bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
MONTE CARLO SIMULATION OF DEFFUANT OPINION DYNAMICS WITH QUALITY DIFFERENCES
Authors: ASSMANN PATRICK
Published: March 2005

In this work, the consequences of different opinion qualities in the Deffuant model were examined. If these qualities are randomly distributed, no different behavior was observed. In contrast to that, systematically assigned qualities had strong effects to the final opinion distribution. There was a high probability that the strongest opinion was one with a high quality. Furthermore, under the same conditions, this major opinion was much stronger than in the models without systematic differences. Finally, a society with systematic quality differences needed more tolerance to form a complete consensus than one without or with unsystematic ones.
EVOLUTION OF SPATIALLY INHOMOGENEOUS ECOSYSTEMS: AN UNIFIED MODEL BASED APPROACH
Authors: KUNWAR AMBARISH
Published: March 2005

Recently, we have extended our "unified" model of evolutionary ecology to incorporate the spatial inhomogeneities of the ecosystem and the migration of individual organisms from one patch to another within the same ecosystem. In this paper, an extension of our recent model is investigated so as to describe the migration and speciation in a more realistic way.
Lipopolysaccharide- and gram-positive bacteria-induced cellular inflammatory responses: role of heterotrimeric Gαi proteins
Authors: Fan Hongkuan , Zingarelli Basilia , Peck Octavia M. , Teti Giuseppe , Tempel George E. , Halushka Perry V. , Cook James A.
Published: March 2005

Heterotrimeric Gi proteins may play a role in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-activated signaling through Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4), leading to inflammatory mediator production. Although LPS is a TLR4 ligand, the gram-positive bacterium Staphylococcus aureus (SA) is a TLR2 ligand, and group B streptococci (GBS) are neither TLR2 nor TLR4 ligands but are MyD88 dependent. We hypothesized that genetic deletion of Gi proteins would alter mediator production induced by LPS and gram-positive bacterial stimulation. We examined genetic deletion of Gαi2 or Gαi1/3 protein in Gαi2-knockout (Gαi2−/−) or Gαi1/3-knockout (Gαi1/3−/−) mice. LPS-, heat-killed SA-, or GBS-induced mediator production in splenocytes or peritoneal macrophages (MΦ) was investigated. There were significant increases in LPS-, SA-, and GBS-induced production of TNF-α and IFN-γ in splenocytes from Gαi2−/− mice compared with wild-type (WT) mice. Also, LPS-induced TNF-α was increased in splenocytes from Gαi1/3−/− mice. In contrast to splenocytes, LPS-, SA-, and GBS-induced TNF-α, IL-10, and thromboxane B2 (TxB2) production was decreased in MΦ harvested from Gαi2−/− mice. Also, LPS-induced production of IL-10 and TxB2 was decreased in MΦ from Gαi1/3−/− mice. In subsequent in vivo studies, TNF-α levels after LPS challenge were significantly greater in Gαi2−/− mice than in WT mice. Also, myeloperoxidase activity, a marker of tissue neutrophil infiltration, was significantly increased in the gut and lung of LPS-treated Gαi2−/− mice compared with WT mice. These data suggest that Gi proteins differentially regulate murine TLR-mediated inflammatory cytokine production in a cell-specific manner in response to both LPS and gram-positive microbial stimuli.
Effect of mibefradil on sodium and calcium currents
Authors: Strege Peter R. , Bernard Cheryl E. , Ou Yijun , Gibbons Simon J. , Farrugia Gianrico
Published: March 2005

Interstitial cells of Cajal (ICC) generate the electrical slow wave. The ionic conductances that contribute to the slow wave appear to vary among species. In humans, a tetrodotoxin-resistant Na+ current (NaV1.5) encoded by SCN5A contributes to the rising phase of the slow wave, whereas T-type Ca2+ currents have been reported from cultured mouse intestine ICC and also from canine colonic ICC. Mibefradil has a higher affinity for T-type over L-type Ca2+ channels, and the drug has been used in the gastrointestinal tract to identify T-type currents. However, the selectivity of mibefradil for T-type Ca2+ channels over ICC and smooth muscle Na+ channels has not been clearly demonstrated. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of mibefradil on T-type and L-type Ca2+ and Na+ currents. Whole cell currents were recorded from HEK-293 cells coexpressing green fluorescent protein with either the rat brain T-type Ca2+ channel α13.3b + β2, the human intestinal L-type Ca2+ channel subunits α1C + β2, or NaV1.5. Mibefradil significantly reduced expressed T-type Ca2+ current at concentrations ≥ 0.1 μM (IC50 = 0.29 μM), L-type Ca2+ current at > 1 μM (IC50 = 2.7 μM), and Na+ current at ≥ 0.3 μM (IC50 = 0.98 μM). In conclusion, mibefradil inhibits the human intestinal tetrodotoxin-resistant Na+ channel at submicromolar concentrations. Caution must be used in the interpretation of the effects of mibefradil when several ion channel classes are coexpressed.
Repeated pregnancies (multiparity) increases venous tone and reduces compliance
Authors: Dhawan Vivek , Brookes Zoe L. S. , Kaufman Susan
Published: March 2005

In humans, multiparity (repeated pregnancy) is associated with increased risk of cardiovascular disease. In rats, multiparity increases the pressor response to phenylephrine and to acute stress, due in part to changes in tone of the splanchnic arterial vasculature. Given that the venous system also changes during pregnancy, we studied the effects of multiparity on venous tone and compliance. Cardiovascular responses to volume loading (2 ml/100 g body wt), and mean circulatory filling pressure (MCFP, an index of venomotor tone) were measured in conscious, repeatedly bred (RB), and age-matched virgin rats. In addition, passive compliance and venous reactivity of isolated mesenteric veins were measured by pressure myography. There was a greater increase in mean arterial pressure after volume loading in RB rats (+7.2 ± 2.5 mmHg, n = 8) than virgin rats (−1.4 ± 1.7 mmHg, n = 7) ( P < 0.05). The increase in MCFP in response to norepinephrine (NE) was also greater in RB rats [half maximal effective dose (ED50) 3.1 ± 0.5 nmol·kg−1·min−1, n = 6] than virgins (ED50: 12.1 ± 2.7 nmol·kg−1·min−1, n = 6) ( P < 0.05). Pressure-induced changes in passive diameter were lower in isolated mesenteric veins from RB rats (29.3 ± 1.8 μm/mmHg, n = 6) than from virgins (36.9 ± 1.3 μm/mmHg, n = 6) ( P < 0.05). Venous reactivity to NE in isolated veins was also greater in RB rats (EC50: 2.68 ± 0.37×10−8 M, n = 5) than virgins (EC50: 4.67 ± 0.93 × 10−8 M, n = 8). We conclude that repeated pregnancy induces a long-term reduction in splanchnic venous compliance and augments splanchnic venous reactivity and sympathetic tonic control of total body venous tone. This compromises the ability of the capacitance (venous) system to accommodate volume overloads and to buffer changes in cardiac preload.
Neonatal maternal separation enhances phrenic responses to hypoxia and carotid sinus nerve stimulation in the adult anesthetized rat
Authors: Kinkead Richard , Gulemetova Roumiana , Bairam Aida
Published: March 2005

In awake animals, our laboratory recently showed that the hypoxic ventilatory response of adult male (but not female) rats previously subjected to neonatal maternal separation (NMS) is 25% greater than controls (Genest SE, Gulemetova R, Laforest S, Drolet G, and Kinkead R. J Physiol 554: 543–557, 2004). To begin mechanistic investigations of the effects of this neonatal stress on respiratory control development, we tested the hypothesis that, in male rats, NMS enhances central integration of carotid body chemoafferent signals. Experiments were performed on two groups of adult male rats. Pups subjected to NMS were placed in a temperature-controlled incubator 3 h/day from postnatal day 3 to postnatal day 12. Control pups were undisturbed. At adulthood (8–10 wk), rats were anesthetized (urethane; 1.6 g/kg), paralyzed, and ventilated with a hyperoxic gas mixture [inspired O2 fraction (FiO2) = 0.5], and phrenic nerve activity was recorded. The first series of experiments aimed to demonstrate that NMS-related enhancement of the inspiratory motor output (phrenic) response to hypoxia occurs in anesthetized animals also. In this series, rats were exposed to moderate, followed by severe, isocapnic hypoxia (FiO2 = 0.12 and 0.08, respectively, 5 min each). NMS enhanced both the frequency and amplitude components of the phrenic response to hypoxia relative to controls, thereby validating the use of this approach. In a second series of experiments, NMS increased the amplitude (but not the frequency) response to unilateral carotid sinus nerve stimulation (stimulation frequency range: 0.5–33 Hz). We conclude that enhancement of central integration of carotid body afferent signal contributes to the larger hypoxic ventilatory response observed in NMS rats.
Motor Cortical Modulation of Cutaneous Reflex Responses in the Hindlimb of the Intact Cat
Authors: Bretzner Frédéric , Drew Trevor
Published: March 2005

We have used the technique of spatial facilitation to examine the interactions between the signals conveyed by the corticospinal tract and those of cutaneous afferents in the hindlimb of the intact, walking cat. Microstimulation was applied to 20 cortical sites in the hindlimb representation of the motor cortex and to three different cutaneous nerves innervating the hindpaw in four cats. Conditioning stimuli to the motor cortex induced both facilitation and depression of cutaneous reflexes evoked by stimulation of nerves in the hindlimb contralateral to the cortical stimulation site. Facilitation was most frequently evoked by conditioning stimuli in the range of 10–30 ms before the cutaneous stimulation; depression was normally evoked by shorter and longer conditioning delays. Similar changes were observed after conditioning stimuli to the pyramidal tract, suggesting that the changes were independent of any changes in cortical excitability. Modulation of reflex activity varied according to the muscle under study, the cutaneous nerve used to evoke the reflex and the cortical site used to condition the reflex. Together, these results suggest that there is spatial convergence of corticospinal and cutaneous afferent activity and that this convergence is mediated by distinct subpopulations of spinal interneurons.
Neural Correlates of Memory for Items and for Associations: An Event-related Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging Study
Authors: Achim Amélie M. , Lepage Martin
Published: March 2005

Although results from cognitive psychology, neuropsychology, and behavioral neuroscience clearly suggest that item and associative information in memory rely on partly different brain regions, little is known concerning the differences and similarities that exist between these two types of information as a function of memory stage (i.e., encoding and retrieval). We used event-related functional magnetic resonance imaging to assess neural correlates of item and associative encoding and retrieval of simple images in 18 healthy subjects. During encoding, subjects memorized items and pairs. During retrieval, subjects made item recognition judgments (old vs. new) and associative recognition judgments (intact vs. rearranged). Relative to baseline, item and associative trials activated bilateral medial temporal and prefrontal regions during both encoding and retrieval. Direct contrasts were then performed between item and associative trials for each memory stage. During encoding, greater prefrontal, hippocampal, and parietal activation was observed for associations, but no significant activation was observed for items at the selected threshold. During recognition, greater activation was observed for associative trials in the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and superior parietal lobules bilaterally, whereas item recognition trials showed greater activation of bilateral frontal regions, bilateral anterior medial temporal areas, and the right temporo-parietal junction. Post hoc analyses suggested that the anterior medial temporal activation observed during item recognition was driven mainly by new items, confirming a role for this structure in novelty detection. These results suggest that although some structures such as the medial temporal and prefrontal cortex play a general role in memory, the pattern of activation in these regions can be modulated by the type of information (items or associations) interacting with memory stages.
Development of Sensitivity to Texture and Contour Information in the Human Infant
Authors: Norcia Anthony M. , Pei Francesca , Bonneh Yoram , Hou Chuan , Sampath Vanitha , Pettet Mark W.
Published: March 2005

Texture discrimination and bounding contour extraction are essential parts of the object segmentation and shape discrimination process. As such, successful texture and contour processing are key components underlying the development of the perception of both objects and surfaces. By recording visual-evoked potentials, we investigate whether young infants can detect orientation-defined textures and contours. We measured responses to an organized texture comprised of many Gabor patches of the same orientation, alternated with images containing the same number of patches, but all of random orientation. These responses were compared with a control condition consisting of the alternation between two independently random configurations. Significant difference potentials were found as early as 2–5 months, as were significant odd harmonics in the test conditions. Responses were also measured to Gabor patches organized either as circles (all patches tangent to an imaginary circular path) alternated with pinwheels (all patches having a fixed orientation offset from the path). Infants between 6 and 13 months also showed sensitivity to the global organization of the elements along contours. Differential responses to our texture and contour stimuli and their controls could only have been generated by mechanisms that are capable of comparing the relative orientation of 2 or more patches, as no local information at a single patch distinguished the random and organized textures or the circle and pinwheel configurations.
The Unification of Conflict of Law Rules in the CIS Countries
Authors:   Vilkova
Published: March 2005

No Abstract
Democracy and the Rule of Law in Estonia: Progress Achieved and the Problems Remaining
Authors:   Maruste
Published: March 2005

No Abstract
The Separation of Powers in the Polish Constitution
Authors:   Suchocka
Published: March 2005

No Abstract
A Draft Model Code of Civil Procedure for the CIS: Principal Conceptual Bases
Authors:   Lapin
Published: March 2005

No Abstract
Atmospheric Data Assimilation with an Ensemble Kalman Filter: Results with Real Observations
Authors: Houtekamer P. L. , Mitchell Herschel L. , Pellerin Gérard , Buehner Mark , Charron Martin , Spacek Lubos , Hansen Bjarne
Published: March 2005

An ensemble Kalman filter (EnKF) has been implemented for atmospheric data assimilation. It assimilates observations from a fairly complete observational network with a forecast model that includes a standard operational set of physical parameterizations. To obtain reasonable results with a limited number of ensemble members, severe horizontal and vertical covariance localizations have been used.

It is observed that the error growth in the data assimilation cycle is mainly due to model error. An isotropic parameterization, similar to the forecast-error parameterization in variational algorithms, is used to represent model error. After some adjustment, it is possible to obtain innovation statistics that agree with the ensemble-based estimate of the innovation amplitudes for winds and temperature. Currently, no model error is added for the humidity variable, and, consequently, the ensemble spread for humidity is too small. After about 5 days of cycling, fairly stable global filter statistics are obtained with no sign of filter divergence.

The quality of the ensemble mean background field, as verified using radiosonde observations, is similar to that obtained using a 3D variational procedure. In part, this is likely due to the form chosen for the parameterized model error. Nevertheless, the degree of similarity is surprising given that the background-error statistics used by the two procedures are rather different, with generally larger background errors being used by the variational scheme.

A set of 5-day integrations has been started from the ensemble of initial conditions provided by the EnKF. For the middle and lower troposphere, the growth rates of the perturbations are somewhat smaller than the growth rate of the actual ensemble mean error. For the upper levels, the perturbation patterns decay for about 3 days as a consequence of diffusive model dynamics. These decaying perturbations tend to severely underestimate the actual error that grows rapidly near the model top.
Analysis of Diurnal Patterns in Winter Precipitation across the Conterminous United States
Authors: Roy Shouraseni Sen , Balling Robert C.
Published: March 2005

Hourly winter (November–March) precipitation data were assembled for nearly 5000 stations in the conterminous United States over the period 1948–98. Despite a potential observation bias in the 24th hour, a general tendency for winter precipitation events was found to occur more frequently near sunrise than for any other time of the day. Based on the standardized amplitude of the first harmonic wave, the pattern is most pronounced in Texas and in an area surrounding Colorado and Wyoming. The pattern also appears significant in the southeastern United States and in northern California based on the variance explained by the first harmonic fit. It is suggested that the diurnal patterns seen in the conterminous United States are related to increased relative humidity values occurring near sunrise and increased wind speeds in the warm sector of cyclonic storms.
Observations of Transient Linear Organization and Nonlinear Scale Interactions in Lake-Effect Clouds. Part II: Nonlinear Scale Interactions
Authors: Miles Natasha L. , Verlinde Johannes
Published: March 2005

Linearly organized convection and associated horizontal roll vortices occasionally occur in atmospheric conditions in which theory predicts only cellular organization. One possible contributor to the occurrence of rolls in such conditions is nonlinear interactions between different scales of motion. In the winter of 1997/98, the Lake-Induced Convection Experiment (Lake-ICE) was conducted in part to investigate scale interactions in linearly organized convection. As discussed in Part I of this series, transient linear organization was observed during a wintertime lake-effect event during Lake-ICE. In Part II two-part nonlinear scale interactions and their possible role in the occurrence of linear organization in an unfavorable environment are investigated. Turbulence-scale vertical velocity variance peaks were consistently observed during roll strengthening and decay, suggesting a link between the scales. Composites of the nonlinear interaction terms in the roll-scale vertical turbulent kinetic energy (TKE) budget revealed that nonlinear interactions between the roll and turbulence scales were large compared to the observed change in roll-scale TKE, but do not coincide in time.
The Best of Both Worlds
Authors: López Irene R. , Contreras Josefina M.
Published: March 2005

The relations among language acculturation, biculturality, and psychological adjustment were studied in a sample of 54 young mainland Puerto Rican mothers. Participants were interviewed in the language of their choice concerning their level of symptomatology (i.e., depression, anxiety, somatization, hostility, interpersonal sensitivity), language acculturation, monocultural involvement (assessed by separate adherence to American and Puerto Rican cultural values), and dual cultural involvement (assessed by a combination of cultural values). Results indicated that biculturality significantly predicted adjustment above and beyond monocultural involvement. In addition, although biculturality and bilingualism were both significantly related to psychological adjustment, linguistic balance showed a stronger association with adjustment than biculturality. Findings are discussed in light of the family, cultural, and developmental context in which young mainland Puerto Rican mothers are embedded.
The Relation Between Culture and Response Styles
Authors: Johnson Timothy , Kulesa Patrick , Cho Young Ik , Shavitt Sharon
Published: March 2005

The authors investigated at the country level the effects of four cultural orientations identified and studied by Hofstede on two commonly recognized response biases: extreme response style and acquiescent responding. Data are presented from approximately 18,000 survey questionnaires completed by employees in 19 nations on five continents (Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Czech Republic, Germany, Hungary, India, Japan, Malaysia, Portugal, Turkey, the United Kingdom, Mexico, the Philippines, Poland, Singapore, Hong Kong, France, and Italy). Hierarchical linear modeling was employed to examine the associations between person-level response styles and country-level cultural orientations. Consistent with theoretical expectations, power distance and masculinity were found to be positively and independently associated with extreme response style. Individualism, uncertainty avoidance, power distance, and masculinity were each found to be negatively associated with acquiescent response behavior. Further research is needed to identify how question characteristics might interact with cultural orientations to influence response behavior.
The Need for Reflexivity in Public Administration
Authors: Cunliffe Ann L. , Jun Jong S.
Published: March 2005

In this article, the authors argue the need to go beyond the idea of reflective public administration to reflexive public administration. They explore the meaning of reflexivity, in particular self-and critical reflexivity, and suggest that reflexive practice is crucial to public administration because it can lead to more critical, responsible, and ethical actions. This can provide a basis for organizational transformation. The article concludes by offering a number of resources for teaching self-and critical reflexivity.
A Multilanguage Online Writing Center for Professional Communication: Development and Testing
Authors: Jacobs Geert , Opdenacker Liesbeth , Waes Luuk Van
Published: March 2005

An online writing center developed at the University of Antwerp, Belgium, called Calliope, provides a modular platform aimed at enhancing learners’ professional writing skills in five different languages: Dutch, English, French, German, and Spanish. It supports courses in business and technical communication. The current version includes modules on press releases in English, business letters in French, and minute taking in Dutch. Unlike many online writing centers, it is genre-specific and context-specific, it is highly interactive rather than linear, it uses a process approach to cater to different learning styles, it accommodates different writer profiles, and it is an instructional tool not connected to a physical writing center.
Collaborative Care of a Patient With Multiple, Chronic Physical and Emotional Health Problems
Authors: Hamberger L. Kevin , Hindman Michael
Published: March 2005

For patients with complex, multisystem chronic illness, traditional models of care that emphasize diagnosis, prescription, and cure are inadequate. The complexities of such conditions require coordinated work with other specialists. The authors argue in this article that providing optimal health care for management of psychosocial and behavioral health concerns of the chronically ill patient calls for a collaborative approach that goes beyond coordination of care. Key elements of extended collaboration include (a) developing and implementing a team approach to patient care, (b) mutual professional socialization and education, (c) open, frequent communication between practitioners and the patient, and (d) establishing appropriate and realistic care goals. Goals must be identified that facilitate effective coping and improve quality of life in the context of chronic, multisystem illness and disability. Achieving treatment objectives should help the patient lead a rewarding life and help both the patient and providers to experience satisfaction with the provider-patient relationship and the collaborators’ individual achievements.
Benefits of Combined Psychological and Medical Therapy for Treating an Individual With Generalized Anxiety Disorder and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
Authors: Reeder Kenneth P. , Montgomery Stefan L.
Published: March 2005

A patient who complained of mistaking objects in his peripheral visual field for a dog was diagnosed with Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). He also had poor nutrition, sleep problems, somatic features, drank a considerable amount of alcohol, and exercised little. As patients with these difficulties often benefit from psychological as well as medical intervention strategies, a physician and a psychologist interviewed the patient together and developed a coordinated treatment plan. The psychologist was to work with the patient on behavioral aspects of these difficulties, although the physician treated the patient with medication. Both professionals evaluated the patient’s response to medical as well as psychological treatment strategies and reinforced the other professional’s therapeutic activities. The patient improved significantly from the combined treatment program. Although it cannot be determined, it is likely that he would not have improved as much if his treatment program had not involved both the psychologist and the physician.
Wildfire: distributed, Grid-enabled workflow construction and execution
Authors: Tang Francis , Chua Ching Lian , Ho Liang-Yoong , Lim Yun Ping , Issac Praveen , Krishnan Arun
Published: March 2005

Background

We observe two trends in bioinformatics: (i) analyses are increasing in complexity, often requiring several applications to be run as a workflow; and (ii) multiple CPU clusters and Grids are available to more scientists. The traditional solution to the problem of running workflows across multiple CPUs required programming, often in a scripting language such as perl. Programming places such solutions beyond the reach of many bioinformatics consumers.

Results

We present Wildfire, a graphical user interface for constructing and running workflows. Wildfire borrows user interface features from Jemboss and adds a drag-and-drop interface allowing the user to compose EMBOSS (and other) programs into workflows. For execution, Wildfire uses GEL, the underlying workflow execution engine, which can exploit available parallelism on multiple CPU machines including Beowulf-class clusters and Grids.

Conclusion

Wildfire simplifies the tasks of constructing and executing bioinformatics workflows.
Gene expression analysis reveals that histone deacetylation sites may serve as partitions of chromatin gene expression domains
Authors: Chen Liang , Zhao Hongyu
Published: March 2005

Background

It has been a long-term puzzle whether chromatin can be further divided into distinct gene expression domains. Because histone deacetylation affects chromatin structure, that in turn may affect the expression of nearby genes, histone deacetylation sites may act to partition chromatin into different gene expression domains. In this article, we explore the relationship between histone deacetylation sites and gene expression patterns on the genome scale using different data sources, including microarray data measuring gene expression levels, microarray data measuring histone deacetylation sites, and information on regulatory targets of transcription factors.

Results

Using 269 Saccharomyces cerevisiae microarray datasets, histone deacetylation datasets, and regulatory targets of transcription factors assembled from the Yeast Proteome Database and ChIP-chip data, we found that histone deacetylation sites can reduce the level of co-expression of neighboring genes.

Conclusion

Histone deacetylation sites may serve as possible partition sites for chromatin domains and affect gene expression.
Identification to the species level of Lactobacillus isolated in probiotic prospecting studies of human, animal or food origin by 16S-23S rRNA restriction profiling
Authors: Moreira João Luiz S , Mota Rodrigo M , Horta Maria F , Teixeira Santuza MR , Neumann Elisabeth , Nicoli Jacques R , Nunes Álvaro C
Published: March 2005

Background

The accurate identification of Lactobacillus and other co-isolated bacteria during microbial ecological studies of ecosystems such as the human or animal intestinal tracts and food products is a hard task by phenotypic methods requiring additional tests such as protein and/or lipids profiling.

Results

Bacteria isolated in different probiotic prospecting studies, using de Man, Rogosa and Sharpe medium (MRS), were typed at species level by PCR amplification of 16S-23S rRNA intergenic spacers using universal primers that anneal within 16S and 23S genes, followed by restriction digestion analyses of PCR products. The set of enzymes chosen differentiates most species of Lactobacillus genus and also co-isolated bacteria such as Enterococcus, Streptococcus, Weissella, Staphylococcus, and Escherichia species. The in silico predictions of restriction patterns generated by the Lactobacillus shorter spacers digested with 11 restriction enzymes with 6 bp specificities allowed us to distinguish almost all isolates at the species level but not at the subspecies one. Simultaneous theoretical digestions of the three spacers (long, medium and short) with the same set of enzymes provided more complex patterns and allowed us to distinguish the species without purifying and cloning of PCR products.

Conclusion

Lactobacillus isolates and several other strains of bacteria co-isolated on MRS medium from gastrointestinal ecosystem and fermented food products could be identified using DNA fingerprints generated by restriction endonucleases. The methodology based on amplified ribosomal DNA restriction analysis (ARDRA) is easier, faster and more accurate than the current methodologies based on fermentation profiles, used in most laboratories for the purpose of identification of these bacteria in different prospecting studies.
Frequent detection of worm movements in onchocercal nodules by ultrasonography
Authors: Mand Sabine , Marfo-Debrekyei Yeboah , Debrah Alex , Buettner Marcelle , Batsa Linda , Pfarr Kenneth , Adjei Ohene , Hoerauf Achim
Published: March 2005

Background

Ultrasonography (USG) is known to be a suitable tool for diagnosis in lymphatic filariasis as the adult filarial nematode Wuchereria bancrofti in scrotal lymphatic vessels of infected men can be detected by the characteristic pattern of movement, the Filaria Dance Sign. In onchocerciasis, moving adult worms have not yet been demonstrated by USG. In addition the verification of drug effects on living adult Onchocerca volvulus filariae in trials is hampered by the lack of tools for longitudinal observation of alterations induced by potentially macrofilaricidal drugs in vivo. The present study was carried out to determine the frequency of detection of moving adult filariae of O. volvulus by USG.

Methods

In an endemic region for onchocerciasis in Ghana, 61 patients infected with onchocerciasis were recruited by palpation and onchocercomas examined by USG using an ultrasound system equipped with a 7.5 – 10 MHz linear transducer. Onchocercomas were recorded on videotape and evaluated with regard to location, number and size, as well as to movements of adult filariae.

Results

In the 61 patients 303 onchocercomas were found by palpation and 401 onchocercomas were detected by USG. In 18 out of 61 patients (29.5%), altogether 22 nodules with moving adult O. volvulus filariae were detected and are presented in animated ultrasound images as mp-4 videos.

Conclusion

Ultrasonographical examinations of onchocercomas where living adult filariae can be displayed may serve as a new tool for the longitudinal observation in vivo of patients with onchocerciasis undergoing treatment and as an adjunct to histological evaluation.
On geography and medical journalology: a study of the geographical distribution of articles published in a leading medical informatics journal between 1999 and 2004
Authors: Boulos Maged N Kamel
Published: March 2005

Background

Studying the contribution of individual countries to leading journals in a given discipline can highlight which countries have the most impact on that discipline, and also give some idea about the geographical outreach of those journals. This paper examines the number of countries that contributed articles to one leading medical informatics journal, Medical Informatics & the Internet in Medicine, and the amount of their contributions between 1999 and the first half of 2004.

Methods

The PubMed citations of all indexed articles from the chosen journal (n = 128) were retrieved online (up to Volume 29, Number 2/June 2004 issue, the latest indexed issue as at 28 January 2005). The country of corresponding author's affiliation for each retrieved citation was recorded. The five-year-and-half corpus of abstracts retrieved from PubMed was further explored using MetaCarta Geographic Text Search http://www.metacarta.com/.

Results

The examined journal has an international outreach, with authors from 24 countries, spanning four continents, contributing to the journal during the studied period. The journal is dominated by a very large number of articles from Europe (81.25% of all articles counted in this study), and in particular from the UK (15.63%) and Greece (15.63%). There were no contributions from Africa or South America.

Conclusion

A detailed discussion and interpretation of these results and ideas for future analyses are provided. MetaCarta can prove very useful as a bibliometric research tool.
Interpretation of the post-surgical Somatostatin Receptor Scintigram of a Primary Neuroendocrine Tumor of the Thymus: a case report and literature review
Authors: Leondi Anastasia , Koutsikos John , Zerva Cherry
Published: March 2005

A case of a thymic neuroendocrine tumor and the interpretation problems in a post-surgical Somatostatin Receptor Scintigraphy are presented. In a 53-year-old man with superior vena cava obstruction syndrome an atypical carcinoid of the thymus (neuroendocrine carcinoma of intermediate grade 2), was found at surgery.

During his first year of follow-up a Somatostatin Receptor Scintigraphy was recommended. An area of abnormal concentration of the radiopharmaceutical was revealed in the mediastinum at this time.

A thorough understanding of the mechanisms of the radiopharmaceutical uptake and of the various clinical settings in which uptake can occur are essential for a proper evaluation of the scintigraphic findings and result in the optimal use of this valuable modality.

The literature review provides an overview of this rare type of tumor and insight into the clinical significance of Somatostatin Receptor Scintigraphy.
Optimising surgical management of elderly cancer patients
Authors: Ramesh Hodigere Sripathy Jois , Pope Daniel , Gennari Roberto , Audisio Riccardo A
Published: March 2005

Background

Elderly population is on rise. It is an ethical dilemma how aggressive one should be when it comes to treat cancer in elderly. Presumed fear of increased postoperative morbidity and mortality has resulted in delivery of sub-optimal cancer surgery.

Methods

In this review article we visit physiology of the aged, tools available to assess surgical risks in oncogeriatric patients, and current practice in the management of common cancers encountered in surgical oncology, with the view of increasing awareness on optimising surgical management of senior patients with cancer. A pubmed search for cancer, surgery, elderly, was carried out.

Results

Cancer is on rise with increasing age predominantly affecting breast, gastrointestinal tract and lung. Increasingly more surgeons are offering surgery to elderly cancer patient but selection bias is prevalent. Available data reflect short and long-term outcome of cancer surgery in elderly is not greatly different to that of younger patient. Declining physiological reserve along with inability to respond adequately to physiological stress are salient age related changes. C omprehensive G eriatric A ssessment (CGA) is not tested in surgical patient. There is need for a tool to define individualised operative risk. Preoperative assessment of cancer in elderly is designed to offer this information based on functional status of an individual utilising currently available tools of risk assessment.

Conclusion

All elderly cancer patients should be offered optimal treatment depending on their functional status not on chronological age. Oncogeriatric patient would benefit from dedicated multidisciplinary approach. Recruitment of elderly cancer patients to more clinical trials is needed to enhance our knowledge and to offer optimum treatment to this unique subgroup.
New Players Tip the Scales in the Balance between Excitatory and Inhibitory Synapses
Authors: Levinson Joshua N , El-Husseini Alaa
Published: March 2005

Synaptogenesis is a highly controlled process, involving a vast array of players which include cell adhesion molecules, scaffolding and signaling proteins, neurotransmitter receptors and proteins associated with the synaptic vesicle machinery. These molecules cooperate in an intricate manner on both the pre- and postsynaptic sides to orchestrate the precise assembly of neuronal contacts. This is an amazing feat considering that a single neuron receives tens of thousands of synaptic inputs but virtually no mismatch between pre- and postsynaptic components occur in vivo. One crucial aspect of synapse formation is whether a nascent synapse will develop into an excitatory or inhibitory contact. The tight control of a balance between the types of synapses formed regulates the overall neuronal excitability, and is thus critical for normal brain function and plasticity. However, little is known about how this balance is achieved. This review discusses recent findings which provide clues to how neurons may control excitatory and inhibitory synapse formation, with focus on the involvement of the neuroligin family and PSD-95 in this process.
CTLA4-CD80/CD86 interactions on primary mouse CD4+ T cells integrate signal-strength information to modulate activation with Concanavalin A
Authors: Mukherjee Sambuddho , Ahmed Asma , Nandi Dipankar
Published: March 2005

The mechanisms by which concanavalin A (Con A), a lectin, activates T cells are poorly studied. A low dose of Con A is stimulatory for T cells, whereas a high dose of Con A results in suppression of proliferation and enhanced T cell death. The expression and functional roles of costimulatory receptors, CD28 and cytotoxic T-lymphocyte antigen 4 (CTLA4), and their ligands, CD80 and CD86, on primary mouse CD4+ T cells after activation with different doses of Con A were studied. CTLA4-CD80/CD86 interactions in this T:T cell activation model demonstrate distinct outcomes depending on the dose of Con A. CTLA4-CD80/CD86 interactions inhibit CD4+ T cell cycling and survival after activation with a suppressive dose of Con A by increasing oxidative stress and decreasing levels of BclXL. The enhanced CD4+ T cell death with a suppressive dose of Con A is dependent on excess H2O2 and nitric oxide but is independent of Fas and caspase activity. It is surprising that the increased proliferation of CD4+ T cells with a suppressive dose of Con A on blocking CTLA4-CD80/CD86 interactions is largely interleukin (IL)-2-independent but is cyclosporine A-sensitive. On activation with a stimulatory dose of Con A, CTLA4-CD80/CD86 interactions enhance T cell activation and survival by reducing the production of reactive oxygen species, increasing IL-2 and BclXL levels. Here IL-10 but not transforming growth factor-β plays a functional role. In summary, CTLA4-CD80/CD86 interactions on T cells integrate signal strength, based on the dose of Con A, to enhance or inhibit primary mouse CD4+ T cell cycling and survival.
Shh-dependent formation of the ZLI is opposed by signals from the dorsal diencephalon
Authors: Zeltser Lori M.
Published: March 2005

The zona limitans intrathalamica (ZLI) is located at the border between the prospective ventral thalamus and dorsal thalamus, and functions as a diencephalic signaling center. Little is known about the mechanism controlling ZLI formation. Using a combination of fate-mapping studies and in vitro assays, I show that the differentiation of the ZLI from progenitor cells in the alar plate is initiated by a Shh-dependent signal from the basal plate. The subsequent dorsal progression of ZLI differentiation requires ongoing Shh signaling, and is constrained by inhibitory factors derived from the dorsal diencephalon. These studies demonstrate that self-organizing signals from the basal plate regulate the formation of a potential patterning center in the ZLI in an orthogonal orientation in the alar plate, and thus create the potential for coordinated thalamic patterning in two dimensions.
Initial formation of zebrafish brain ventricles occurs independently of circulation and requires thenagie okoandsnakehead/atp1a1a.1gene products
Authors: Lowery Laura Anne , Sive Hazel
Published: March 2005

The mechanisms by which the vertebrate brain develops its characteristic three-dimensional structure are poorly understood. The brain ventricles are a highly conserved system of cavities that form very early during brain morphogenesis and that are required for normal brain function. We have initiated a study of zebrafish brain ventricle development and show here that the neural tube expands into primary forebrain, midbrain and hindbrain ventricles rapidly, over a 4-hour window during mid-somitogenesis. Circulation is not required for initial ventricle formation, only for later expansion. Cell division rates in the neural tube surrounding the ventricles are higher than between ventricles and, consistently, cell division is required for normal ventricle development. Two zebrafish mutants that do not develop brain ventricles are snakehead and nagie oko. We show that snakehead is allelic to small heart, which has a mutation in the Na+K+ ATPase gene atp1a1a.1. The snakehead neural tube undergoes normal ventricle morphogenesis;however, the ventricles do not inflate, probably owing to impaired ion transport. By contrast, mutants in nagie oko, which was previously shown to encode a MAGUK family protein, fail to undergo ventricle morphogenesis. This correlates with an abnormal brain neuroepithelium, with no clear midline and disrupted junctional protein expression. This study defines three steps that are required for brain ventricle development and that occur independently of circulation: (1) morphogenesis of the neural tube, requiring nok function; (2) lumen inflation requiring atp1a1a.1function; and (3) localized cell proliferation. We suggest that mechanisms of brain ventricle development are conserved throughout the vertebrates.
Cdx2 is required for correct cell fate specification and differentiation of trophectoderm in the mouse blastocyst
Authors: Strumpf Dan , Mao Chai-An , Yamanaka Yojiro , Ralston Amy , Chawengsaksophak Kallayanee , Beck Felix , Rossant Janet
Published: March 2005

Blastocyst formation marks the segregation of the first two cell lineages in the mammalian preimplantation embryo: the inner cell mass (ICM) that will form the embryo proper and the trophectoderm (TE) that gives rise to the trophoblast lineage. Commitment to ICM lineage is attributed to the function of the two transcription factors, Oct4 (encoded by Pou5f1) and Nanog. However, a positive regulator of TE cell fate has not been described. The T-box protein eomesodermin (Eomes) and the caudal-type homeodomain protein Cdx2 are expressed in the TE, and both Eomes and Cdx2homozygous mutant embryos die around the time of implantation. A block in early TE differentiation occurs in Eomes mutant blastocysts. However, Eomes mutant blastocysts implant, and Cdx2 and Oct4expression are correctly restricted to the ICM TE. Blastocoel formation initiates in Cdx2 mutants but epithelial integrity is not maintained and embryos fail to implant. Loss of Cdx2 results in failure to downregulate Oct4 and Nanog in outer cells of the blastocyst and subsequent death of those cells. Thus, Cdx2 is essential for segregation of the ICM and TE lineages at the blastocyst stage by ensuring repression of Oct4 and Nanog in the TE.
Application of moisture transfer models to solids drying
Authors: Akpinar E Kavak , Dincer I
Published: March 2005

In this paper, a comprehensive experimental investigation is conducted to measure the moisture content distributions within slab cut potato pieces during drying at temperatures of 60, 70, and 80°C and flow velocities of 1.0 and 1.5 m/s. Four drying models are employed to determine the drying process parameters (drying coefficient, lag factor, and half-drying time) and moisture transfer parameters (moisture diffusivity and moisture transfer coefficient), and to calculate moisture content distributions and compare them with extensive sets of experimental moisture data measured during the drying of slab cut potato slices at different drying air temperatures and flow velocities. Good agreement is obtained between the calculations and experimental measurements for the cases. In addition, experimental drying times are determined and compared with those obtained by the four different drying models. The results show that all four models are well able to determine the drying parameters and moisture content distributions. The experimental data and model findings are expected to be useful to the drying industry.
An analytical approach to predicting particle deposit by fouling in the axial compressor of the industrial gas turbine
Authors: Song T W , Sohn J L , Kim T S , Kim J H , Ro S T
Published: March 2005

The gas turbine performance deteriorates with increased operating hours. Fouling in the axial compressor is an important factor for the performance degradation of gas turbines. Airborne particles entering the compressor with the air adhere to the blade surface and result in the change of the blade shape, which directly influences the compressor performance. It is difficult to exactly understand the mechanism of compressor fouling because of its slow growth and different length scales of compressor blades. In this study, an analytical method to predict the particle motion in the axial compressor and the characteristics of particle deposition onto blade is proposed as an approach to investigating physical phenomena of fouling in the axial compressor of industrial gas turbines. Calculated results using the proposed method and comparison with measured data demonstrate the feasibility of the model. It was also found that design parameters of the axial compressor such as chord length, solidity, and number of stages are closely related to the fouling phenomena. Likewise, the particle size and patterns of particle distributions are also important factors related to fouling phenomena in the axial compressor.