. Chromosome 1q23–42 is an important genetic locus for further SLE subphenotype susceptibility study.
A defensin‐like gene expressed in the black‐legged tick, Ixodes scapularis
Authors: Hynes W. L. , Ceraul S. M. , Todd S. M. , Seguin K. C. , Sonenshine D. E.
Published: December 2005

Abstract.  The black‐legged tick Ixodes scapularis Linnaeus (Acari: Ixodidae) is an important vector of microbial pathogens. Knowledge of the tick's innate immune response, particularly defensin and other antimicrobial peptides, is important for understanding how microbes survive in this tick. A defensin gene (slnA) from I. scapularis was obtained by reverse transcription–polymerase chain reaction (RT–PCR) using mRNA extracted from tissues of female ticks. RT–PCR indicated the gene was expressed in the midgut, haemocytes, and fat‐body, although no evidence of a peptide was found. Sequencing a cloned cDNA fragment revealed a 225 bp open reading frame encoding a 74 amino acid pre‐prodefensin, including the putative 38 amino acid mature peptide. Similarity between the defensin amino acid sequences of I. scapularis and Dermacentor variabilis (Say) (Acari: Ixodidae) was 62.2% for the pre‐prodefensin region; for the mature defensins from these two species the similarity was 78.9%, with the six cysteine residues being located in the same relative position. PCR amplification and sequencing of chromosomal DNA suggests that slnA, along with vsnA, the defensin gene from D. variabilis, does not contain any introns. This is in contrast to the defensins described for the soft tick, Ornithodoros moubata (sensu Walton) (Acari: Argasidae). The role of defensin in the innate immune response of I. scapularis following microbial invasions is discussed.
Trypanosomiasis in Kinshasa: distribution of the vector, Glossina fuscipes quanzensis, and risk of transmission in the peri‐urban area
Authors: De Deken R. , Sumbu J. , Mpiana S. , Mansinsa P. , WAT'Senga F. , Lutumba P. , Boelaert M. , Van Den Bossche P.
Published: December 2005

Abstract.  Because human and animal cases of African trypanosomiasis have been reported in and around the city of Kinshasa for a long time, the likelihood of local transmission was examined. A georeferenced image of the city was produced, based on a satellite image (SPOT 4). Urban, peri‐urban and rural areas were delineated. All recent data on captures of Glossina fuscipes quanzensis Pires (Diptera: Glossinidae) between 1999 and 2004, as well as epidemiological data on a 1999 outbreak of human trypanosomiasis by Trypanosoma brucei gambiense in the Kisenso District, were entered in a geographical information system (GIS). Tsetse flies were mainly found along some of the major rivers in the rural and peri‐urban area of Kinshasa. Unsupervised classification of the satellite image allowed identification of riverine habitats suitable for tsetse flies and indicated sites where further entomological surveys were needed. The study produced strong indications that local transmission of human trypanosomiasis had occurred in the recent past in the peri‐urban zone of Kinshasa.
Potential risk of Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis spread by syrphid flies in infected cattle farms
Authors: Fischer O. A. , Matlova L. , Dvorska L. , Svastova P. , Bartos M. , Weston R. T. , Kopecna M. , Trcka I. , Pavlik I.
Published: December 2005

Abstract.  The syrphid Eristalis tenax Linnaeus (Diptera: Syrphidae) may be found in and around dung storage pits at cattle farms at various developmental stages of their life cycle. The purpose of this study was to investigate the occurrence of Mycobacterium avium ssp. paratuberculosis in 1044 E. tenax samples at various developmental stages, as well as fresh and stored dung originating from nine cattle farms. Mycobacterium fortuitum was isolated from one (1.5%) larva from the vicinity of three paratuberculosis‐free herds of cattle. Mycobacterium a. paratuberculosis was isolated from 111 (21.4%) of E. tenax larvae collected from two of seven farms known to be infected with the causal agent of paratuberculosis. Mycobacteria were not isolated from any of the 340 pupae, 41 adults of 78 samples of exoskeletal exuviae. Mycobacterium a. paratuberculosis isolates from E. tenax larvae were of the IS900 restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) type B‐C1, identical to that detected in faecal samples from cattle herds infected with paratuberculosis. Larvae artificially infected with mycobacteria of IS900 RFLP type B‐C9 did not contain statistically more CFU of identical IS900 RFLP type B‐C9 in the intestinal tract and internal organs than on the body surface. These results show that M. a. paratuberculosis can survive in the intestinal tract and internal organs of E. tenax.
Mark–release–recapture study to measure dispersal of the mosquito Aedes aegypti in Cairns, Queensland, Australia
Authors: Russell R. C. , Webb C. E. , Williams C. R. , Ritchie S. A.
Published: December 2005

Abstract.  In Queensland, Australia, in response to isolated cases of dengue infection, larval control of the vector Aedes aegypti (L.) (Diptera: Culicidae) is targeted at breeding sites within 200 m of a case and interior spraying with a pyrethroid adulticide is targeted at premises within 100 m. To ascertain whether these limits are appropriate, we conducted a mark–release–recapture study to measure the dispersal of female Ae. aegypti in the city of Cairns where transmission occurs. Female mosquitoes reared from wild collected eggs were differentially marked with fluorescent dust depending on whether they were to be released blood‐fed or non‐blood‐fed, and a total of 1948 females was released. A total of 132 sticky ovitraps was set at 64 premises within a 200 m radius and collections of trapped adults were made at 5–15 days post‐release. Sixty‐seven females (3.4%) were recaptured, with the furthest being caught 200 m from the release point, and the mean distance travelled was 78 m. Overall, 23.1% of the recaptures outside the release site were taken beyond 100 m by day 15. Dispersal was comparable for both blood‐fed and non‐blood‐fed releases. There was a significant tendency for dispersal to be in a north‐westerly direction, probably because of the presence of numerous containers and heavy shading by trees in this direction and a busy road to the south of the release point that appeared to inhibit dispersal. The results suggest that adulticiding may have to be extended beyond 100 m if more than 8 days have elapsed since female Ae. aegypti could have fed upon a viraemic dengue case. The study also shows that dispersal is not random, and that it may be possible to maximize vector control by taking into account environmental factors that affect the direction of female mosquito flight.