bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Characterization of buried cylinders and spheres by pulsed infrared thermography
Authors: Garrido Florencio , Salazar Agustín , Alonso Fernando , Sáez-Ocáriz Idurre
Published: November 2005

A theoretical model to calculate the time evolution of the surface temperature of an opaque sample containing buried cylinders or spheres, after the absorption of a short light pulse, has been developed. To do this we first calculate the temperature of the material when it is illuminated by a modulated light beam. Then, based on the analogy between the Helmholtz equation and the Laplace transform of the heat diffusion equation we obtain the Laplace transform of the solution. Finally, using the inverse Laplace transform we find the time evolution of the surface temperature heated by a short light pulse. Measurements performed by an infrared camera on a calibrated sample confirm the validity of the model.
Variable temperature magnetic force microscopy with piezoelectric quartz tuning forks as probes optimized using Q-control
Authors: Callaghan F. D. , Yu X. , Mellor C. J.
Published: November 2005

We have performed magnetic force microscopy at various temperatures utilizing piezoelectric quartz tuning forks as probes. Due to their large force constants (∼104N∕m), quartz tuning forks are intrinsically less sensitive to force gradients than conventional cantilevers. However, we demonstrate that the technique of Q-control can be used to increase their sensitivity, making their use as probes for variable temperature magnetic force microscopy a viable option.
Photoluminescence of single, site-selected, InAs∕InP quantum dots in high magnetic fields
Authors: Kim D. , Lefebvre J. , Mckee J. , Studenikin S. , Williams R. L. , Sachrajda A. , Zawadzki P. , Hawrylak P. , Sheng W. , Aers G. C. , Poole P. J.
Published: November 2005

Photoluminescence measurements in magnetic fields up to 16T are reported from single InAs∕InP quantum dots nucleated at the apex of individual InP pyramidal nanotemplates. Clear Zeeman splitting and diamagnetic shifts of the s-shell exciton peak are observed and are correlated with the quantum-dot dimension. This behavior is interpreted in terms of a template-controlled quantum-dot diameter and is corroborated by the observed diamagnetic shifts.
Ti
∕
Au
n-type Ohmic contacts to bulk ZnO substrates
Authors: Yang Hyuck Soo , Norton D. P. , Pearton S. J. , Ren F.
Published: November 2005

Electron-beam-deposited Ti∕Au ohmic contacts on undoped (n∼1017cm−3) bulk ZnO substrates exhibited as-deposited specific contact resistivity of 3×10−4Ωcm2, regardless of the polarity (Zn face or O face) of the ZnO substrate. The annealing environment (air or N2) also had no significant effect on contact properties. The specific contact resistivity slightly decreased after annealing at 300 °C but started to increase above 350 °C. The measurement temperature dependence of specific contact resistivity revealed that the dominant current transport mechanism is field emission even in the moderately doped ZnO. As the annealing temperature increased, some voids were observed on the metal surface, possibly due to reaction of Ti∕Au metallization and the evaporation of the oxygen from the ZnO substrate.
Effect of Mg concentration on the domain reversal of Mg-doped LiNbO3
Authors: Chen Yunlin , Yan Weiguo , Guo Juan , Chen Shaolin , Zhang Guangyin , Xia Zongren
Published: November 2005

MgO-doped LiNbO3 (MgLN) crystal has been produced using the Czochralski method. The domain reversal characteristics of the MgO-doped LiNbO3 single crystals with different Mg doping levels have been investigated, and the switching field is found to decrease with the increasing of Mg concentration. The switching field for the domain reversal in the MgLN crystal doped with 6.5 mol % MgO was ∼4.6kV∕mm. This is about one-fifth of the switching field for the congruent crystal. The resistance of the poling MgLN crystals as a function of Mg concentration was measured, and the influence of doping Mg on domain reversion for Mg-doped LiNbO3 is discussed, and explain the physical mechanism of the polarization switching of the MgLN crystals.
Screening of high-power diode laser bars by optical scanning
Authors: Tien Tran Quoc , Gerhardt Axel , Schwirzke-Schaaf Sandy , Tomm Jens W. , Pommiès M. , Avella M. , Jiménez J. , Oudart Myriam , Nagle Julien
Published: November 2005

High-power diode laser bar arrays (808 nm) with very uniform emission properties are inspected by the laser-beam-induced current technique (LBIC). Setting the excitation energy to 50 meV below the lasing energy, we observe distinctive signatures within the LBIC scans at certain locations on the devices. After 1000 h of high-power operation, we observe degradation at exactly those positions that previously showed a characteristic LBIC signature. A cathodoluminescence analysis reveals that the quantum wells of these anomalous device sections suffer from the existence of spots with reduced luminescence efficiency. Additionally, a concomitant 2.3 meV redshift of the quantum-well cathodoluminescence spectrum is also observed. Our measurements demonstrate the efficiency of the LBIC approach as a screening tool as well as its capacity for predicting device failure well before any degradation of the emission properties is observed.
Current-controlled resistance modulation in ferroelectric Cd1−xZnxS thin films for nonvolatile memory applications
Authors: Subramaniam N. G. , Lee J. C. , Kang T. W.
Published: November 2005

Ternary II-VI semiconducting Cd1−xZnxS thin films with top metal and bottom semiconductor contacts were investigated for their ferroelectric and switching properties. Bistable switching of about four orders of magnitude between low and high resistance states was observed in current-voltage measurements. Current pulse-driven reproducible resistance modulation with resistance changes up to two orders of magnitude was observed without the contribution of carrier injection. Read-write measurements with application of short pulse widths were performed that displayed an appreciable current difference between the read levels. Polarization-induced switching was addressed through the ferroelectric semiconductor∕semiconductor junction.
Colostrum production and hormone responses of parturient ewes fed varying amounts and types of supplement
Authors: Holst P. J. , Hall D. G. , Lee G. J.
Published: November 2005

Low perinatal lamb loss and fast lamb growth rates are important measures for efficient sheep production. To understand the role of ewe nutrition in late pregnancy, 100 adult Border Leicester × Merino ewes were joined at a synchronised oestrus. Ewes were nutritionally managed to maintain maternal body condition until day 130 of pregnancy at which time 50 twin-bearing ewes entered single pens. Thirteen ewes were allocated as controls and 14, 11 and 12 ewes for the 3 treatments groups. All were fed a base diet of lucerne hay (17.3% crude protein; 9.4 MJ ME/kg DM). Three of the 4 treatment groups were supplemented with oaten grain, formaldehyde-treated sunflower meal or lupin grain at 1 of 3 nominal feeding levels: 250, 500 or 750 g/ewe.day of supplement. Actual intake was less than amounts offered. Intakes measured in the final 5 days prepartum, were used in the analysis. Data were collected on peripheral progesterone and insulin-like growth factor-1 at 4 days prepartum and 50 min postpartum; peripheral oestrone sulfate at 4 and 3 days prepartum and 50 min postpartum; and colostrum weight and score at 50 min postpartum. Feeding level of supplement, but not type of supplement, significantly increased insulin-like growth factor-1 and decreased progesterone and oestrone sulfate levels. Correlations of energy and nitrogen intake with insulin-like growth factor-1, progesterone and oestrone sulfate levels were positive (P<0.01), as were the correlations of colostrum weight with these traits. An unexpected high correlation between energy and nitrogen intake masked any differential effects on colostrum production and hormone response. Nevertheless, the supply of energy and protein supplements were associated with elevated colostrum weights and scores, and lower progesterone concentration. Lowering progesterone levels is considered necessary for successful parturition. Oaten grain was the least desirable grain supplement. These observations support the practical importance of providing adequate nutrition in late pregnancy and its effect on colostrum yield and presumably lamb survival and growth.
Effects of pruning on flowering, yield and fruit quality in mango (Mangifera indica)
Authors: Yeshitela T. , Robbertse P. J. , Stassen P. J. C.
Published: November 2005

The effects of 7 pruning treatments were studied in 2 mango cultivars (‘Keitt’ and ‘Tommy Atkins’) in the Hoedspruit region of the Northern Province of South Africa. Trees that received panicle pruning (during full bloom) treatment at the point of attachment were observed to be induced for synchronised re-flowering, and also attained early fruit set and more fruit per panicle than the other panicle pruning treatments. Trees on which renewal pruning (early in the season when fruits were on the tree) as well as postharvest pruning treatments were applied, have been observed for development of adequate number of productive inflorescences per season in an early-maturing cultivar, Tommy Atkins. Postharvest pruning treatments also resulted in significant increase of postharvest vegetative growth in both cultivars. Promising improvement in yield could be expected after the second season from panicle pruning in Tommy Atkins. The fruit quality, especially with regard to total soluble solids (TSS), was also greatly improved due to the applications of renewal and postharvest pruning treatments. Inflorescence removal together with apical whorl of leaves subtending the inflorescence had adverse effects for the various parameters studied in both cultivars.
Social and cultural dimensions of commercial kangaroo harvest in South Australia
Authors: Thomsen D. A. , Davies J.
Published: November 2005

Kangaroo management is important to the sustainability of Australia’s rangeland landscapes. The commercial harvest of kangaroos assists in reduction of total grazing pressure in the rangelands and provides the potential for supplementary income to pastoralists. Indeed, the commercial kangaroo industry is considered by natural resource scientists as one of the few rural industry development options with potential to provide economic return with minimal environmental impact. While the biology and population ecology of harvested kangaroo species in Australia is the subject of past and present research, the social, institutional and economic issues pertinent to the commercial kangaroo industry are not well understood. Our research is addressing the lack of understanding of social issues around kangaroo management, which are emerging as constraints on industry development.
The non-indigenous stakeholders in kangaroo harvest are landholders, regional management authorities, government conservation and primary production agencies, meat processors, marketers and field processors (shooters) and these industry players generally have little understanding of what issues the commercial harvest of kangaroos presents to Aboriginal people. Consequently, the perspectives and aspirations of Aboriginal people regarding the commercial harvest of kangaroos are not well considered in management, industry development and planning. For Aboriginal people, kangaroos have subsistence, economic and cultural values and while these values and perspectives vary between language groups and individuals, there is potential to address indigenous issues by including Aboriginal people in various aspects of kangaroo management. This research also examines the Aboriginal interface with commercial kangaroo harvest, and by working with Aboriginal people and groups is exploring several options for greater industry involvement. The promotion of better understandings between indigenous and non-indigenous people with interests in kangaroo management could promote industry development through the marketing of kangaroo as not only clean and green, but also as a socially just product.
Maintenance and reproductive behaviour in the freshwatre prawn Macrobrachium australiense Holthuis (Crustacea : Decapoda : Palaemonidae)
Authors: Lee CL , Fielder DR
Published: November 2005

Seven categories of maintenance behaviour have been recognized and described for M. australiense. These are 'normal stance', 'body cleaning', 'locomotion', 'food search and feeding', 'defaecation'. 'alarm reaction', and 'moulting'. These behaviour patterns are compared with similar patterns described previously for other caridean prawns. Behaviour patterns leading to successful mating in M. australiense include 'courtship and nest building', 'copulation', and 'egg-laying'. Ripe females seek out dominant males, which then build a nest. The male protects the female in the nest during pro-ecdysis and the pair copulate after the female moults. Eggs are usually laid within 12 h of copulation.
The ER aminopeptidase, ERAP1, trims precursors to lengths of MHC class I peptides by a “molecular ruler” mechanism
Authors: Chang Shih-Chung , Momburg Frank , Bhutani Nidhi , Goldberg Alfred L.
Published: November 2005

Endoplasmic reticulum aminopeptidase 1 (ERAP1) is an IFN-γ-induced aminopeptidase in the endoplasmic reticulum that trims longer precursors to the antigenic peptides presented on MHC class I molecules. We recently reported that purified ERAP1 trimmed N-extended precursors but spared peptides of 8-9 residues, the length required for binding to MHC class I molecules. Here, we show another remarkable property of ERAP1: that it strongly prefers substrates 9-16 residues long, the lengths of peptides transported efficiently into the ER by the transporter associated with antigen processing (TAP) transporter. This aminopeptidase rapidly degraded a model 13-mer to a 9-mer and then stopped, even though the substrate and the product had identical N- and C-terminal sequences. No other aminopeptidase, including the closely related ER-aminopeptidase ERAP2, showed a similar length preference. Unlike other aminopeptidases, the activity of ERAP1 depended on the C-terminal residue of the substrate. ERAP1, like most MHC class I molecules, prefers peptides with hydrophobic C termini and shows low affinity for peptides with charged C termini. Thus, ERAP1 is specialized to process precursors transported by TAP to peptides that can serve as MHC class I epitopes. Its “molecular ruler” mechanism involves binding the hydrophobic C terminus of the substrate 9-16 residues away from the active site.
Histone hyperacetylated domains across the
Ifng
gene region in natural killer cells and T cells
Authors: Chang Shaojing , Aune Thomas M.
Published: November 2005

Local histone acetylation of promoters precedes transcription of many genes. Extended histone hyperacetylation at great distances from coding regions of genes also occurs during active transcription of gene families or individual genes and may reflect developmental processes that mark genes destined for cell-specific transcription, nuclear signaling processes that are required for active transcription, or both. To distinguish between these, we compared long-range histone acetylation patterns across the
Ifng
gene region in natural killer (NK) cells and T cells that were or were not actively transcribing the
Ifng
gene. In T cells, long-range histone acetylation depended on stimulation that drives both T helper (Th) 1 differentiation and active transcription, and it depended completely or partially on the presence of Stat4 or T-bet, respectively, two transcription factors that are required for Th1 lineage commitment. In contrast, in the absence of stimulation and active transcription, similar histone hyperacetylated domains were found in NK cells. Additional proximal domains were hyperacetylated after stimulation of transcription. We hypothesize that formation of extended histone hyperacetylated domains across the
Ifng
gene region represents a developmental mechanism that marks this gene for cell- or stimulus-specific transcription.
Somatic integration of an oncogene-harboring
Sleeping Beauty
transposon models liver tumor development in the mouse
Authors: Carlson Corey M. , Frandsen Joel L. , Kirchhof Nicole , McIvor R. Scott , Largaespada David A.
Published: November 2005

The
Sleeping Beauty
(SB) transposon system can integrate foreign sequences of DNA in the genome of mouse somatic cells eliciting long-term expression
in vivo
. This technology holds great promise for human gene therapy as a nonviral technology to deliver therapeutic genes. SB also provides a means to study the effects of defined genetic elements, such as oncogenes, on somatic cells in mice. Here, we test the ability of the SB transposon system to facilitate somatic integration of a transposon containing an activated
NRAS
oncogene in mouse hepatocytes to elicit tumor formation.
NRAS
oncogene-driven tumors developed when such vectors were delivered to the livers of p19
Arf
-null or heterozygous mice. Delivery of the
NRAS
transposon cooperates with
Arf
loss to cause carcinomas of hepatocellular or biliary origin. These tumors allowed characterization of transposon integration and expression at the single-cell level, revealing robust
NRAS
expression and both transposase-mediated and random insertion of delivered vectors. Random integration and expression of the SB transposase plasmid was also observed in one instance. In addition, studies using effector loop mutants of activated
NRAS
provide evidence that mitogen-activated protein kinase activation alone cannot efficiently induce liver carcinomas. This system can be used to rapidly model tumors caused by defined genetic changes.
CHR11, a chromatin-remodeling factor essential for nuclear proliferation during female gametogenesis in
Arabidopsis thaliana
Authors: Huanca-Mamani Wilson , Garcia-Aguilar Marcelina , León-Martínez Gloria , Grossniklaus Ueli , Vielle-Calzada Jean-Philippe
Published: November 2005

Chromatin-remodeling factors regulate the establishment of transcriptional programs during plant development. Although 42 genes encoding members of the SWI2/SNF2 family have been identified in
Arabidopsis thaliana
, <10 have been assigned a precise function on the basis of a mutant phenotype, and none have been shown to play a specific role during the gametophytic phase of the plant life cycle.
A. thaliana
chromatin-remodeling protein 11 (
CHR11
) encodes an imitation of switch (ISWI)-like chromatin-remodeling protein abundantly expressed during female gametogenesis and embryogenesis in
Arabidopsis
. To determine the function of
CHR11
in wild-type plants, we introduced a hairpin construct leading to the production of double-stranded RNA, which specifically degraded the endogenous
CHR11
mRNA by RNA interference (RNAi). Transcription of the RNAi-inducing hairpin RNA was driven by either a constitutive cauliflower mosaic virus 35S promoter (CaMV35S) acting at most stages of the sporophytic phase or a newly identified specific promoter acting at the onset of the female gametophytic phase (pFM1). All adult transformants that constitutively lacked sporophytic
CHR11
activity showed reduced plant height and small cotyledonary embryos with limited cell expansion. In contrast, RNAi lines in which
CHR11
was specifically silenced at the onset of female gametogenesis (megagametogenesis) had normal height and embryo size but had defective female gametophytes arrested before the completion of the mitotic haploid nuclear divisions. These results show that
CHR11
is essential for haploid nuclear proliferation during megagametogenesis and cell expansion during the sporophytic phase, demonstrating the functional versatility of SWI2/SNF2 chromatin-remodeling factors during both generations of the plant life cycle.
Beneficial effects of concurrent autologous bone marrow cell therapy and metabolic intervention in ischemia-induced angiogenesis in the mouse hindlimb
Authors: Napoli Claudio , Williams-Ignarro Sharon , de Nigris Filomena , de Rosa Gaetano , Lerman Lilach O. , Farzati Bartolomeo , Matarazzo Angelo , Sica Giacomo , Botti Chiara , Fiore Andrea , Byrns Russell E. , Sumi Daigo , Sica Vincenzo , Ignarro Louis J.
Published: November 2005

Lower-limb ischemia is a major health problem. Because of the absence of effective treatment in the advanced stages of the disease, amputation is undertaken to alleviate unbearable symptoms. Novel therapeutic approaches include the intramuscular use of autologous bone marrow cells (BMCs). Because tissue ischemia is associated with an overwhelming generation of oxygen radicals and negative effects due to perturbed shear-stress, metabolic intervention with antioxidants and
l
-arginine could potentially induce beneficial effects beyond those achieved by BMCs. The protective effect of autologous BMCs and vascular protection by metabolic cotreatment (1.0% vitamin E added to the chow and 0.05% vitamin C and 6%
l
-arginine added to the drinking water) were examined in ischemia-induced angiogenesis in the mouse hindlimb, a model of extensive acute peripheral arterial occlusion. i.v. BMC therapy improved blood flow and increased capillary densities and expression of Ki-67, a proliferation-associated protein. This beneficial effect was amplified by metabolic cotreatment, an intervention inducing vascular protection, at least in part, through the nitric oxide pathway, reduction of systemic oxidative stress, and macrophage activation. Therefore, although a cautious approach is mandatory when experimental findings are extended to human diseases, autologous BMCs together with metabolic intervention could be an effective clinical treatment for peripheral arterial disease.
Industrial Restructuring and the State: the Case of MG Rover
Authors: Berkeley Nigel , Donnelly Tom , Morris David , Donnelly Martin
Published: November 2005

MG Rover was the final name by which the British Leyland Motor Corporation (BLMC) became known. BLMC had been formed in 1968 upon a government initiative to strengthen the UK's automotive industry so that it could compete effectively with the American and other European multinationals in international markets. Within six years BLMC teetered on bankruptcy and was all but nationalised. This paper traces the ongoing secular decline of BLMC through its various stages down to the eventual closure of the Longbridge plant in 2005. In particular it will look at key themes such as investment, output, product development and market failure. In particular, there will be examination of the role of the various owners of Rover such as British Aerospace, BMW and the Phoenix Consortium as well as the part played by the UK government in the company's eventual downfall.
Gadd45β and Gadd45γ are critical for regulating autoimmunity
Authors: Liu Lin , Tran Elise , Zhao Yani , Huang Yuchen , Flavell Richard , Lu Binfeng
Published: November 2005

The number of effector T cells is controlled by proliferation and programmed cell death. Loss of these controls on self-destructive effector T cells may precipitate autoimmunity. Here, we show that two members of the growth arrest and DNA damage-inducible (Gadd45) family, β and γ, are critical in the development of pathogenic effector T cells. CD4+ T cells lacking Gadd45β can rapidly expand and invade the central nervous system in response to myelin immunization, provoking an exacerbated and prolonged autoimmune encephalomyelitis in mice. Importantly, mice with compound deficiency in Gadd45β and Gadd45γ spontaneously developed signs of autoimmune lymphoproliferative syndrome and systemic lupus erythematosus. Our findings therefore identify the Gadd45β/Gadd45γ-mediated control of effector autoimmune lymphocytes as an attractive novel target for autoimmune disease therapy.
Quantitative Analysis of the Voltage-dependent Gating of Mouse Parotid ClC-2 Chloride Channel
Authors: de Santiago Jose Antonio , Nehrke Keith , Arreola Jorge
Published: November 2005

Various ClC-type voltage-gated chloride channel isoforms display a double barrel topology, and their gating mechanisms are thought to be similar. However, we demonstrate in this work that the nearly ubiquitous ClC-2 shows significant differences in gating when compared with ClC-0 and ClC-1. To delineate the gating of ClC-2 in quantitative terms, we have determined the voltage (Vm) and time dependence of the protopore (Pf) and common (Ps) gates that control the opening and closing of the double barrel. mClC-2 was cloned from mouse salivary glands, expressed in HEK 293 cells, and the resulting chloride currents (ICl) were measured using whole cell patch clamp. WT channels had ICl that showed inward rectification and biexponential time course. Time constants of fast and slow components were ∼10-fold different at negative Vm and corresponded to Pf and Ps, respectively. Pf and Ps were ∼1 at −200 mV, while at Vm ≥ 0 mV, Pf ∼ 0 and Ps ∼ 0.6. Hence, Pf dominated open kinetics at moderately negative Vm, while at very negative Vm both gates contributed to gating. At Vm ≥ 0 mV, mClC-2 closes by shutting off Pf. Three- and two-state models described the open-to-closed transitions of Pf and Ps, respectively. To test these models, we mutated conserved residues that had been previously shown to eliminate or alter Pf or Ps in other ClC channels. Based on the time and Vm dependence of the two gates in WT and mutant channels, we constructed a model to explain the gating of mClC-2. In this model the E213 residue contributes to Pf, the dominant regulator of gating, while the C258 residue alters the Vm dependence of Pf, probably by interacting with residue E213. These data provide a new perspective on ClC-2 gating, suggesting that the protopore gate contributes to both fast and slow gating and that gating relies strongly on the E213 residue.
Accurate anchoring alignment of divergent sequences
Authors: Huang Weichun , Umbach David M. , Li Leping
Published: November 2005

Motivation: Obtaining high quality alignments of divergent homologous sequences for cross-species sequence comparison remains a challenge.

Results: We propose a novel pairwise sequence alignment algorithm, ACANA (ACcurate ANchoring Alignment), for aligning biological sequences at both local and global levels. Like many fast heuristic methods, ACANA uses an anchoring strategy. However, unlike others, ACANA uses a Smith–Waterman-like dynamic programming algorithm to recursively identify near-optimal regions as anchors for a global alignment. Performance evaluations using a simulated benchmark dataset and real promoter sequences suggest that ACANA is accurate and consistent, especially for divergent sequences. Specifically, we use a simulated benchmark dataset to show that ACANA has the highest sensitivity to align constrained functional sites compared to BLASTZ, CHAOS and DIALIGN for local alignment and compared to AVID, ClustalW, DIALIGN and LAGAN for global alignment. Applied to 6007 pairs of human-mouse orthologous promoter sequences, ACANA identified the largest number of conserved regions (defined as over 70% identity over 100 bp) compared to AVID, ClustalW, DIALIGN and LAGAN. In addition, the average length of conserved region identified by ACANA was the longest. Thus, we suggest that ACANA is a useful tool for identifying functional elements in cross-species sequence analysis, such as predicting transcription factor binding sites in non-coding DNA.

Availability: ACANA software and test sequence data are publicly available at

Supplementary information: Supplementary materials are available at Bioinformatics online.

Contact:  li3@niehs.nih.gov
“Unworthy Behavior”: The Case of SS Officer Max Täubner
Authors: Büchler Yehoshua R.
Published: November 2005

The only known case in which an SS officer was punished for killing Jews is discussed below. Max Täubner and his men carried out thousands of killings without orders and in a particularly savage way. Their rogue actions, however, might have gone unimpeded had the perpetrators not boasted and sent photographs to friends and relatives. The potential for publicity and embarrassment, as well as other considerations, formed the crux of the legal case: the unauthorized murder of thousands of Jews otherwise would have constituted to Täubner's superiors little more than instances of excessive zeal.
The Conversion of Looted Jewish Assets to Run the German War Machine
Authors: MacQueen Michael
Published: November 2005

Prior to World War II, the German government established mechanisms to seize the assets of German Jewry, a practice that its agencies later adapted to the occupied territories of Eastern Europe and the Soviet Union. The importance of industrial diamonds to wartime production led the Germans to focus on bartering or selling confiscated valuables to procure these stones. This article pays particular attention to the mechanisms used to convert stolen property into forms useful for the Reich, with emphasis on the handling of intact pieces of jewelry. Also discussed are purchases made by German agents in Switzerland involving industrial diamonds.
“The Worst Enemies of a Better Germany”: Postwar Antisemitism among Catholic Clergy and U.S. Occupation Forces
Authors: Brown-Fleming Suzanne
Published: November 2005

Between 1946 and 1959, Vatican liaison to Germany Aloisius Cardinal Muench received tens of thousands of letters from German and American Roman Catholics. Of these, approximately one hundred letters—written by lay Catholics, priests, and prelates in the United States or by Catholics in the U.S. Army and military government—commented directly on the Holocaust, its survivors, and Jewish refugees in Germany or already in the United States. In addition, Cardinal Muench kept a diary throughout his stay. In it, he recorded several dozen private conversations with American military officers and with ecclesiastical officials regarding Jews specifically. Muench's diary entries offer an unusually clear window on antisemitic attitudes—his own and others'—in the American occupation zone of Germany and back home in the United States.
The Holocaust in Northern Mazovia (Poland) in the Light of the Archive of the Ciechanów Gestapo
Authors: Grabowski Jan
Published: November 2005

The files of the Plock-Ciechanów Gestapo are one of the few archival collections documenting the fate of the Jews in the small ghettos north of Warsaw. The archive reveals how the secret police controlled the Jewish population during the final months before “evacuation” to the camps in 1942. The archive also shows that the Jews refused to acquiesce in the Nazi policy of extermination. After the ghettos were liquidated, survivors either fled to the forests or sought refuge among the overwhelmingly Polish rural population.
HTP-1 coordinates synaptonemal complex assembly with homolog alignment during meiosis in C. elegans
Authors: Couteau Florence , Zetka Monique
Published: November 2005

During meiosis, the mechanisms responsible for homolog alignment, synapsis, and recombination are precisely coordinated to culminate in the formation of crossovers capable of directing accurate chromosome segregation. An outstanding question is how the cell ensures that the structural hallmark of meiosis, the synaptonemal complex (SC), forms only between aligned pairs of homologous chromosomes. In the present study, we find that two closely related members of the him-3 gene family in Caenorhabditis elegans function as regulators of synapsis. HTP-1 functionally couples homolog alignment to its stabilization by synapsis by preventing the association of SC components with unaligned and immature chromosome axes; in the absence of the protein, nonhomologous contacts between chromosomes are inappropriately stabilized, resulting in extensive nonhomologous synapsis and a drastic decline in chiasma formation. In the absence of both HTP-1 and HTP-2, synapsis is abrogated per se and the early association of SC components with chromosomes observed in htp-1 mutants does not occur, suggesting a function for the proteins in licensing SC assembly. Furthermore, our results suggest that early steps of recombination occur in a narrow window of opportunity in early prophase that ends with SC assembly, resulting in a mechanistic coupling of the two processes to promote crossing over.
A Brg1 mutation that uncouples ATPase activity from chromatin remodeling reveals an essential role for SWI/SNF-related complexes in β-globin expression and erythroid development
Authors: Bultman Scott J. , Gebuhr Thomas C. , Magnuson Terry
Published: November 2005

The Brg1 catalytic subunit of SWI/SNF-related complexes has been implicated in many developmental and physiological processes, but null homozygotes die as blastocysts prior to implantation. To circumvent this early embryonic lethality, we performed an ENU mutagenesis screen and generated a Brg1 hypomorph mutation in the ATPase domain. The mutant Brg1 protein is stable, assembles into SWI/SNF-related complexes, and exhibits normal ATPase activity but is unable to establish DNase I hypersensitivity sites characteristic of open chromatin. Mutant embryos develop normally until midgestation but then exhibit a distinct block in the development of the erythroid lineage, leading to anemia and death. The mutant Brg1 protein is recruited to the β-globin locus, but chromatin remodeling and transcription are perturbed. Histone acetylation and DNA methylation are also affected. To our knowledge, Brg1 is the first chromatin-modifying factor shown to be required for β-globin regulation and erythropoiesis in vivo. Not only does this mutation establish a role for Brg1 during organogenesis, it also demonstrates that ATPase activity can be uncoupled from chromatin remodeling.
A two-component phosphotransfer network involving ArcB, ArcA, and RssB coordinates synthesis and proteolysis of σS (RpoS) in E. coli
Authors: Mika Franziska , Hengge Regine
Published: November 2005

The general stress σ factor σS (RpoS) in Escherichia coli is controlled at the levels of transcription, translation, and proteolysis. Here we demonstrate that the phosphorylated response regulator ArcA is a direct repressor of rpoS transcription that binds to two sites flanking the major rpoS promoter, with the upstream site overlapping an activating cAMP-CRP-binding site. The histidine sensor kinase ArcB not only phosphorylates ArcA, but also the σS proteolytic targeting factor RssB, and thereby stimulates σS proteolysis. Thus, ArcB/ArcA/RssB constitute a branched “three-component system”, which coordinates rpoS transcription and σS proteolysis and thereby maintains low σS levels in rapidly growing cells. We suggest that the redox state of the quinones, which controls autophosphorylation of ArcB, not only monitors oxygen but also energy supply, and we show that the ArcB/ArcA/RssB system is involved in σS induction during entry into starvation conditions. Moreover, this induction is enhanced by a positive feedback that involves σS-dependent induction of ArcA, which further reduces σS proteolysis, probably by competing with RssB for residual phosphorylation by ArcB.
Theta frequency stimulation induces a local form of late phase LTP in the CA1 region of the hippocampus
Authors: Huang Yan-You , Kandel Eric R.
Published: November 2005

The late phase of LTP (L-LTP) is typically induced by repeated
high-frequency stimulation. This form of LTP requires activation of
transcription and translation and results in the cell-wide distribution of
gene products that can be captured by other marked synapses. Here we report
that theta frequency stimulation (5 Hz, 30 sec) applied to the
Schaeffer-collateral pathway can induce a form of late phase of LTP that is
restricted locally to the dendritic compartment. The late phase of theta
frequency LTP is maintained even in isolated CA1 dendrites and is dependant on
dendritic translation and actin cytoskeletal regulation, but is independent of
transcription. This local form of L-LTP is not accessible to synaptic capture
by other synapses, indicating that this form of LTP is restricted to the
synaptic compartment. These results indicate that different patterns of
synaptic stimulation can induce distinct forms of LTP that may have different
roles in memory storage.
Physicochemical properties and pollen spectrum of imported and local samples of blossom honey from the Pakistani market
Authors: Nasiruddin Khan M. , Qaiser M. , Raza Syed Mubashir , Rehman Mutiur
Published: November 2005

Fifteen samples of different geographical origin including Pakistan were analysed for density, ash, water content, electrical conductivity, total acidity, pH, total solid, hydroxylmethylfurfural (HMF), minerals and trace metals. The physicochemical parameters were found to be within acceptable ranges (specific gravity 1.40–1.46, ash 0.03–0.21%, moisture 15.6–19.2, total solid 78.7–81.4%, free acidity 23.55–58.52 meq kg−1, conductivity 0.27–0.37 mS cm−1, pH 3.29–4.05, viscosity 33.4–136.4 poise). However, the analysis of HMF showed that imported samples were either exposed to a high temperature during processing or were overage. Greater attention is required, therefore, in the analysis of HMF and in deciding the shelf life, particularly for the imported samples before marketing. Pollen analysis revealed that all the analysed samples were of a multifloral type. All the data were statistically tested using principal component analysis (PCA) with the aim of characterizing the honeys and identifying the most significant parameters in the analysed samples.
Longevity of experimentally buried seed inVaccinium: relationship to climate, reproductive factors and natural seed banks
Authors: HILL NICHOLAS M. , VANDER KLOET SAM P.
Published: November 2005

The fleshy fruited species ofVacciniumare known for their spatial dispersal ability but have generally been found to have poor representation in soil seed banks.

A buried seed experiment was conducted with 28 species ofVaccinium, in which seed lots were exhumed at intervals for up to 17 years. Mean species seed longevity was 8.65 years. For five species that persisted in soil for 15–17 years, regression indicates survival times of more than 20 years.

Climatic factors (particularly annual temperature range in the centre of the species’ distribution range) alone accounted for 42% of the variation in seed longevity and reproductive variables for 55%.

Models of fruit dispersal speed (rapid/tardy) demonstrated the link between spatial and temporal (seed longevity) dispersal and between spatial dispersal and habitat affinity (open/closed) of a species. The majority (87%) of species belonged to two of the four possible syndromes (rapid fruit dispersal/long‐term seed persistence or tardy dispersal/short‐term persistence); 84% of the former were open habitat species.

Seed bank density is a function of seed potential longevity, seed rain and soil conditions. Regions that support species having greatest potential longevity have the smallest seed banks. Annual temperature range was positively correlated with potential longevity but negatively correlated with actual seed bank densities.

Lack of recruitment via seed inVacciniumspecies in arctic regions may limit genetic variability in these clonal plants and impede population responses to climate changes.
Self‐organization in raised bog patterning: the origin of microtope zonation and mesotope diversity
Authors: COUWENBERG JOHN , JOOSTEN HANS
Published: November 2005

Raised bogs of the boreal and temperate zone typically show surface patterning on two distinct organizational levels. A conspicuous pattern of alternating dry strings and wet flarks aligned perpendicular to the slope occurs in combination with other microtopes, resulting in a mesotope pattern.

Patterning on both these levels can be explained by a simple, spatially explicit model that assumes predominantly lateral water flow through an acrotelm that is draped over a dome‐shaped catotelm. The model distinguishes two types of surface elements: hummocks with low transmissivity growing under dry conditions and hollows with high transmissivity growing under wet conditions.

Hummocks dam up water and stimulate the development of hollows upslope, whereas hollows effectively drain upslope areas, stimulating the development of hummocks. If the dome is steep and the recharge high enough, this leads to the development of a string–flark microtope.

Four distinct types of microtopes are distinguished: (i) areas entirely covered by hummocks, (ii) randomly arranged hummocks and hollows, (iii) string–flark striping patterns and (iv) areas entirely covered by hollows.

Different combinations of sharply delineated microtopes occur with different parameter settings, allowing for the classification of four types of raised bog mesotopes. In addition to such qualitative differences, the extent and composition of the microtopes vary with parameter settings, reflecting the variety observed in natural systems.

Our simple simulation model shows how small‐scale, local processes can create a variety of large and complex landscape patterns. These patterns can be used to describe raised bogs in terms of biological entities of a higher organizational order (ecosystem biodiversity), typically recognizable in often species‐poor peatland ecosystems.
Seed mass, seedling size and neotropical tree seedling establishment
Authors: BARALOTO CHRISTOPHER , FORGET PIERRE‐MICHEL , GOLDBERG DEBORAH E.
Published: November 2005

We examined among‐ and within‐species effects of seed mass for seedling establishment from seed to 5 years of age in a field experiment at Paracou, French Guiana.

Six seeds of each of eight species were weighed and planted into each of 120 plots (1 m2) throughout closed‐canopy forest along 12 100‐m transects in 1998.

We described the microhabitat of each planting site using principal components derived from measurements of light availability, soil moisture, carbon and nitrogen content, and soil phosphorus availability. Although both survival and relative growth rate (RGR) increased with increasing light availability, no other microhabitat variable significantly affected seedling performance. Nor did the magnitude of microhabitat effects on survival or RGR differ among species.

Larger‐seeded species were more likely to survive from germination to 1 year as well as from 1 to 5 years of age. RGR for seedling height during the first year post‐germination was not related to seed mass, but smaller‐seeded species did grow slightly faster thereafter. Path analyses revealed that correlations between seed mass and performance were explained in part because larger seeds produced larger initial seedlings, which tended to survive better but grow more slowly.

We also analysed within‐species effects of seed mass for the larger‐seeded Eperua grandiflora and Vouacapoua americana (both Caesalpiniaceae). Larger seeds produced larger seedlings in both species, but larger seeds survived better only for Eperua. Larger seedlings grew more slowly in both species, but did not offset the early (Eperua) and later (Vouacapoua) positive direct effects of seed mass on RGR that may represent contrasting strategies for reserve deployment.

Our results demonstrate that seed size influences performance within and among species in part because of indirect effects of initial seedling size. However, we suggest that traits tightly correlated with seed mass at the species level, such as specific leaf area, leaf longevity and photosynthetic capacity, may also contribute to interspecific performance differences.
Microhabitats shift rank in suitability for seedling establishment depending on habitat type and climate
Authors: GÓMEZ‐APARICIO LORENA , GÓMEZ JOSE M. , ZAMORA REGINO
Published: November 2005

Spatial patterns of seedling establishment have been shown to be largely affected by differences at the microhabitat scale. However, it is far from clear whether such differences are consistent both in space and time, and how they influence the spatial structure of plant populations.

We analyse the spatiotemporal variability in microhabitat quality for seedling emergence and survival of the Mediterranean tree Acer opalus ssp. granatense, examining seedling dynamics at the microhabitat scale in two maple populations intermingled in pine forests and two established on stony slopes during three consecutive years with different climatic conditions.

Seedling establishment varied markedly between microhabitats. In general, seedlings benefited from the presence of pre‐established vegetation, with lower emergence and survival of maple seedlings in open interspaces than under adult maples, non‐conspecific trees and shrubs.

However, the quality of most microhabitats depended on both habitat type and year. Emergence and survival under adult maples, heterospecific trees and in open interspaces was higher in forest than in stony‐slope populations, and increased significantly with summer rainfall. Shrubs, on the contrary, showed relatively high values of seedling emergence and survival at all sites and in both dry and wet years. Consequently, the benefits of living under shrubs were comparatively greater at lower precipitation levels.

The different microhabitats found in heterogeneous landscapes such as Mediterranean forests vary, over relatively large spatiotemporal scales, in quality for seedling establishment. Shrubs showed the highest consistency in patterns of both seedling emergence and survival. This finding, together with the predominance of dry years in Mediterranean areas, may explain why Acer opalus ssp. granatense has a stable spatial distribution at a geographical scale with most saplings associated with shrubs. Spatiotemporal patterns of seedling dynamics at the microhabitat scale may cascade through later demographic stages, eventually impacting the spatial structure of plant populations.
Children with Prader–Willi syndrome vs. Williams syndrome: indirect effects on parents during a jigsaw puzzle task
Authors: Ly T. M. , Hodapp R. M.
Published: November 2005

Background  Genetic disorders predispose individuals to exhibit characteristic behaviours, which in turn elicit particular behaviours from others. In response to the strength of Prader–Willi syndrome (PWS) and weakness of Williams syndrome (WS) in visual‐spatial tasks such as jigsaw puzzles, parents’ behaviours can be affected by their child's level of puzzle ability or syndrome diagnosis.

Methods  Children were asked to complete two jigsaw puzzles (one with the experimenter and the other with the parent) for 5 min each. Frequencies of parental helping and reinforcement behaviours, along with ratings of parental directiveness, were examined as parents interacted with their children on a jigsaw puzzle task. Within each aetiological group, correlates of parental behaviours with child characteristics were also examined.

Results  Compared to parents of children with PWS, parents of children with WS engaged in a more directive style of interaction, and provided more help and reinforcement. Relative to parents of children with higher puzzle abilities (from both aetiologies), parents of children with lower abilities also showed the same pattern. Both the child's aetiology and puzzle abilities were important in predicting parents’ directiveness and helping and reinforcement behaviours. Within the PWS group, parents’ behaviours correlated negatively with the child's puzzle abilities and general cognitive functioning; no such relations occurred in the WS group.

Conclusions  Parents’ behaviours were affected by both the child's diagnosis and actual puzzle abilities, suggesting important implications for understanding and intervening with parents and children with different genetic syndromes.