bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Replacing Catharsis and Uncertainty Reduction Theories with Descriptions of Historical and Social Context
Authors: Guerin Bernard
Published: October 2005

Many explanations in psychology rely on notions of catharsis, drive reduction, or uncertainty reduction. This article criticizes such notions and suggests 3 ways that such theories can be replaced to make the phenomena events of social life rather than “inner” events: They have hidden social events as their conditions for occurrence; they are the result of conflicting social demands; and they function as good conversational rhetoric. Seven examples are given in detail, including the reduction in anxiety about life through religion, the cognitive psychology assumption of uncertainty reduction through categorization, and the reduction in anxiety resulting from making rumors. Relying on descriptions of historical and social context rather than on theories of catharsis provides a better basis for applied interventions and integration into the social sciences but requires that psychologists pay much more attention to measuring such details.
Momentous Events and the Life Story
Authors: Pillemer David B.
Published: October 2005

Memories of specific life episodes, termed personal event memories, have only recently become a focus of systematic research. In this article, memories of momentous events are analyzed from a functional perspective. First, personal event memory is defined. Second, research on the temporal organization of specific memories across the life span is described. Third, psychological functions served by remembering momentous events are illustrated. Fourth, variations in the structure and content of autobiographical memory are identified. Finally, potential connections to clinical and educational practice are discussed.
Extending the Study of Autobiographical Memory: Thinking Back about Life across the Life Span
Authors: Bluck Susan , Habermas Tilmann
Published: October 2005

By combining a life perspective with a life span perspective, the authors present a basic framework for extending the study of autobiographical memory. The life perspective suggests not only the consideration of individual episodes of memory but how they are strung together into a life. The life span perspective takes into account the chronological age and life context of individuals and how these factors might affect abilities and motivations related to the use of autobiographical memory. The authors discuss how these 2 perspectives are combined to yield a useful framework for studying autobiographical memory and present 2 examples of work done using this framework.
How and When Does Emotional Expression Help?
Authors: Kennedy-Moore Eileen , Watson Jeanne C.
Published: October 2005

The paradox of distress expression is that expression of negative feelings is both a sign of distress and a possible means of coping with that distress. This article describes research illustrating the paradox of distress expression. It reviews evidence concerning 3 possible mechanisms by which expression might alleviate distress, focusing on the role of expression in (a) reducing distress about distress, (b) facilitating insight, and (c) affecting interpersonal relationships in a desired way. The authors conclude by highlighting the circumstances under which expression is most likely to be adaptive. Overall, the authors argue that expression of negative feelings is adaptive to the extent that it leads to some kind of resolution involving the source or significance of distress.
Superconductivity and normal state properties of non-centrosymmetric CePt3Si: a status report
Authors: Bauer E. , Bonalde I. , Sigrist M.
Published: October 2005

Ternary CePt3Si crystallizes in the tetragonal P4mm structure which lacks a center of inversion. Antiferromagnetic order sets in at TN≈2.2 K followed by superconductivity (SC) below Tc≈0.75 K. Large values of Hc2′≈−8.5 T/K and Hc2(0)≈5 T were derived, referring to Cooper pairs formed out of heavy quasiparticles. The mass enhancement originates from Kondo interactions with a characteristic temperature TK≈8 K. CePt3Si follows the general features of correlated electron systems and can be arranged within the Kadowaki–Woods plot next to the unconventional SC UPt3. NMR and μSR results show that both magnetic order and SC coexist on a microscopic scale without having spatial segregation of both phenomena. The absence of an inversion symmetry gives rise to a lifting of the degeneracy of electronic bands by spin-orbit coupling. As a consequence, the SC order parameter may have uncommon features as indicated from a very unique NMR relaxation rate 1/T1 and a linear temperature dependence of the penetration depth λ.
On the discovery of magnon sidebands in insulating antiferromagnets
Authors: White R. M. , Yen W. M.
Published: October 2005

In this article, we reconstruct the course of events which led to the discovery and identification of magnon sidebands in the optical spectrum of simple antiferromagnetic insulators.b
Active-space equation-of-motion coupled-cluster methods for excited states of radicals and other open-shell systems: EA-EOMCCSDt and IP-EOMCCSDt
Authors: Gour Jeffrey R. , Piecuch Piotr , Włoch Marta
Published: October 2005

The previously developed active-space coupled-cluster (CC) and equation-of-motion (EOM) CC methods are extended to radicals and other open-shell systems by combining them with the electron attached (EA) and ionized (IP) EOMCC approaches. As illustrated by the calculations for the CH and OH radicals, the resulting EA-EOMCCSDt and IP-EOMCCSDt theories are capable of providing a highly accurate description of the electronic spectra of radical systems, including excited states displaying a manifestly multideterminantal nature, with the low costs that are not much greater that those characterizing the standard EOMCC singles and doubles method.
Electric fields in an electrolyte solution near a strip of fixed potential
Authors: Khripin Constantine , Jagota A. , Hui Chung-Yuen
Published: October 2005

Electrostatic fields produced by flat electrodes are often used to manipulate particles in solution. To study the field produced by such an electrode, we consider the problem of an infinite strip of width 2a with imposed constant potential immersed in an electrolyte solution. Sufficiently close to the edge of the strip, the solution is determined by classical electrostatics and results in a field singularity. We examine two limiting cases, (a) when strip width a⪡1∕k, the Debye screening length, and (b) when strip width is much greater than the Debye screening length, a⪢1∕k. We present exact results for the two cases in the limit of small potentials where the Poisson-Boltzmann equation can be linearized. By drawing on an analogy with antiplane shear deformations of solids, and by employing the path-independent J integral of solid mechanics, we present a new method for determining the strength of the edge singularity. The strength of the singularity defines an exact near-field solution. In the far field the solution goes to that of a line of charge. The accuracy of the solution is demonstrated by comparison with the numerical solutions of the Poisson-Boltzmann equation using the finite element method.
Oscillatory instabilities in phase separation of binary mixtures: Fixing the thermodynamic driving
Authors: Auernhammer Günter K. , Vollmer Doris , Vollmer Jürgen
Published: October 2005

Binary liquid mixtures can show pronounced oscillations in the differential scanning calorimeter signal for the specific heat and in the turbidity when phase separation is induced by continuously ramping the temperature. For a fixed ramp rate, i.e., a linear temporal drift of temperature, only a small number of oscillations have been observed. In the present manuscript we describe an experimental setup where simultaneous video-microscopy and shadow-graph measurements can be performed on mixtures subjected to an arbitrary temporal temperature evolution. In particular, it can be adjusted to fix the thermodynamic driving force, which characterizes the rate of change of the composition of the coexisting phases. With this novel technique both the number of oscillations and the temperature interval where oscillations are observed increase significantly. This technique can easily be applied to a great variety of binary mixtures, permitting detailed investigations of their phase-separation kinetics under slowly ramping temperature.
The formation of NO+ from the reaction of N22+ with O2
Authors: Ricketts Claire L. , Harper Sarah M. , Hu Sunny W.-P. , Price Stephen D.
Published: October 2005

We have studied the potentially ionospherically significant reaction between N22+ with O2 using position-sensitive coincidence spectroscopy. We observe both nondissociative and dissociative electron transfer reactions as well as two channels involving the formation of NO+. The NO+ product is formed together with either N+ and O in one bond-forming channel or O+ and N in the other bond-forming channel. Using the scattering diagrams derived from the coincidence data, it seems clear that both bond-forming reactions proceed via a collision complex [N2O2]2+. This collision complex then decays by loss of a neutral atom to form a daughter dication (NO22+ or N2O2+), which then decays by charge separation to yield the observed products.
Ion acceleration in plasmas with Alfvén waves
Authors: Kolesnychenko O. Ya. , Lutsenko V. V. , White R. B.
Published: October 2005

Effects of elliptically polarized Alfvén waves on thermal ions are investigated. Both regular oscillations and stochastic motion of the particles are observed. It is found that during regular oscillations the energy of the thermal ions can reach magnitudes well exceeding the plasma temperature, the effect being largest in low-β plasmas (β is the ratio of the plasma pressure to the magnetic-field pressure). Conditions of low stochasticity threshold are obtained. It is shown that stochasticity can arise even for waves propagating along the magnetic field provided that the frequency spectrum is nonmonochromatic. The analysis carried out is based on equations derived from using a Lagrangian formalism. A code solving these equations is developed. Steady-state perturbations and perturbations with the amplitude slowly varying in time are considered.
Electromagnetic interactions between a line source and anisotropic biaxial media with partially negative constitutive parameters
Authors: Cheng Qiang , Jun Cui Tie
Published: October 2005

We have analyzed the electromagnetic wave interactions between a line source and an anisotropic biaxial half space as well as an anisotropic biaxial slab with partially negative constitutive parameters. Both the propagating and evanescent waves emitted from the source are discussed separately with the change of the permittivity and permeability tensors in the anisotropic media. Properties exhibited by the anisotropic half space and the anisotropic slab are investigated both theoretically and numerically based on different dispersion relations obeyed by the anisotropic media. We have shown that the media with elliptic dispersion relations can replace the isotropic left-handed materials in the subwavelength imaging, while the media with hyperbolic relations can convert the incident evanescent waves into propagating waves. When the permittivity and permeability tensors of the anisotropic media are properly selected, we also show that no propagating waves can be supported inside the media and we can use the anisotropic slabs as excellent reflectors to replace the traditional metallic ones. Numerical results have validated our analysis.
Deformation of diesel soot aggregates as a function of pellet pressure: A study with ultra-small-angle x-ray scattering
Authors: Braun Artur , Ilavsky Jan , Seifert Sönke , Jemian Pete R.
Published: October 2005

Diesel soot powder generated under idle and load engine conditions was pressed into pellets at pressures ranging up to approximately 8.5 GPa. Soot powder was also immersed in acetone in order to obtain soot aggregates without agglomeration. Small-angle x-ray scattering was carried out on the powder, the pellets, and on the acetone-immersed soot. Powder and pellets show characteristic aggregate structure at small scattering vectors. Scattering curves of the pellets show a shift of the aggregate size-related scattering feature towards larger scattering vectors for increasing pressure. For the highest pressures, this aggregate structure vanished, while the suspected primary particle scattering became visible as the asymptote of the aggregate scattering structure. Soot was immersed and ultrasonicated in acetone to prevent agglomeration of aggregates, which naturally occurs in powders. This can be considered as the simulation of asymptotic behavior for vanishing pressure. Aggregate size of powder was about 290 nm for the idle soot and 240 nm for the load soot. Primary particle sizes were 14.3 and 10.2 nm, respectively. The idle soot showed a higher compressibility (0.9GPa∕nm) than the load soot (12.0GPa∕nm). Pressing the soot into pellets eliminates scattering structures from aggregation of primary particles and provides a good route to reveal the otherwise inaccessible primary particle scattering. In addition, studying the aggregate structure as a function of pellet pressure allows us to derive compacticity data of the soot.
Ultrahigh-resolution pyroelectric thermal-wave technique for the measurement of thermal diffusivity of low-concentration water-alcohol mixtures
Authors: Matvienko Anna , Mandelis Andreas
Published: October 2005

Thermal diffusivities of water-methanol and water-ethanol mixtures were measured using a thermal-wave cavity with two techniques: conventional single-pulse photopyroelectric frequency scans and the common-mode-rejection demodulation dual-pulse scheme. The frequency-scan measurements showed maximum resolution of the photothermal signal in water at the level of 0.5% by volume in mixtures of methanol and ethanol. The common-mode-rejection demodulation method improved the resolution up to the level of 0.2% by volume, which is the highest thermophysical resolution of water-methanol and water-ethanol mixtures reported to date, to our best knowledge. The ultrahigh sensitivity of the method can be especially useful in environmental applications, specifically in real-time water pollution monitoring.
Nanoscale topography-capacitance correlation in high-K films: Interface heterogeneity related electrical properties
Authors: Sturm J. M. , Zinine A. I. , Wormeester H. , Poelsema Bene , Bankras R. G. , Holleman J. , Schmitz J.
Published: October 2005

Kelvin probe force microscopy in ultrahigh vacuum was used to study inhomogeneities of the contact potential difference (CPD) and differential capacitance of thin atomic layer deposited Al2O3 films. CPD fluctuations correlate equally strongly with the surface topography for deposition on hydrogen-terminated Si and thermal SiO2. The correlation of the differential capacitance with the topography clearly distinguishes films based on the starting surface. The lateral electrical homogeneity of these thin oxides depends crucially on their initial nucleation.
Conserved functions and extended Grad–Shafranov equation for low vorticity viscous plasmas with nonlinear flows
Authors: Martín P. , Castro E. , Haines M. G.
Published: October 2005

Tokamak equilibrium has been analyzed with the magnetohydrodynamics nonlinear momentum equation in the low vorticity case. A large simplification in the analysis is obtained in this case compared with previous general treatments for rotating plasmas in tokamaks. Now pressure is not conserved around magnetic surfaces, however, other generalized functions have been found, which are conserved on each magnetic surface. A generalized Grad–Shafranov-type equation has been also derived for this case. How to determine the gradient of these new conserved functions on each magnetic surface from their value at one point of the corresponding surface is also shown.
Nanoscale multistep shear band formation by deformation-induced nanocrystallization in Zr-Al-Ni-Pd bulk metallic glass
Authors: Saida Junji , Setyawan Albertus Deny Heri , Kato Hidemi , Inoue Akihisa
Published: October 2005

A single Zr65Al7.5Ni10Pd17.5 bulk metallic glass exhibits a large plastic strain of 6.6% during the compressive deformation process, which is attributed to the deformation mode with nanoscale multistep shear bands. We have observed that nanocrystals with a metastable fcc Zr2Ni structure containing several distorted icosahedral clusters are arranged in a “bandlike” formation in the glassy matrix around the multistep shear bands. This is recognized as direct evidence of the novel phenomenon of the restraint of shear band propagation owing to the dynamic precipitation of the nanocrystals.
Measurement of the surface field on open magnetic samples by the extrapolation method
Authors: Perevertov O.
Published: October 2005

Determination of the magnetic field in open magnetic samples is a very difficult problem. Two basic approaches exist—to calculate the field from the applied current or to measure it near the sample surface. Both depend on the quality of sample-yoke contacts that affect the circuit reluctance and the field gradient above the sample. In this work, a method of the surface field determination by extrapolation from the field measurements at different distances from the surface is investigated. The field behavior above the sample is studied for a single C-yoke system numerically and experimentally on magnetically different samples. The influence of the driving coil position, yoke size, air gap, and the sample material on the field gradient is determined. The main factors affecting the resulting accuracy are discussed. The applicability of the method was checked by comparing derivatives of the results, i.e., differential permeability curves measured for different air gaps.
ZnO devices: Photodiodes and p-type field-effect transistors
Authors: Ryu Y. R. , Lee T. S. , Lubguban J. A. , White H. W. , Park Y. S. , Youn C. J.
Published: October 2005

The potential use of ZnO-based photonic and electronic devices has been demonstrated by the fabrication of prototype ultraviolet (UV) photodetector and field-effect transistor (FET) devices that contain films of p-type ZnO with arsenic as the p-type dopant. These p-type films have high crystalline quality and show long-term stability. The ZnO UV photodetectors are based on p-n junctions. The FETs are made with metal-semiconductor Schottky contacts on p-type ZnO and are normally off (enhancement) devices. The spectral and electrical characteristics of these devices are presented and explained.
Senescence-associated down-regulation of 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylate (ACC) oxidase delays harvest-induced senescence in broccoli
Authors: Gapper Nigel E. , Coupe Simon A. , McKenzie Marian J. , Scott Richard W. , Christey Mary C. , Lill Ross E. , McManus Michael T. , Jameson Paula E.
Published: October 2005

To gain an in-depth understanding of the role of ethylene in post harvest senescence, we used broccoli (Brassica oleracea var. italica) as our model species. The senescence-associated asparagine synthetase (AS) promoter from asparagus was used to drive the expression of an antisense 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylate oxidase (ACO) cDNA from broccoli, BoACO2, to reduce ethylene production following harvest. Physiological analyses revealed that transgenic broccoli lines harbouring the antisense BoACO2 gene construct (designated as AS-asACO) displayed delayed senescence in both detached leaves and detached heads as measured by hue angle. Harvested floret tissue from these plants also showed a delayed loss of chlorophyll, lower protease activity and higher total protein content, and changes in transcript levels of senescence marker genes when compared with wild type and transgenic lines transformed with an empty T-DNA. Genes that were down-regulated included those coding for cysteine protease (BoCP5), metallothionein-like protein (BoMT1), hexokinase (BoHK1), invertase (BoINV1) and sucrose transporters (BoSUC1 and BoSUC2). Northern analysis for BoACO1 and BoACO2, ACO assays and western analysis, revealed reduced ACO transcript, enzyme activity and protein accumulation, as well as reduced ethylene production in the transgenic AS-asACO lines when compared with controls, confirming that a key enzyme regulating ethylene biosynthesis was reduced in these plants. This, together with the changes observed in gene expression, confirm a significant role for ethylene in regulating the events leading to senescence in broccoli following harvest.
Structure of an extracellular giant hemoglobin of the gutless beard worm Oligobrachia mashikoi
Authors: Numoto Nobutaka , Nakagawa Taro , Kita Akiko , Sasayama Yuichi , Fukumori Yoshihiro , Miki Kunio
Published: October 2005

Mouthless and gutless marine animals, pogonophorans and vestimentiferans, obtain their nutrition solely from their symbiotic chemoautotrophic sulfur-oxidizing bacteria. These animals have sulfide-binding 400-kDa and/or 3,500-kDa Hb, which transports oxygen and sulfide simultaneously. The symbiotic bacteria are supplied with sulfide by Hb of the host animal and use it to provide carbon compounds. Here, we report the crystal structure of a 400-kDa Hb from pogonophoran
Oligobrachia mashikoi
at 2.85-Å resolution. The structure is hollow-spherical, composed of a total of 24 globins as a dimer of dodecamer. This dodecameric assemblage would be a fundamental structural unit of both 400-kDa and 3,500-kDa Hbs. The structure of the mercury derivative used for phasing provides insights into the sulfide-binding mechanism. The mercury compounds bound to all free Cys residues that have been expected as sulfide-binding sites. Some of the free Cys residues are surrounded by Phe aromatic rings, and mercury atoms come into contact with these residues in the derivative structure. It is strongly suggested that sulfur atoms bound to these sites could be stabilized by aromatic-electrostatic interactions by the surrounding Phe residues.
Iroquois transcription factors recognize a unique motif to mediate transcriptional repression
in vivo
Authors: Bilioni Aphrodite , Craig Gavin , Hill Caroline , McNeill Helen
Published: October 2005

Iroquois transcription factors regulate diverse aspects of developmental patterning in all metazoans. Despite their widespread importance, the direct targets of the
Iroquois
are poorly understood. Here, we use
in vitro
site selection to define the DNA-binding preference of the
Drosophila
Iroquois Mirror. We use electrophoretic mobility shift assays to determine the critical nucleotides for Mirror binding and to show that this site is recognized by other
Drosophila
Iroquois transcription factors. This site also is recognized by vertebrate Iroquois transcription factors. Transgenic analysis demonstrates that
Drosophila
Iroquois proteins recognize this site
in vivo
to mediate transcriptional repression. We further show that Iroquois transcription factors form homodimers and heterodimers, suggesting that combinatorial binding may contribute to gene regulation by this family.
Netrin-1 inhibits leukocyte migration
in vitro
and
in vivo
Authors: Ly Ngoc P. , Komatsuzaki Katsumi , Fraser Iain P. , Tseng Anita A. , Prodhan Parthak , Moore Kathryn J. , Kinane T. Bernard
Published: October 2005

Cell migration plays important roles in embryonic development and inflammation, and this process is highly regulated to ensure tissue homeostasis. A number of barriers exist to prevent the inappropriate migration of leukocytes into healthy peripheral tissues, including retention of these cells in the inactive state and maintenance of the integrity and charge of the vascular endothelium. However, active signals also are likely to exist that can repulse cells or abolish existing cell migration. One such paradigm exists in the developing nervous system, where neuronal migration is mediated by a balance between chemoattractive and chemorepulsive signals. The ability of the guidance molecule netrin-1 to repulse or abolish attraction of neuronal cells expressing the UNC5b receptor makes it an attractive candidate for the regulation of inflammatory cell migration. Here, we show that netrin-1 is expressed on vascular endothelium, where it is regulated by infection and inflammatory cytokines. The netrin-1 receptor UNC5b is strongly expressed by leukocytes, upon which netrin-1 acts as a potent inhibitor of migration to different chemotactic stimuli both
in vivo
and
in vitro
. These data suggest that endothelial expression of netrin-1 may inhibit basal cell migration into tissues and that its down-regulation with the onset of sepsis/inflammation may facilitate leukocyte recruitment.
Mimivirus gene promoters exhibit an unprecedented conservation among all eukaryotes
Authors: Suhre Karsten , Audic Stéphane , Claverie Jean-Michel
Published: October 2005

The initial analysis of the recently sequenced genome of
Acanthamoeba polyphaga Mimivirus
, the largest known double-stranded DNA virus, predicted a proteome of size and complexity more akin to small parasitic bacteria than to other nucleocytoplasmic large DNA viruses and identified numerous functions never before described in a virus. It has been proposed that the Mimivirus lineage could have emerged before the individualization of cellular organisms from the three domains of life. An exhaustive
in silico
analysis of the noncoding moiety of all known viral genomes now uncovers the unprecedented perfect conservation of an AAAATTGA motif in close to 50% of the Mimivirus genes. This motif preferentially occurs in genes transcribed from the predicted leading strand and is associated with functions required early in the viral infectious cycle, such as transcription and protein translation. A comparison with the known promoter of unicellular eukaryotes, amoebal protists in particular, strongly suggests that the AAAATTGA motif is the structural equivalent of the TATA box core promoter element. This element is specific to the Mimivirus lineage and may correspond to an ancestral promoter structure predating the radiation of the eukaryotic kingdoms. This unprecedented conservation of core promoter regions is another exceptional feature of Mimivirus that again raises the question of its evolutionary origin.
Ras activation of a Rac1 exchange factor, Tiam1, mediates neurotrophin-3-induced Schwann cell migration
Authors: Yamauchi Junji , Miyamoto Yuki , Tanoue Akito , Shooter Eric M. , Chan Jonah R.
Published: October 2005

Endogenous neurotrophins positively and negatively regulate migration of premyelinating Schwann cells before the initiation of myelination. Neurotrophin-3 (NT3) acting through the TrkC receptor tyrosine kinase stimulates Schwann cell migration via the Rho GTPases Rac1 and Cdc42. We previously demonstrated that TrkC directly phosphorylates and activates Dbs, the guanine-nucleotide exchange factor (GEF) for Cdc42, to partially mediate Schwann cell migration. Here, we identify T lymphoma invasion and metastasis (Tiam) 1 as the Rac1-specific guanine-nucleotide exchange factor involved in NT3-induced Schwann cell migration. Furthermore, the interaction between the small GTPase Ras and Tiam1 plays an essential role in the activation of Rac1. Taken together, these results suggest that NT3 activation of TrkC stimulates Schwann cell migration through two parallel signaling units, Ras/Tiam1/Rac1 and Dbs/Cdc42, and that Schwann cell migration is uniquely regulated in the case of Ras and Rac1, by two different types of small GTPases.
Long-term renewal of hair follicles from clonogenic multipotent stem cells
Authors: Claudinot Stéphanie , Nicolas Michael , Oshima Hideo , Rochat Ariane , Barrandon Yann
Published: October 2005

Adult stem cells are essential for tissue renewal, regeneration, and repair, and their expansion in culture is of paramount importance for regenerative medicine. Using the whisker follicle of the rat as a model system, we demonstrate that (i) clonogenicity is an intrinsic property of the adult stem cells of the hair follicle; (ii) after cultivation for >140 doublings, these stem cells, transplanted to the dermo-epidermal junction of newborn mouse skin, form part or all of the developing follicles; (iii) the stem cells incorporated into follicles are multipotent, because they generate all of the lineages of the hair follicle and sebaceous gland; (iv) thousands of hair follicles can be generated from the progeny of a single cultivated stem cell; (v) cultured stem cells express the self-renewal genesBmi1andZfp145;(vi) several stem cells participate in the formation of a single hair bulb; and (vii) there are many more stem cells in whisker follicles than could be anticipated from label-retaining experiments.
A single domestication for potato based on multilocus amplified fragment length polymorphism genotyping
Authors: Spooner David M. , McLean Karen , Ramsay Gavin , Waugh Robbie , Bryan Glenn J.
Published: October 2005

The cultivated potato,
Solanum tuberosum
, ultimately traces its origin to Andean and Chilean landraces developed by pre-Colombian cultivators. These Andean landraces exhibit tremendous morphological and genetic diversity, and are distributed throughout the Andes, from western Venezuela to northern Argentina, and in southern Chile. The wild species progenitors of these landraces have long been in dispute, but all hypotheses center on a group of ≈20 morphologically very similar tuber-bearing (
Solanum
section
Petota
) wild taxa referred to as the
S. brevicaule
complex, distributed from central Peru to northern Argentina. We present phylogenetic analyses based on the representative cladistic diversity of 362 individual wild (261) and landrace (98) members of potato (all tuber-bearing) and three outgroup non-tuber-bearing members of
Solanum
section
Etuberosum
, genotyped with 438 robust amplified fragment length polymorphisms. Our analyses are consistent with a hypothesis of a “northern” (Peru) and “southern” (Bolivia and Argentina) cladistic split for members of the
S. brevicaule
complex, and with the need for considerable reduction of species in the complex. In contrast to all prior hypotheses, our data support a monophyletic origin of the landrace cultivars from the northern component of this complex in Peru, rather than from multiple independent origins from various northern and southern members.
A transcriptional signaling pathway in the IFN system mediated by 2′-5′-oligoadenylate activation of RNase L
Authors: Malathi Krishnamurthy , Paranjape Jayashree M. , Bulanova Elena , Shim Minsub , Guenther-Johnson Jeanna M. , Faber Pieter W. , Eling Thomas E. , Williams Bryan R. G. , Silverman Robert H.
Published: October 2005

Virus replication in higher vertebrates is restrained by IFNs that cause cells to transcribe genes encoding antiviral proteins, such as 2′-5′ oligoadenylate synthetases. 2′-5′ oligoadenylate synthetase is stimulated by dsRNA to produce 5′-phosphorylated, 2′-5′-linked oligoadenylates (2-5A), whose function is to activate RNase L. Although RNase L is required for a complete IFN antiviral response and mutations in the RNase L gene (RNASELorHPC1) increase prostate cancer rates, it is unknown how 2-5A affects these biological endpoints through its receptor, RNase L. Presently, we show that 2-5A activation of RNase L produces a remarkable stimulation of transcription (≥20-fold) for genes that suppress virus replication and prostate cancer. Unexpectedly, exposure of DU145 prostate cancer cells to physiologic levels of 2-5A (0.1 μM) induced approximately twice as many RNA species as it down-regulated. Among the 2-5A-induced genes are several IFN-stimulated genes, including IFN-inducible transcript 1/P56, IFN-inducible transcript 2/P54, IL-8, and IFN-stimulated gene 15. 2-5A also potently elevated RNA for macrophage inhibitory cytokine-1/nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drug-activated gene-1, a TGF-β superfamily member implicated as an apoptotic suppressor of prostate cancer. Transcriptional signaling to the macrophage inhibitory cytokine-1/nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drug-activated gene-1 promoter by 2-5A was deficient in HeLa cells expressing a nuclease-dead mutant of RNase L and was dependent on the mitogen-activated protein kinases c-Jun N-terminal kinase and extracellular signal-regulated kinase, both of which were activated in response to 2-5A treatments. Because 2-5A and RNase L participate in defenses against viral infections and prostate cancer, our findings have implications for basic cellular mechanisms that control major pathogenic processes.
Aberrant motor axon projection, acetylcholine receptor clustering, and neurotransmission in cyclin-dependent kinase 5 null mice
Authors: Fu Amy K. Y. , Ip Fanny C. F. , Fu Wing-Yu , Cheung Janet , Wang Jerry H. , Yung Wing-Ho , Ip Nancy Y.
Published: October 2005

Cyclin-dependent kinase (Cdk)5 is a key regulator of neural development. We have previously demonstrated that Cdk5/p35 are localized to the postsynaptic muscle and are implicated in the regulation of neuregulin/ErbB signaling in myotube culture. To further elucidate whether Cdk5 activity contributes to neuromuscular junction (NMJ) development
in vivo
, the NMJ of Cdk5
-/-
mice was examined. Consistent with our previous demonstration that Cdk5 phosphorylates ErbB2/3 to regulate its tyrosine phosphorylation, we report here that the phosphorylation of ErbB2 and ErbB3 and the ErbB2 kinase activity are reduced in Cdk5-deficient muscle. In addition, Cdk5
-/-
mice also display morphological abnormalities at the NMJ pre- and postsynaptically. Whereas the outgrowth of the main nerve trunk is grossly normal, the intramuscular nerve projections exhibit profuse and anomalous branching patterns in the Cdk5
-/-
embryos. The central band of acetylcholine receptor (AChR) clusters is also wider in Cdk5
-/-
diaphragms, together with the absence of S100 immunoreactivity along the phrenic nerve during late embryonic stages. Moreover, we unexpectedly discovered that the agrin-induced formation of large AChR clusters is significantly increased in primary muscle cultures prepared from Cdk5-null mice and in C2C12 myotubes when Cdk5 activity was suppressed. These abnormalities are accompanied by elevated frequency of miniature endplate potentials in Cdk5-null diaphragm. Taken together, our findings reveal the essential role of Cdk5 in regulating the development of motor axons and neuromuscular synapses
in vivo
.
First-line investigation of acute intracerebral hemorrhage using dynamic magnetic resonance angiography
Authors: Evans A. L. , Coley S. C. , Wilkinson I. D. , Griffiths P. D.
Published: October 2005

Purpose: To report the initial experience of magnetic resonance (MR) digital subtraction angiography (MR-DSA) in the dynamic assessment of the cerebral circulation in acute non-traumatic intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH).

Material and Methods: Twelve patients with acute ICH were investigated within 6 days of the ictus using a dynamic contrast-enhanced 2-D MR angiogram that produces subtracted images with a temporal resolution of 1–2 frame/s. The MR-DSA examinations were assessed for evidence of an intracranial vascular abnormality and were compared with (i) the routine MR sequences, (ii) non-dynamic time-of-flight MR angiography, and (iii) catheter angiogram performed during the same admission.

Results: All 12 MR-DSA examinations were considered to be technically satisfactory. MR-DSA detected an intracranial vascular abnormality in 7 patients (3 arteriovenous malformations, 2 aneurysms, 1 dural arteriovenous fistula, and 1 venous thrombosis). All abnormalities were confirmed by catheter angiography with the exception of one patient with venous sinus thrombosis found on MR imaging that did not undergo catheter angiography. All four arteriovenous shunts were detected by MR-DSA by virtue of early venous filling.

Conclusion: MR-DSA can be performed satisfactorily in the setting of acute ICH and provides an alternative method to catheter angiography for identifying shunting vascular abnormalities such as arteriovenous malformations and fistulae, as well as large aneurysms and venous occlusions. MR-DSA is a contrast-medium-based technique that does not suffer from the T1 shortening effects of acute hemorrhage that can obscure abnormalities on conventional flow-based non-dynamic techniques.
Tolerated Purely as Entertainment
Authors: Khoury Rabih , Khoury Rabih
Published: October 2005

IN LEBANON, HOMOSEXUALITY IS ILLEGAL. BUT THERE ARE PLENTY OF GAYS IN NIGHT CLUBS AND CINEMAS
Three Cheers for International Cooperation
Authors: Steinhardt Barry
Published: October 2005

CONFRONTED WITH A SHIFT IN POLICY MAKING FROM FAMILIAR DOMESTIC FORUMS TO THE CLOSED WORLD OF OBSCURE AND UNACCOUNTABLE INTERNATIONAL BODIES, CIVIL RIGHTS NGOS HAVE YET TO FIND AN APPROPRIATE MODUS OPERANDI
The Complete Id Primer
Authors: Davies Simon
Published: October 2005

ON THE GROUNDS THAT WE HAVE ‘INTERNATIONAL OBLIGATIONS’ TO DO SO, AND IN THE FACE OF STRONG RESISTANCE, THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT IS INTRODUCING A FAR-REACHING ID SYSTEM
A new string to our bow: The role of a self‐evaluation approach for drug and alcohol services
Authors: Braw J. R. , Sheldon J. S. , Flaherty B.
Published: October 2005

In Australia there is a wide range and diversity of services and programmes to address the problems associated with the use of alcohol and other drugs. As with many other spheres of social welfare, the effectiveness of individual programmes in addressing these problems remains largely unexamined. In response to the absence of evaluation activity at this level of service provision one state health body, the New South Wales Drug and Alcohol Directorate, has developed a project to promote programme evaluation for agencies providing drug and alcohol services in their jurisdictions. This paper provides a description of the project which involved the development of a “self‐evaluation” method based on the comparison of programme objectives and actual outcomes. The implementation of this method involved the use of a resource kit, workshops conducted in each health area and region in New South Wales and individual consultation with service providers and drug and alcohol co‐ordinators. The preliminary results of an evaluation of the project itself are also described. Evaluation activity has commenced in almost half the services participating in the workshops and participants reported a significant increase in knowledge and skills in evaluation. They also reported a decrease in anxiety about evaluation as a result of the workshops. The paper concludes by placing the project in the broader context of state and national strategic planning.
Patterns of petrol sniffing and other drug use in young men from an Australian Aboriginal community in Arnhem Land, Northern Territory
Authors: BURNS C. B. , D'ABBS P. , CURRIE B. J.
Published: October 2005

Petrol sniffing and use of other drugs were examined among 48 males aged 13–32 years resident in a remote Aboriginal community in Arnhem Land. The study group consisted of 13 non‐sniffers, 13 ex‐sniffers and 22 current sniffers. Unemployment was highest among those with a history of petrol sniffing. Employment and family influence emerged as major reported reasons for individuals stopping petrol sniffing. The findings of the study suggest that strategies to reduce petrol sniffing should not only focus on education, employment, skills training and recreation, but should further encourage Aboriginal communities to utilize family relationships to dissuade young people from the practice. Unlike ex‐sniffers and current sniffers, non‐sniffers tended to be abstainers from tobacco, kava and alcohol. Of the selected study group, 52% smoked 25 cigarettes per day. On the basis of the research findings, the local community Council has implemented employment, skills training and recreation strategies to reduce petrol sniffing in this age group. A reduction in tobacco consumption in both adults and young people has also been targeted through health education programmes developed by the community health clinic and the school. [Burns CB, D'Abbs P, Currie BJ. Patterns of petrol sniffing and other drug use in young men from an Australian Aboriginal community in Arnhem Land, Northern Territory. Drug Alcohol Rev 1995;14:159–169]
Alcohol use among Australian secondary students in 1993
Authors: WHITE VICTORIA M. , HILL DAVID J. , SEGAN CATHERINE J.
Published: October 2005

The prevalence of alcohol consumption among Australian secondary students in 1993 was estimated from a survey of 22 696 students aged between 12 and 17 years. A random, representative sample of schools from all education systems (government, Catholic and independent) was selected and a sample of 80 students from each school was randomly selected from predetermined year levels. Students completed an anonymous, self‐administered survey on their drinking behaviours. Results showed that drinking was common, with 46% of female and 50% of male 17‐year‐olds having drunk on at least one of the 7 days prior to the survey (defined as current drinkers). Among 12–17‐year‐olds who were current drinkers, 27% of males had five or more alcoholic drinks on at least one drinking day (“heavy drinking”) while 43% of girls had had three or more drinks (“heavy drinking”). Among current drinkers aged 12–15 years, 10% of boys and 12% of girls had “binged” (for boys drinking eight or more drinks in one session, for girls having six or more drinks at one session) while among current drinkers aged 16 and 17 years the corresponding proportions were 33% of boys and 30% of girls. After controlling for age, sex, school type and state, the proportion of 12–15‐year‐olds who were current drinkers rose from 24% to 26% between 1990 and 1993. Among 16 and 17‐year‐olds, the proportion of current drinkers in 1993 (47%) was the same as that found in 1990, although there were more heavy drinkers and binge drinkers in 1993 than in 1990.
Cannabis use and psychosis
Authors: HALL WAYNE
Published: October 2005

This paper reviews evidence on two hypotheses about the relationship between cannabis use and psychosis. The first hypothesis is that heavy cannabis use may cause a “cannabis psychosis”—a psychosis that would not occur in the absence of cannabis use, the symptoms of which are preceded by heavy cannabis use and remit after abstinence. The second hypothesis is that cannabis use may precipitate schizophrenia, or exacerbate its symptoms. Evaluation of these hypotheses requires evidence of an association between cannabis use and psychosis, that is unlikely to be due to chance, in which cannabis use precedes psychosis, and in which we can exclude the hypothesis that the relationship is due to other factors, such as other drug use, or a personal vulnerability to psychosis. There is some clinical support for the first hypothesis. If these disorders exist they seem to be rare, because they require very high doses of THC, the prolonged use of highly potent forms of cannabis, or a pre‐existing (but as yet unspecified) vulnerability. There is more support for the second hypothesis, in that a large prospective study has shown a linear relationship between the frequency with which cannabis has been used by age 18 and the risks over the subsequent 15 years of a diagnosis of schizophrenia. It is still unclear whether this means that cannabis use precipitates schizophrenia, whether it is a form of “self‐medication”, or whether the association is due to the use of other drugs, such as amphetamines, which heavy cannabis users are more likely to use. There is stronger evidence that cannabis use can exacerbate the symptoms of schizophrenia. Mental health services should identify patients with schizophrenia who use alcohol, cannabis and other drugs and advise them to abstain or to greatly reduce their drug use.
The Australian Study of HIV and Injecting Drug Use. Part I: Prevalence for HIV, hepatitis B and hepatitis C among injecting drug users in four Australian cities
Authors: LOXLEY WENDY M. , PHILLIPS MIKE , CARRUTHERS SUSAN J. , BEVAN JUDE S.
Published: October 2005

The objective of this study was to assess differences in HIV, hepatitis B and hepatitis C seroprevalence among injecting drug users (IDU) in four Australian cities. Eight hundred and seventh‐two current IDU were recruited in approximately equal numbers from each of Adelaide, Melbourne, Perth and Sydney, and interviewed individually using a structured questionnaire. Fingerprick blood samples were taken from the majority of respondents, and tested for past exposure to the three viruses. HIV and hepatitis B and C raw seroprevalences were compared across cities, and comparisons were made of age‐standardized seroprevalences for hepatitis B and C. Three percent of all respondents were HIV seropositive; 19% (23% age‐standardized) were hepatitis B seropositive and 55% (60% age‐standarized) were hepatitis C seropositive. There were general city differences and gender, sexual preference and treatment status group differences between the cities. Sydney respondents had the highest risk of infection for all three viruses in all comparisons. This was particularly striking for HIV among non‐heterosexual men. Various explanations for the findings were considered, including city differences in demographic and drug use variables, underlying patterns of risk behaviour, and period/cohort effects. It was concluded that none of these explanations appeared to fit the pattern of findings, and that these probably represented true underlying differences in size of pools of infection. The reasons for this, however, cannot be ascertained from this study.
Researchers' views about priorities for research on alcohol, tobacco and other drugs
Authors: WALSH RAOUL A. , LOW ALLISON , SANSON‐FISHER ROB W.
Published: October 2005

There have been few attempts to study systematically researchers' views about priorities for addiction research. This mail/telephone survey of 101 Australian researchers achieved a 90% response rate. Respondents believed there should be a 50/50 split between the agency‐directed and researcher‐initiated methods of funding allocation. The top four drugs in terms of desired proportions of research spending were alcohol 32%, tobacco 18%, opiates 9% and prescribed drugs 9%. Researchers' preferences for high funding allocations on prevention research were at odds with the low level of Australian studies in this area. Complexities of design and methodology were nominated as the most important barriers to prevention research. The divide between qualitative and quantitative approaches was not identified as a major barrier to personal or prevention research. In addition to increases in both overall and specific funding, greater collaboration and political support were viewed as important facilitating factors for research efforts. Improved researcher training and the need to integrate research into quality assurance programmes were also nominated as useful means of encouraging prevention studies.