bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Accumulation of intestinal intraepithelial lymphocytes in association with lack of polymeric immunoglobulin receptor
Authors: Yamazaki Ken‐ichi , Shimada Shin‐ichiro , Kato‐Nagaoka Noriko , Soga Hiroyuki , Itoh Tsunetoshi , Nanno Masanobu
Published: March 2005

Immunoglobulin A (IgA) is transported by the polymeric immunoglobulin receptor (pIgR) through epithelial cells of the gut, the airways, the tear and salivary glands, and the lactating mammary gland, and IgA accumulates in serum and the intestinal lamina propria of pIgR‐deficient (pIgR–/–) mice. Intraepithelial lymphocytes (IEL) increased in number and Thy‐1+CD8αβ+TCRαβ+ IEL preferentially expanded in the small intestine (SI) of pIgR–/– mice. Cytotoxic activity of SI‐IEL was comparable in pIgR+/+ and pIgR–/– mice. Accumulation and cytotoxic activity of SI‐IEL was attenuated in germ‐free pIgR–/– mice. Furthermore, Thy‐1+CD8αβ+ IEL did not expand in pIgR–/–TCRβδ–/– mice compared with TCRβδ–/– mice, and SI‐IEL from pIgR–/–TCRβδ–/– mice as well as TCRβδ–/– mice expressed perforin and granzyme B mRNA and serine esterase. The proliferative status of SI‐IEL from pIgR+/+ and pIgR–/– mice was similar, but adoptive transfer experiment showed that SI‐IEL from pIgR–/– mice might have a stronger tendency to migrate into the intestinal epithelia than those from pIgR+/+ mice. These results demonstrate that the accumulation of Thy‐1+CD8αβ+TCRαβ+ IEL in pIgR–/– mice triggered by intestinal microorganisms needed the expression of functional TCR and might be caused by lymphocyte migration into the intestinal epithelia.
Ab‐initio Powder Structure Determination of Dichloro[1,2‐ethanediylbis(iminomethylene)bis(phosphonato)]trizinc Dihydrate
Authors: Bestaoui Naima , Bakhmutova‐Albert Ekaterina V. , Vega Rodriguez Ana , Llavona Ricardo , Clearfield Abraham
Published: March 2005

The reaction of zinc chloride with 1,2‐ethanediylbis(iminomethylene)bis(phosphonic acid) in acidic conditions yieldeddichloro[1,2‐ethanediylbis(iminomethylene)bis(phosphona‐to)]trizinc dihydrate, Zn3Cl2(HO3PCH2NHCH2CH2NHCH2‐PO3H)2·2 H2O which crystallizes in the monoclinic system and space group P21/n, with the unit cell parameters a = 9.94316(4), b = 10.44577(5), c = 24.3240(1) Å, β = 90.003(1)°, and Z = 4. The crystal structure was determined ab initio from its powder pattern using the programs EXPO and GSAS. The zinc atoms are in tetrahedral environment and form 16‐membered rings with the phosphonate groups. The structure is clearly different from that of the corresponding Cd complex in that the Cd is sixfold coordinated and of different ligand to metal ratio. (© Wiley‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, 69451 Weinheim, Germany, 2005)
A simulation and prediction of agricultural irrigation on groundwater in well irrigation area of the piedmont of Mt. Taihang, North China
Authors: Mao Xuesen , Jia Jinsheng , Liu Changming , Hou Zhimin
Published: March 2005

Declining groundwater levels caused by irrigation is the main problem for agricultural development in Northern China. Due to both economics and increased population, surface water has become almost non‐existent and groundwater is the only water resource left. Currently the groundwater is declining at a rate between 50 and 100 cm per year. Sustainable development in Northern China requires effective management of the groundwater resources. In this study, the effect of future irrigation patterns on the decline of the groundwater table is examined with the aid of MODFLOW. MODFLOW was calibrated for five observation wells in the county. The calibrated model fitted the observed data well over a 7‐year period. The simulated results showed that the groundwater decline would be decreased, and perhaps halted, by decreasing the use of irrigation. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Expression and characterisation of recombinant human CD48 and isolation of a human anti‐CD48 monoclonal antibody by phage display
Authors: Wei Jiewei , Chin David Y , Catzel Dallia , Pera Natasha , Mahler Stephen M
Published: March 2005

Human CD48, a membrane‐bound, glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI)‐linked glycoprotein, is a potential tumour target for the treatment of leukaemias and lymphomas. CD48 is expressed on T‐ and B‐cells, however <5% of CD34+ progenitor cells express CD48. A truncated, 45 kDa soluble form of the full length CD48 was expressed in Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells, and was shown to consist of a broad range of charge isoforms, with the most abundant isoforms between pI 4.5 and 5.0. The truncated form of CD48 was shown to bind to antibodies raised against native, GPI‐linked CD48 by surface plasmon resonance analysis. A synthetic, human, scFv immunoglobulin gene library was screened against recombinant CD48 by phage display, and an scFv antibody fragment, (designated N2A) was isolated after four rounds of biopanning. N2A was reassembled as a human IgG1 human monoclonal antibody, expressed in CHO cells and the binding of IgG1‐N2A to recombinant CD48 was confirmed by surface plasmon resonance. Flow cytometry studies of IgG1‐N2A binding to Raji cells showed the specificity of N2A for GPI‐linked CD48 was conserved, and presents the potential for IgG1‐N2A as a lead antibody candidate for the treatment of white blood cell malignancies. Copyright © 2005 Society of Chemical Industry
Ion chromatographic analysis of amines, alkanolamines, and associated anions in concrete
Authors: Page Mary M. , Page Christopher L. , Shaw Stuart J. , Sawada Shohei
Published: March 2005

In order to assess the effectiveness of applying penetrating corrosion inhibitors to the surface of reinforced concrete, it is necessary to devise accurate methods for their detection and quantification. In this paper, methods for ion chromatographic analysis of a variety of amines, alkanolamines, and associated anions, which may be used as corrosion inhibitors for steel reinforcement in concrete, are described. By careful adjustment of the conditions for analysis, these inhibitors were readily identified and quantified in concrete/cement pore solutions or digests. Characterisation of the cationic inhibitors, ethanolamine, quaternary methylammonium, dimethylethanolamine, cyclohexylamine, guanidine, and arginine, and the anionic inhibitors, nitrite, molybdate, acetate, benzoate, and azelate, was carried out conductimetrically. To enhance the sensitivity of detection, amperometry was used for the analysis of triethanolamine and low concentrations of ethanolamine. Ion chromatography was also used as a means of obtaining a distribution profile of the concentrations of inhibitor ions present throughout a concrete structure.
Enantiomeric resolution of new aromatase inhibitors by liquid chromatography on cellulose chiral stationary phases
Authors: Danel Cécile , Foulon Catherine , Park Chang , Yous Saïd , Bonte Jean‐Paul , Vaccher Claude
Published: March 2005

Analytical HPLC methods using derivatized cellulose chiral stationary phases were developed for the direct enantioseparation of substituted [1‐(imidazo‐1‐yl)‐1‐phenylmethyl)]‐benzothiazolinone and benzoxazolinone derivatives with one chiral center. Those analogues of fadrozole constitute new potent nonsteroidal inhibitors of aromatase (P450 arom). The separations were made using normal phase methodology with a mobile phase consisting of n‐hexane‐alcohol (ethanol, 1‐propanol, or 2‐propanol) in various proportions, and a silica‐based cellulose tris‐3,5‐dimethylphenylcarbamate (Chiralcel OD‐H), or tris‐methylbenzoate (Chiralcel OJ). The effects of concentration of various aliphatic alcohols in the mobile phase were studied. A better separation was achieved on cellulose carbamate phase compared with the cellulose ester phase. The effects of structural features of the solutes along with the temperature of the column on the discrimination between the enantiomers were examined. Baseline separation (R s > 1.5) was easily obtained in many cases.
Multiple folding mechanisms of protein ubiquitin
Authors: Zhang Jian , Qin Meng , Wang Wei
Published: March 2005

Based on the Cα Go‐type model, the folding kinetics and mechanisms of protein ubiquitin with mixed α/β topology are studied by molecular dynamics simulations. The relaxation kinetics shows that there are three phases, namely the major phase, the intermediate phase and the slowest minor phase. The existence of these three phases are relevant to the phenomenon found in experiments. According to our simulations, the folding at high temperatures around the folding transition temperature Tf is of a two‐state process, and the folding nucleus is consisted of contacts between the front end of α‐helix and the turn4. The folding at low temperature (∼ T = 0.8) is also studied, where an A‐state like structure is found lying on the major folding pathway. The appearance of this structure is related to the stability of the first part (residue 1–51) of protein ubiquitin. As the temperature decreases, the formation of secondary structures, tertiary structures and collapse of the protein are found to be decoupled gradually and the folding mechanism changes from the nucleation–condensation to the diffusion–collision. This feature indicates a unifying common folding mechanism for proteins. The intermediate phase is also studied and is found to represent a folding process via a long‐lived intermediate state which is stabilized by strong interactions between the β1 and the β5 strand. These strong interactions are important for the function of protein ubiquitin as a molecular chaperone. Thus the intermediate phase is assumed as a byproduct of the requirement of protein function. In addition, the validity of the current Go‐model is also investigated, and a lower limited temperature for protein ubiquitin Tlimit = 0.8 is proposed. At temperatures higher than this value, the kinetic traps due to glass dynamics cannot be significantly populated and the intermediate states can be reliably identified although there is slight chevron rollover in the folding rates. At temperature lower than Tlimit, however, the traps due to glass dynamics become dominant and may be mistaken for real intermediate states. This limitation of valid temperature range prevents us to reveal the burst phase intermediate in the major folding phase since it might only be stabilized at temperatures lower than Tlimit, according to experiments. Our works show that caution must be taken when studying low‐temperature intermediate states by using the Cα Go‐models. Proteins 2005. © 2005 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Combining prediction of secondary structure and solvent accessibility in proteins
Authors: Adamczak Rafał , Porollo Aleksey , Meller Jarosław
Published: March 2005

Owing to the use of evolutionary information and advanced machine learning protocols, secondary structures of amino acid residues in proteins can be predicted from the primary sequence with more than 75% per‐residue accuracy for the 3‐state (i.e., helix, β‐strand, and coil) classification problem. In this work we investigate whether further progress may be achieved by incorporating the relative solvent accessibility (RSA) of an amino acid residue as a fingerprint of the overall topology of the protein. Toward that goal, we developed a novel method for secondary structure prediction that uses predicted RSA in addition to attributes derived from evolutionary profiles. Our general approach follows the 2‐stage protocol of Rost and Sander, with a number of Elman‐type recurrent neural networks (NNs) combined into a consensus predictor. The RSA is predicted using our recently developed regression‐based method that provides real‐valued RSA, with the overall correlation coefficients between the actual and predicted RSA of about 0.66 in rigorous tests on independent control sets. Using the predicted RSA, we were able to improve the performance of our secondary structure prediction by up to 1.4% and achieved the overall per‐residue accuracy between 77.0% and 78.4% for the 3‐state classification problem on different control sets comprising, together, 603 proteins without homology to proteins included in the training. The effects of including solvent accessibility depend on the quality of RSA prediction. In the limit of perfect prediction (i.e., when using the actual RSA values derived from known protein structures), the accuracy of secondary structure prediction increases by up to 4%. We also observed that projecting real‐valued RSA into 2 discrete classes with the commonly used threshold of 25% RSA decreases the classification accuracy for secondary structure prediction. While the level of improvement of secondary structure prediction may be different for prediction protocols that implicitly account for RSA in other ways, we conclude that an increase in the 3‐state classification accuracy may be achieved when combining RSA with a state‐of‐the‐art protocol utilizing evolutionary profiles. The new method is available through a Web server at http://sable.cchmc.org. Proteins 2005. © 2005 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Electron ionization mass spectral studies of bridgehead 7,7‐dimethylnorbornane‐based β‐amino alcohols
Authors: García Martínez Antonio , Teso Vilar Enrique , García Fraile Amelia , Martínez‐Álvarez Roberto , de la Moya Cerero Santiago , Martínez‐Ruiz Paloma
Published: March 2005

The electron ionization (EI) mass spectra of some new bridgehead 7,7‐dimethylnorbornane‐based β‐amino alcohols have been studied and their fragmentation patterns compared with those of isomeric 3,3‐dimethyl derivatives described by us previously. The dimethyl substitution at C7 results in a significant complication of the spectra, although all compounds show a C1–C2 bond cleavage with charge location at the nitrogen atom that leads to the base peak. Thus, two main fragmentation patterns dominated by cyclopentenylimmonium or methyleneimmonium ions are described depending on the position of the amino group in the norbornane framework (C1 or C2, respectively), as well as other secondary routes that can explain the appearance of the less noticeable fragments. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Identification of volatile basic components in tobacco by headspace liquid‐phase microextraction coupled to matrix‐assisted laser desorption/ionization with Fourier transform mass spectrometry
Authors: Sun Shihao , Cheng Zhihong , Xie Jianping , Zhang Jianxun , Liao Yuanxi , Wang Haoyang , Guo Yinlong
Published: March 2005

A method incorporating headspace liquid‐phase microextraction (HS‐LPME) coupled to matrix‐assisted laser desorption/ionization (MALDI) with Fourier transform mass spectrometry (FTMS) was established to analyze volatile basic components in tobacco. The sample preparation volume for MALDI‐MS was compatible with the volume of the solvent microdrop in the HS‐LPME procedure. The pH and the polarity of the solvent for HS‐LPME were adjusted by choice of the MALDI matrix and matrix additive. Based on the elemental composition and tandem mass spectrometry information, 25 volatile nitrogenous compounds in tobacco were detected and identified. The approach is fast and sensitive, and has the potential for automation for high‐throughput analysis. This approach offers an alternative method for analysis of trace volatile organic compounds in complex samples. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
The Catholic Apostolic Church in British Politics
Authors: RUOTSILA MARKKU
Published: March 2005

This article looks at a largely neglected aspect of nineteenth- and twentieth-century religio-political activism and public doctrine, the conservative politics of premillennialist Protestantism. It approaches this subject through a case study of the doctrines and activities of the Catholic Apostolic Church, a relatively small premillennialist and Pentecostal faith-community extant from the 1830s through to the mid-twentieth century. The translation of these doctrines into Conservative party politics by Henry Drummond MP and by the seventh and eighth dukes of Northumberland is given especial attention.
Magnetic ordering and x-ray magnetic circular dichroism of Co doped ZnO
Authors: Hong Jisang , Wu R. Q.
Published: March 2005

Using the full potential linearized augmented plane wave method, we explored the magnetization and magnetic ordering of Co doped ZnO. Energetically Co prefers nonuniform distribution and antiferromagnetic ordering. Both Zn and O display measurable x-ray magnetic circular dichroism spectra.
A new pathway for the rapid decay of electronically excited adenine
Authors: Marian Christel M.
Published: March 2005

Combined density functional and multireference configuration interaction methods have been used to calculate the electronic spectrum of 9H-adenine, the most stable tautomer of 6-aminopurine. In addition, constrained minimum energy paths on excited potential energy hypersurfaces have been determined along several relaxation coordinates. The minimum of the first [n→π*]1 state has been located at an energy of 4.54eV for a nuclear arrangement in which the amino group is pyramidal whereas the ring system remains planar. Close by, another minimum on the S1 potential energy hypersurface has been detected in which the C2 center is deflected out of the molecular plane and the electronic character of S1 corresponds to a nearly equal mixture of [π→π*]1 and [n→π*]1 configurations. The adiabatic excitation energy of this minimum amounts to 4.47eV. Vertical and adiabatic excitation energies of the lowest n→π* and π→π* transitions as well as transition moments and their directions are in very good agreement with experimental data and lend confidence to the present quantum chemical treatment. On the S1 potential energy hypersurface, an energetically favorable path from the singlet n→π* minimum toward a conical intersection with the electronic ground state has been identified. Close to the conical intersection, the six-membered ring of adenine is strongly puckered and the electronic structure of the S1 state corresponds to a π→π* excitation. The energetic accessibility of this relaxation path at about 0.1eV above the singlet n→π* minimum is presumably responsible for the ultrafast decay of 9H-adenine after photoexcitation and explains why sharp vibronic peaks can only be observed in a rather narrow wavelength range above the origin. The detected mechanism should be equally applicable to adenosine and 9-methyladenine because it involves primarily geometry changes in the six-membered ring whereas the nuclear arrangement of the five-membered ring (including the N9 center) is largely preserved.
Sensitivity to tab disturbance of the mean flow structure of nonswirling jet and swirling jet in crossflow
Authors: Bunyajitradulya Asi , Sathapornnanon Sidtipong
Published: March 2005

Sensitivity to tab disturbance of the mean flow structure of nonswirling jet in crossflow (JICF) and swirling jet in crossflow (SJICF) is investigated. For the swirling jet, the nonzero tangential velocity, nonzero circulation jet configuration is employed. The configuration allows for the development of the skewed mixing layer at each lateral edge of the jet not to be obscured and modulated by the jet cross-stream boundary layer and the associated vorticity of the opposite sign to that of the imposed swirl. In the investigation, a heated jet is used and the temperature distributions in the cross planes downstream of the jets are surveyed upto x∕rd=1, where r is the effective velocity ratio and d is the diameter of the jet exit. A single stationary tab is alternately placed at eight different azimuthal positions along the periphery of the jet exit. For both JICF and SJICF, the results show that the mean flow structure is most sensitive to tab disturbance in the region centered on the pressure-windward to the windward position and is less sensitive in the leeward region. Specifically, for JICF the sensitive region covers approximately from lateral to windward; for SJICF, from pressure to suction-windward when moving in the same rotational sense as the swirl. The tab disturbance in these sensitive regions has pronounced and effectively lasting effect on the flow structure; the transformed structure persists downstream to the last measurement station. These results indicate that the generation mechanism of the flow structure in both jets is sensitive to tab disturbance in these regions. They also suggest it to be closely related to the development of the skewed mixing layer along the surrounding crossflow direction and around the jet exit column.
Diamagnetic flux measurement without a compensation coil in the Hanbit mirror
Authors: Seo Seong-Heon , Bak J. G.
Published: March 2005

A diamagnetic loop receives the external magnetic field fluctuations distorted by vacuum vessel eddy currents. Without installing a compensation coil in vacuum, the fluctuation is compensated from the circuit model of the vacuum vessel with only a Rogowski coil measurement of the external magnetic coil current. The vacuum vessel is modeled as a mixture of several inductively linked conductors. By solving the circuit equations, it is shown that the distortion is given as a convolution of exponentially decaying functions and the Rogowski coil signal. The characteristic time is obtained by a least-squares fitting algorithm. The convolution is calculated by using the fast Fourier transform technique. The external magnetic field fluctuations of the diamagnetic loop are reduced to 0.005% of the external magnetic field intensity.
Effect of template morphology on the efficiency of InGaN∕GaN quantum wells and light-emitting diodes grown by molecular-beam epitaxy
Authors: Tang H. , Haffouz S. , Powell A. , Bardwell J. A. , Webb J.
Published: March 2005

The pronounced enhancement of indium incorporation efficiency for InGaN∕GaN quantum wells due to the rough, faceted surface of the GaN template grown in situ by ammonia-molecular-beam epitaxy is reported. The InGaN∕GaN quantum wells are grown by plasma-assisted molecular-beam epitaxy. Unlike the smooth (0002) surface of GaN template layers grown by metalorganic chemical vapor deposition, the surface of the template layers grown by ammonia-molecular-beam epitaxy is defined by {10-1m} pyramidal facets causing significant surface roughness. The drastically enhanced indium incorporation rate associated with the rough templates allows the InGaN∕GaN quantum wells to be grown at higher temperatures as it compensates for the increased thermal decomposition. High luminescence efficiency is achieved as a result. Using such efficient InGaN∕GaN quantum wells, light-emitting diodes have been grown entirely by molecular-beam epitaxy on sapphire substrates, demonstrating output power of 0.22mW for 20mA injection current.
Thermal decomposition of sputtered thin PtOx layers used in super-resolution optical disks
Authors: Kolobov A. V. , Wilhelm F. , Rogalev A. , Shima T. , Tominaga J.
Published: March 2005

Decomposition of sputtered PtOx layers has been studied by x-ray absorption spectroscopy. X-ray absorption fine structure measurements demonstrated that as-deposited films possess a composition of PtOx (x=1.1–1.7). Upon annealing, the metallic platinum phase is formed. The formation of the metallic Pt phase starts at very early stages of the decomposition process. The decomposition is not monotonic and slows down at the final stage. The structure at intermediate stages of decomposition is a mixture of the starting phase and metallic Pt.
Photonic band structure of colloidal crystal self-assembled in hollow core optical fiber
Authors: Lin Y. , Herman P. R. , Valdivia C. E. , Li J. , Kitaev V. , Ozin G. A.
Published: March 2005

We report detailed stop-band measurements in colloidal photonic crystals, and a comparison with photonic band structure calculations. An achieved growth of colloidal photonic crystals in a hollow core optical fiber provides an optically accessible self-assembled system with controllable crystal orientations. The stop band is measured through optical transmissions as a function of incident angles relative to main crystallographic directions, revealing critical band structure information and indicating the high quality of the crystal formed.
Effect of Zr on the crystallographic texture of precipitation-hardened Sm(Co,Fe,Cu,Zr)7 ribbons
Authors: Rong Chuan-bing , Zhang Hong-wei , He Shu-li , Chen Ren-jie , Shen Bao-gen
Published: March 2005

Sm ( Co bal Fe 0.1 Cu 0.1 Zr w ) 7  (w=0.01−0.09) ribbons have been prepared by conventional melt spinning followed by precipitation hardening. The Zr addition can suppress the nucleation of solidification and increase the velocity of grain growth. This leads to the increase of texture degree of the ribbons with increasing Zr content. The crystallographic texture is still preserved in ribbons after the precipitation hardening. The remanence ratio of the heat-treated ribbons increases from 0.7 for w=0.01 to 0.9 for w=0.08. An energy product of about 10 MGOe has been obtained in the ribbon with w=0.03. The angular dependence of coercivity suggests that the magnetization reversal of the precipitation-hardened ribbons is controlled by both domain-wall pinning and nucleation mechanism.
Universal behavior of giant electroresistance in epitaxial La0.67Ca0.33MnO3 thin films
Authors: Zhao Y. G. , Wang Y. H. , Zhang G. M. , Zhang B. , Zhang X. P. , Yang C. X. , Lang P. L. , Zhu M. H. , Guan P. C.
Published: March 2005

We report a giant resistance drop induced by dc electrical currents in La0.67Ca0.33MnO3 epitaxial thin films. Resistance of the patterned thin films decreases exponentially with increasing current and a maximum drop shows at the temperature of resistance peak Tp. Variation of resistance with current densities can be scaled below and above Tp, respectively. This work can be useful for the future applications of electroresistance.
ROMK1 channel activity is regulated by monoubiquitination
Authors: Lin Dao-Hong , Sterling Hyacinth , Wang Zhijian , Babilonia Elisa , Yang Baofeng , Dong Ke , Hebert Steven C. , Giebisch Gerhard , Wang Wen-Hui
Published: March 2005

The ubiquitination of proteins can signal their degradation, modify their activity or target them to specific membranes or cellular organelles. Here, we show that monoubiquitination regulates the plasma membrane abundance and function of the potassium channel, ROMK. Immunoprecipitation of proteins obtained from renal cortex and outer medulla with ROMK antibody revealed that this channel was monoubiquitinated. To determine the ubiquitin binding site on ROMK1, all intracellular lysine (Lys) residues of ROMK1 were individually mutated to arginine (Arg), and a two-electrode voltage clamp was used to measure the ROMK1 channel activity in
Xenopus
oocytes. ROMK1 channel activity increased from 8.1 to 27.2 μA only when Lys-22 was mutated to Arg. Furthermore, Western blotting failed to detect the ubiquitinated ROMK1 in oocytes injected with R1K22R. Patch-clamp experiments showed that biophysical properties of R1K22R were identical to those of wild-type ROMK1. Although total protein expression levels of GFP-ROMK1 and GFP-R1K22R in oocytes were similar, confocal microscopy showed that the surface fluorescence intensity in oocytes injected with GFP-R1K22R was higher than that of GFP-ROMK1. In addition, biotin labeling of ROMK1 and R1K22R proteins expressed in HEK293 cells showed increased surface expression of the Lys-22 mutant channel. Finally, expression of R1K22R in COS7 cells significantly stimulated the surface expression of ROMK1. We conclude that ROMK1 can be monoubiquitinated and that Lys-22 is an ubiquitin-binding site. Thus, monoubiquitination of ROMK1 regulates channel activity by reducing the surface expression of channel protein. This finding implicates the linking of a single ubiquitin molecule to channels as an important posttranslational regulatory signal.
When a pigmy acts as a giant: the role of the Italian representatives in the Brussels Constitutional Convention
Authors: Fabbrini Sergio
Published: March 2005

The Italian representatives in the Brussels Constitutional Convention played a greater role than expected. The Italians, who many thought would be destined to a role as pigmies in the Convention because of ideological differences and the personal mistrust they carried from their domestic arena, acted mostly as giants in the contributions they provided to the final text. The representatives of both the government and the opposition identified a series of points upon which they agreed and which were introduced in the final document. These positions, although not federalist, were much more advanced than those described as ‘intergovernmental’ or ‘confederal’. There were many reasons for this. The deliberative method adopted in the Convention probably helped this convergence. Certainly, the Italians wanted to keep open the dialogue with the main EU member-states at a moment when the war with Iraq was undermining it, and the Italian representatives in the Convention shared a pro-European attitude, while this attitude was being called into question in the domestic arena by the Berlusconi government.
Mechanism of the Voltage Sensitivity of IRK1 Inward-rectifier K+ Channel Block by the Polyamine Spermine
Authors: Shin Hyeon-Gyu , Lu Zhe
Published: March 2005

IRK1 (Kir2.1) inward-rectifier K+ channels exhibit exceedingly steep rectification, which reflects strong voltage dependence of channel block by intracellular cations such as the polyamine spermine. On the basis of studies of IRK1 block by various amine blockers, it was proposed that the observed voltage dependence (valence ∼5) of IRK1 block by spermine results primarily from K+ ions, not spermine itself, traversing the transmembrane electrical field that drops mostly across the narrow ion selectivity filter, as spermine and K+ ions displace one another during channel block and unblock. If indeed spermine itself only rarely penetrates deep into the ion selectivity filter, then a long blocker with head groups much wider than the selectivity filter should exhibit comparably strong voltage dependence. We confirm here that channel block by two molecules of comparable length, decane-bis-trimethylammonium (bis-QAC10) and spermine, exhibit practically identical overall voltage dependence even though the head groups of the former are much wider (∼6 Å) than the ion selectivity filter (∼3 Å). For both blockers, the overall equilibrium dissociation constant differs from the ratio of apparent rate constants of channel unblock and block. Also, although steady-state IRK1 block by both cations is strongly voltage dependent, their apparent channel-blocking rate constant exhibits minimal voltage dependence, which suggests that the pore becomes blocked as soon as the blocker encounters the innermost K+ ion. These findings strongly suggest the existence of at least two (potentially identifiable) sequentially related blocked states with increasing numbers of K+ ions displaced. Consequently, the steady-state voltage dependence of IRK1 block by spermine or bis-QAC10 should increase with membrane depolarization, a prediction indeed observed. Further kinetic analysis identifies two blocked states, and shows that most of the observed steady-state voltage dependence is associated with the transition between blocked states, consistent with the view that the mutual displacement of blocker and K+ ions must occur mainly as the blocker travels along the long inner pore.
Sympathy and Vengeance
Authors: Solomon Robert C.
Published: March 2005

Justice is typically treated in philosophy and political science as a matter of theory and reasoning. I argue instead for a conception of justice (and injustice) based first of all on emotions, in particular, the emotions of compassion, caring, and vengeance.
The Analysis Of Income Satisfaction With An Application To Family Equivalence Scales
Authors: Van Praag Bernard
Published: March 2005

This chapter examines income satisfaction based on empirical results derived from German and British data. It is shown that the results derived from the financial-satisfaction question and those from the income-evaluation question developed by Van Praag and Kapteyn are nearly identical. These results are used to define family equivalence scales. The preference-drift phenomenon is also discussed.
The Influence Of The Reference Group On Our Norms
Authors: Van Praag Bernard
Published: March 2005

This chapter examines the premise that in addition to lifetime experiences, an individual’s reference group will have an impact on his or her norms and behaviour. Two cases are considered. In the first case, the person’s reference group is known, such as people of the same age, education and job type. In the second case, the person’s reference group is not known beforehand, and the reference group is estimated based on the person’s norms on income. The reference group is described by a social-filter model, which assigns much weight to persons who are ‘nearby’ and less to those ‘far away’, socially speaking.
5 Fountain of Presence, Breasts of Wine
Authors: Laird Martin
Published: March 2005

Discusses how knowledge of God works in Gregory. While God is beyond the grasp of comprehension, soul unites with God in the unknowing of faith. Faith yet gives something to the mind.
Constraints and Pressures
Authors: Hills John
Published: March 2005

The previous chapter suggests that progress has been made in tackling some of the problems outlined earlier in the book. However, the pressures on social spending and on distribution do not stand still, and the constraints and pressures under which policy operates may change in the coming years. This chapter examines whether economic growth eases or worsens the pressures on public finances. It looks at the biggest source of pressure on spending, the ageing population, particularly pressures on spending on pensions. The final section discusses a different kind of constraint, particularly relevant to the strategies pursued since 1997, resulting from the spread of different kinds of means-testing, and asks whether we are reaching the limits to that kind of approach.
Is a Friend in Need a Friend Indeed? Inclusion and Exclusion in Mutual Insurance Networks in Southern Ghana
Authors: Goldstein Markus , de Janvry Alain , Sadoulet Elisabeth
Published: March 2005

The factors that determine inclusion and exclusion from mutual insurance schemes in Ghana are investigated. Personal relations within the household, social status, and connections within the community are important for receiving transfers in times of shortage. Outside the household, membership in major lineage, secular organisations, fostering history, and anticipated land inheritance matter in receiving assistance.
Food Aid and Informal Insurance
Authors: Dercon Stefan , Krishnan Pramila
Published: March 2005

Food aid distribution in rural Ethiopia was investigated to determine allocation rules and the impact of aid on household consumption. The targeting of food aid was sensitive to income within villages. Within village-sharing of food aid was observed, which affected consumption. Informal risk-sharing resulted in better outcomes of the food aid distribution scheme.
Books from the past:an e‐books project at Culturenet Cymru
Authors: Haarhoff Leith
Published: March 2005

Purpose

To describe the open‐source solution developed by Culturenet Cymru, for the Welsh Books Council, for presenting digitised books and other printed material online.

Design/methodology/approach

The challenges faced in the implementation of a pilot e‐book collection of nine out‐of‐print books is described.

Findings

The adoption of a number of international standards for the presentation, coding, conversion, metadata and searching of texts have resulted in a working pilot project.

Practical implications

It is hoped that many publicly funded bodies such as libraries and archives will make use of the system. A small collection of e‐books may be of some use, but it is the ability to search for, and access, e‐books across distributed collections which will provide real educational benefit.

Originality/value

Culturenet Cymru hopes to play a role in co‐ordinating the adoption of common standards for text digitisation in Wales.
Data manipulation in an XML‐based digital image library
Authors: Chang Naicheng
Published: March 2005

Purpose

To help to clarify the role of XML tools and standards in supporting transition and migration towards a fully XML‐based environment for managing access to information.

Design/methodology/approach

The Ching Digital Image Library, built on a three‐tier architecture, is used as a source of examples to illustrate a number of methods of data manipulation for presentation processing. An SQL relational database is implemented in the data tier and Microsoft Internet Information Server (IIS) is used to manage processes and sessions in the middle tier. Extensible Markup Language (XML) is used in the data tier to represent offers and in the presentation tiers to represent screen displays that can be manipulated using the XML Document Object Model (DOM), XML Data Islands, and XSL (eXtensible Stylesheet Language), before being delivered to the web browser as HTML.

Findings

It is demonstrated that, although XML itself is not a database, the XML family provides many, though not all, of the components found in databases. XML coupled with a database gives greater power than the sum of the parts in a web application.

Originality/value

This paper is a digital image library case study with practical generic tutorial elements about the role and function of XML in modern database‐backed web sites.
The barriers to customer responsive supply chain management
Authors: Storey John , Emberson Caroline , Reade David
Published: March 2005

Purpose

It has been suggested that “customer responsive supply‐chain management” and “agile supply‐chain management” are necessary for the new competitive conditions. However, there is an enormous gap between the idealised prescription and actual practice. The aim of this paper is to examine, in some detail, the factors that can help to explain this mismatch between rhetoric and reality.

Design/methodology/approach

To do so, it focuses on a “best‐case” situation – the retailer Marks and Spencer and its relations with its clothing suppliers. This company has traditionally been renowned, among other things, for the sophistication of its supply‐chain activities. The research reported here is based on detailed interviews with suppliers and buyers.

Findings

The research reveals that the tenets of the customer responsive supply‐chain management model are technically feasible. But, the study also finds that even under circumstances where there is evidence that it works well, and produces valued outcomes, it remains vulnerable to erosion because of a number of institutional factors.

Research limitations/implications

The research presents a number of challenges to conventional thinking about collaborative relationships. The paper suggests the need for further work on the competing priorities between collaborative inter‐organisational working on the one hand, and competing corporate strategies and ingrained routines on the other.

Practical implications

Practitioners can derive many lessons from this research – most notably it identifies the nature of the barriers and forearms supply‐chain innovators with details of the dynamics that can so easily thwart their best efforts.

Originality/value

The paper explains the mismatch between rhetonic and reality in buyer‐seller relationships.
Can electronic textbooks help children to learn?
Authors: Maynard Sally , Cheyne Emily
Published: March 2005

Purpose

This paper investigates the potential electronic textbooks (e‐textbooks) have to augment the learning and education of children.

Design/methodology/approach

The study consisted of a total of 60 pupils, split into five groups of 12 participants (six boys and six girls). Each of the five groups were in turn split into two sub‐groups of six (three boys and three girls): one sub‐group used the printed textbook, while the other used a CD‐ROM on a laptop computer. The pupils completed a group test and an individual multiple choice test on information found in the textbooks.

Findings

The study showed that the e‐textbook was widely accepted by the participants, and motivated group participation. Those using the e‐textbook achieved significantly higher test results on average in the group test. Higher (but not significant) average results were achieved by e‐textbook users in the individual test.

Research limitations/implications

An acknowledged limitation of the study is that the textbooks used for the study were not identical in content. They were equivalent according to subject and recommended age range, but did not contain specifically the same information. Further studies would benefit from making use of an electronic version which is identical, or more similar, to a printed textbook. It would also be worthwhile to investigate the effects of long‐term use once the novelty value of the electronic book has subsided.

Originality/value

The paper aims to fill the gap in the original literature on the subject of how children relate to and learn from electronic textbooks. The research is of particular interest to teachers, librarians and parents.
The UNLV Libraries: four years after the construction of a new main library
Authors: Eden Brad
Published: March 2005

Purpose

To provide an introduction to a two‐volume special issue on Lied Library at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas that focuses on major changes, new services, and technology issues four years after the opening of the new main library.

Design/methodology/approach

A total of 18 articles are featured, including a graphical time line of events, post‐construction thoughts, web site redesign, organizational change, the automated storage and retrieval system (LASR), and a virtual branch library, among other topics. Nine articles each will be published in Vol. 23, No. 1 and Vol. 23, No. 3 (2005). Readers should also access articles written three years previously in Vol. 20, No. 1 (2002) of Library Hi Tech titled “The New Lied Library at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas: focus on the planning and implementation of technology and change”.

Findings

Technology and change in the construction of a new main library can assist and guide others contemplating similar library construction, reorganization projects, and technology and digital implementations.

Originality/value

An introduction to the two‐part special issue.
Are American corporate directors still ignoring the signals?
Authors: Fram Eugene H. , Zoffer H.J.
Published: March 2005

Purpose

This research study focuses on two critical questions. First, to what extent are US corporate directors now taking independent steps to protect stakeholders from future corporate débâcles, such as Enron and Tyco? Second, how have these débâcles personally impacted US corporate directors in other companies?

Design/methodology/approach

A total of 114 corporate business directors replied to a mail questionnaire.

Findings

Respondents reported that: the number of board‐initiated voluntary changes being considered is very modest; managements are not doing a good job communicating changes in internal control procedures to boards; the recent corporate débâcles caused only about 9 percent of director respondents to become uneasy about their directorships; greater “due diligence” is needed currently before accepting a board position (it is still an “honor” to be asked to join a board); some senior managers are not being realistic about the significant time commitment needed to be a director in the twenty‐first century.

Research limitations/implications

Despite the modest sample size, the very broad range of the firms’ sales data suggests that the sample may be somewhat representative of US business boards. Other studies have been based similar size samples.

Originality/value

Recent changes in corporate governance have been less rigorous than reported, despite many press reports concluding that corporate America is in a period of accelerating change. Outside directors seem to be unwilling to confront management on critical issues. Consequently, US directors need to be more proactive in making changes, or stakeholders can look forward to continuing débâcless like Enron, Tyco, and WorldCom.
Trophically transmitted parasites in wild Atlantic salmon post‐smolts from Norwegian fjords
Authors: Knudsen R. , Rikardsen A. H. , Dempson J. B. , BjØrn P. A. , Finstad B. , Holm M. , Amundsen P.‐A.
Published: March 2005

The community structure of trophically transmitted intestinal helminths of Atlantic salmonSalmo salarpost‐smolts was highly variable among four fjords in Norway. There were no severely pathogenic parasite species. Post‐smolts from the southernmost Trondheimsfjord had a higher diversity of freshwater parasite species compared to the three northern fjords (Tanafjord, Altafjord and Malangen). In contrast, the highest diversity and proportion of marine species was found in the three northern fjords. Post‐smolts were generally more infected with marine parasites in the outer rather than inner parts of all of the fjords. The prevalence of the acanthocephalanEchinorynchus gadi(range: 13–42%) and marine trematodes (range: 14–47%) was higher in post‐smolts in outer zones of the northern fjords than in fish from Trondheimsfjord (0 and 6%, respectively). The within‐fjord variability and north‐south geographical gradient in parasite infection patterns reflected differences in marine feeding of the post‐smolts on potential intermediate hosts such as amphipods (E. gadi) and fish larvae (trematodes), which were higher in the northern fjords (range: 27–28 and 67–85%, respectively) than in Trondheimsfjord (5 and 19%, respectively). High intensities of marine parasites suggest that some post‐smolts from northern fjords may have a prolonged fjord‐feeding compared to those from Trondheimsfjord. Parasites of both freshwater and marine origin appear to be suitable as bio‐indicators of feeding and migratory pattern of Atlantic salmon post‐smolts and preadults during their seaward migration.
Control of fledging age in Leach's Storm‐Petrel, Oceanodroma leucorhoa: chick development and prefledging mass loss
Authors: MAUCK R. A. , RICKLEFS R. E.
Published: March 2005

Leach's Storm‐Petrel (Oceanodroma leucorhoa) chicks accumulate fat through most of the nestling period, near the end of which they typically weigh 50–100% more than their parents. Much of this excess mass is lost abruptly prior to leaving the nest and fledging itself marks the termination of parental care.

In this study, we evaluated the hypothesis that the onset of the prefledging mass loss period coincides with the end of the development period and the completion of structural growth.

We characterized the pattern of prefledging mass loss and the timing of fledging with respect to a point (T), based on wing growth, at which structural development stops. Variation in T suggested that development rate is partially influenced by parental food provisioning, particularly early in the nestling period (age 16–20 days) just prior to the onset of rapid primary feather growth.

The timing of mass loss and fledging in relation to T suggested that prefledging mass loss begins upon completion of wing growth and that fledging occurs after chicks have reached a mass compatible with sustained flight. Thus, the time to fledging is positively correlated with nestling mass at the end of the development period.

The prefledging period of mass loss is a unique phase of anorexia placed between parental feeding and self‐feeding in the life of the young petrel.