bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A profile of impaired insulin degradation in relation to late‐life cognitive decline: A preliminary investigation
Authors: Okereke Olivia I. , Selkoe Dennis J. , Pollak Michael N. , Stampfer Meir J. , Hu Frank B. , Hankinson Susan E. , Grodstein Francine
Published: July 2008

Objective

Insulin degradation pathways may be related to Alzheimer's disease pathology. In preliminary analyses, we considered the relation of combined lower insulin secretion (c‐peptide) and higher insulin––possibly a phenotype for impaired insulin degradation––to cognitive decline.

Method

Fasting plasma c‐peptide and insulin were measured in 1,187 non‐diabetic Nurses' Health Study participants (mean age = 64 years). Cognitive testing began 10 years later. Participants completed three repeated assessments (over an average span of 4.4 years) of verbal memory, a strong predictor of Alzheimer disease development. C‐peptide and insulin distributions were dichotomized at their medians to create four cross‐tabulated categories. Multivariable linear mixed effects models were used to relate c‐peptide/insulin categories to cognitive decline.

Results

Compared to the lower c‐peptide/lower insulin group, women with lower c‐peptide/higher insulin had a significantly faster rate of verbal memory decline: the mean difference was ‐0.05 units/year (95% CI ‐0.09,‐0.01). This mean difference was similar to that which we found for women 5 years apart in age, indicating that having a profile of lower c‐peptide/higher insulin appeared cognitively equivalent to aging by five years on tests of verbal memory. For women with higher c‐peptide/higher insulin, the estimated mean difference in decline compared to those in the lower c‐peptide/lower insulin group was statistically significant, but slightly lower, at −0.04 units/year (95% CI: ‐0.07,‐0.02).

Conclusion

These preliminary analyses of a possible phenotype of impaired insulin degradation provide supportive evidence that deficits in insulin degradation may be related to late‐life verbal memory decline. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Translocation of iron from lysosomes into mitochondria is a key event during oxidative stress-induced hepatocellular injury
Authors: Uchiyama Akira , Kim Jae-Sung , Kon Kazuyoshi , Jaeschke Hartmut , Ikejima Kenichi , Watanabe Sumio , Lemasters John J.
Published: July 2008

Iron overload exacerbates various liver diseases. In hepatocytes, a portion of non-heme iron is sequestered in lysosomes and endosomes. The precise mechanisms by which lysosomal iron participates in hepatocellular injury remain uncertain. Here, our aim was to determine the role of intracellular movement of chelatable iron in oxidative stress-induced killing to cultured hepatocytes from C3Heb mice and Sprague-Dawley rats. Mitochondrial polarization and chelatable iron were visualized by confocal microscopy of tetramethylrhodamine methylester (TMRM) and quenching of calcein, respectively. Cell viability and hydroperoxide formation (a measure of lipid peroxidation) were measured fluorometrically using propidium iodide and chloromethyl dihydrodichlorofluorescein, respectively. After collapse of lysosomal/endosomal acidic pH gradients with bafilomycin (50 nM), an inhibitor of the vacuolar proton-pumping adenosine triphosphatase, cytosolic calcein fluorescence became quenched. Deferoxamine mesylate and starch-deferoxamine (1 mM) prevented bafilomycin-induced calcein quenching, indicating that bafilomycin induced release of chelatable iron from lysosomes/endosomes. Bafilomycin also quenched calcein fluorescence in mitochondria, which was blocked by 20 μM Ru360, an inhibitor of the mitochondrial calcium uniporter, consistent with mitochondrial iron uptake by the uniporter. Bafilomycin alone was not sufficient to induce mitochondrial depolarization and cell killing, but in the presence of low-dose

tert

-butylhydroperoxide (25 μM), bafilomycin enhanced hydroperoxide generation, leading to mitochondrial depolarization and subsequent cell death.

Conclusion:

Taken together, the results are consistent with the conclusion that bafilomycin induces release of chelatable iron from lysosomes/endosomes, which is taken up by mitochondria. Oxidative stress and chelatable iron thus act as two “hits” synergistically promoting toxic radical formation, mitochondrial dysfunction, and cell death. This pathway of intracellular iron translocation is a potential therapeutic target against oxidative stress–mediated hepatotoxicity. (Hepatology 2008.)
Oxysterol‐induced osteogenic differentiation of marrow stromal cells is regulated by Dkk‐1 inhibitable and PI3‐kinase mediated signaling
Authors: Amantea Christopher M. , Kim Woo‐Kyun , Meliton Vicente , Tetradis Sotirios , Parhami Farhad
Published: July 2008

Osteoporosis and its complications cause morbidity and mortality in the aging population, and result from increased bone resorption by osteoclasts in parallel with decreased bone formation by osteoblasts. A widely accepted strategy for improving bone health is targeting osteoprogenitor cells in order to stimulate their osteogenic differentiation and bone forming properties through the use of osteoinductive/anabolic factors. We previously reported that specific naturally occurring oxysterols have potent osteoinductive properties, mediated in part through activation of hedgehog signaling in osteoprogenitor cells. In the present report, we further demonstrate the molecular mechanism(s) by which oxysterols induce osteogenesis. In addition to activating the hedgehog signaling pathway, oxysterol‐induced osteogenic differentiation is mediated through a Wnt signaling‐related, Dkk‐1‐inhibitable mechanism. Bone marrow stromal cells (MSC) treated with oxysterols demonstrated increased expression of osteogenic differentiation markers, along with selective induced expression of Wnt target genes. These oxysterol effects, which occurred in the absence of β‐catenin accumulation or TCF/Lef activation, were inhibited by the hedgehog pathway inhibitor, cyclopamine, and/or by the Wnt pathway inhibitor, Dkk‐1. Furthermore, the inhibitors of PI3‐Kinase signaling, LY 294002 and wortmanin, inhibited oxysterol‐induced osteogenic differentiation and induction of Wnt signaling target genes. Finally, activators of canonical Wnt signaling, Wnt3a and Wnt1, inhibited spontaneous, oxysterol‐, and Shh‐induced osteogenic differentiation of bone marrow stromal cells, suggesting the involvement of a non‐canonical Wnt pathway in pro‐osteogenic differentiation events. Osteogenic oxysterols are, therefore, important small molecule modulators of critical signaling pathways in pluripotent mesenchymal cells that regulate numerous developmental and post‐developmental processes. J. Cell. Biochem. 105: 424–436, 2008. © 2008 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
NF‐κB, but not p38 MAP Kinase, is required for TNF‐α‐induced expression of cell adhesion molecules in endothelial cells
Authors: Rajan Suja , Ye Jianming , Bai Shanshan , Huang Faqing , Guo Yan‐Lin
Published: July 2008

In response to inflammation stimuli, tumor necrosis factor‐α (TNF‐α) induces expression of cell adhesion molecules (CAMs) in endothelial cells (ECs). Studies have suggested that the nuclear factor‐κB (NF‐κB) and the p38 MAP kinase (p38) signaling pathways play central roles in this process, but conflicting results have been reported. The objective of this study is to determine the relative contributions of the two pathways to the effect of TNF‐α. Our initial data indicated that blockade of p38 activity by chemical inhibitor SB203580 (SB) at 10 µM moderately inhibited TNF‐α‐induced expression of three types of CAMs; ICAM‐1, VCAM‐1 and E‐selectin, indicating that p38 may be involved in the process. However, subsequent analysis revealed that neither 1 µM SB that could completely inhibit p38 nor specific knockdown of p38α and p38β with small interference RNA (siRNA) had an apparent effect, indicating that p38 activity is not essential for TNF‐α‐induced CAMs. The most definitive evidence to support this conclusion was from the experiments using cells differentiated from p38α knockout embryonic stem cells. We could show that deletion of p38α gene did not affect TNF‐α‐induced ICAM‐1 and VCAM‐1 expression when compared with wild‐type cells. We further demonstrated that inhibition of NF‐κB completely blocked TNF‐α‐induced expression of ICAM‐1, VCAM‐1 and E‐selectin. Taken together, our results clearly demonstrate that NF‐κB, but not p38, is critical for TNF‐α‐induced CAM expression. The inhibition of SB at 10 µM on TNF‐α‐induced ICAM‐1, VCAM‐1 and E‐selectin is likely due to the nonspecific effect of SB. J. Cell. Biochem. 105: 477–486, 2008. © 2008 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Does α‐effect exist in E2 reactions? A G2(+) investigation
Authors: Ren Yi , Yamataka Hiroshi
Published: July 2008

The gas‐phase base‐induced bimolecular elimination (E2) reactions at saturated carbon with 13 bases, B− + CH3CH2Cl → BH + CH2CH2 + Cl− (B = HO, CH3O, CH3CH2O, FCH2CH2O, ClCH2CH2O, Cl, Br, FO, ClO, BrO, HOO, HSO, and H2NO), were investigated with the high‐level G2(+) theory. It was found that all α‐bases with adjacent lone pair electrons examined exhibited downward deviations from the correlation line between the overall barriers and proton affinities for the normal bases without adjacent lone pair electrons, indicating the existence of the α‐effect in the gas phase E2 reactions. The sizes of the α‐effect for the E2 reaction, ΔHα(E2), span a smaller range if the α‐atoms are on the same column in the periodic table, in contrast to the corresponding SN2 reactions, where the ΔHα(SN2) values significantly decrease from an upper to a lower column. The origin of the α‐effects in E2 reactions can be interpreted by the favorable orbital interaction between the lone‐pair electrons and positively charged anti‐bonding orbital. It is worth noticing that the neighboring electron‐rich π lobe instead of lone pair electrons could also cause the α‐effect in E2 reaction. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Comput Chem, 2009
Paying for environmental services: The case of Brazilian Amazonia
Authors: Hall Anthony
Published: July 2008

Compensating natural resource users for the environmental services they supply is becoming an increasingly attractive policy option in a number of countries. Ranging from official carbon trading through the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) of the Kyoto Protocol to more informal arrangements, payments for environmental services (PES) can offer financial incentives for promoting ecologically sound conservation and development practices. PES principles could be applied more widely in Brazilian Amazonia to help curb high rates of deforestation which are gradually undermining the region's capacity to supply key services such as carbon sequestration, biodiversity maintenance and water cycling, and to sustain people's natural resource‐dependent livelihoods. This potential could be especially significant if avoided deforestation were eventually to be permitted for acquiring certified emissions offsets under the CDM. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Development of respiratory structures in embryos and first and second instars of the bark scorpion, Centruroides gracilis (Scorpiones: Buthidae)
Authors: Farley Roger D.
Published: July 2008

The SEM was used to study the development of respiratory structures in successive stages in relation to the overall changes occurring in the scorpions. Book lung development is a slow process, starting with spiracles and a sac‐like atrium in the early embryo and continuing lamellar formation to 150 or more in the adult. In the embryo, the primordial epithelial cells become aligned in a planar pattern as they secrete granules of material that aggregate spontaneously to form the cuticular walls of the lamellae. A blade‐like structure is formed consisting of cells sandwiched within the two cuticle walls they secreted. These cells are in the primordial air channel. The adjacent hemolymph channel is nearly devoid of cells, but cross‐bridges develop and help stabilize the cuticle walls and maintain the width of the channel. The cells in the primordial air channel undergo cytolysis, leaving it open for air except for cuticular cross‐bridges. Development continues in the newborn (first instars); the air channels of some lamellae still contain cells and are not yet functional for gas exchange. The first instars are weak and relatively inactive. They climb up on the mother's dorsum until the first molt (about 8 days). With the cuticular walls of the lamellae in place, cells adhering to the wall in the hemolymph channel produce a thin, new tissue layer (epithelium) on the lamellar wall facing the hemolymph channel. This layer has many discontinuities as though it is slowly developing. Formation of the tissue layer and cytolysis of the cells in the air channels continue through the first molt in which little book lung cuticle is shed as exuvium. The air channels of the second instars (foraging nymphs) are now cell free and open for air passage except for the cross‐bridges. The tissue layer is still incomplete and continues to be formed. It may provide the hypodermal primordium for cuticle replacement in later molts, but development was not studied beyond the second instar except for comparison with book lungs in the adult. The blade‐like lamellae in the adult are larger and more numerous than in the second instar, but in the anterior book lung the shape of the cuticle wall and cross‐bridges and the widths of the air and hemolymph channels are about the same as in the second instar. The air channels in the posterior part of the lamellae have distinctive, vein‐like space‐holders. The similarity of the adult anterior lamellae with those in the second instar suggests retention of this part through the 4–5 molts to maturation, and/or cell processes like those in the embryo are repeated, but this needs to be examined in further studies of cell and cuticle changes before and during the molts. J. Morphol., 2008. © 2008 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Src transformation of colonic epithelial cells: Enhanced anchorage‐independent growth in an Apc+/min background
Authors: Constancio‐Lund Sabata S. , Brabek Jan , Hanks Steven K.
Published: July 2008

Colon cancer arises through a multistep process involving inactivation of tumor suppressor proteins and activation of oncogene‐encoded proteins. Development of colon cancer frequently involves mutation of the adenomatous polyposis coli (APC) tumor suppressor. The activity of the proto‐oncogene‐encoded Src tyrosine kinase is commonly elevated in colon cancer, with higher activity observed as tumors progress and metastasize. Both APC and Src are multifunctional proteins that have been implicated in the control of cell proliferation, but also as regulators of cytoskeletal changes associated with cell motility and invasion. To investigate the potential for biological cooperativity between APC partial loss‐of‐function and Src gain‐of‐function, oncogenic Src was stably expressed in mouse colon epithelial cell lines IMCE (APC+/min) and YAMC (APC+/+). Under permissive growth conditions, these lines are conditionally immortalized through inactivation of p53. Irrespective of the APC genotype or p53 status, oncogenic Src expression led to morphologic transformation associated with loss of cell–cell junctions, cytoskeletal disorganization, and acquisition of invasive properties. However IMCE cells that carry one copy of the mutant APCmin allele exhibited increased capacity for Src‐mediated anchorage‐independent proliferation as compared to the YAMC cells, and this property was enhanced under permissive growth conditions. β‐catenin levels and transcriptional activity were also elevated in the Src‐transformed IMCE cells. The selective Src inhibitor, AZD0530, was found to be effective in blocking both cell invasion and anchorage‐independent proliferation. These findings suggest that the combined effects of elevated Src activity and APC partial loss‐of‐function may contribute to the growth of colon tumors. © 2008 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Ultrasonic detection of hydrophobic interactions: a quantitative approach
Authors: Tuulmets Ants , Järv Jaak , Salmar Siim , Cravotto Giancarlo
Published: July 2008

Kinetic effects of sonication on ester hydrolysis and tert‐butyl chloride solvolysis, studied in ethanol–water binary solvent, are discussed in terms of quantitative relationships between their magnitude and the hydrophobicity of reagents. A number of conclusions were drawn from the observed linear free‐energy (LFE) relationships. Independent of reaction mechanism, the decrease in reaction rates with increasing ethanol content in the solvent is mainly due to hydrophobic stabilization of the ground state. While hydrophobic species can be hidden in the ethanol clusters present in the region XEtOH > 0.15, at lower ethanol contents hydrophobic reagents are weakly solvated and the hydrophobic stabilization can be easily overcome by sonication. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Prospective blinded comparison of surface versus wire electromyographic analysis of muscle recruitment in shoulder instability
Authors: Jaggi Anju , Malone Alex A. , Cowan Joseph , Lambert Simon , Bayley Ian , Cairns Mindy C
Published: July 2008

Background. This pilot study assesses level of agreement between surface and fine‐wire electromyography (EMG), in order to establish if surface is as reliable as fine wire in the diagnosis and treatment of abnormal muscle patterning in the shoulder. Method. Eighteen participants (11 female) with unstable shoulders were recruited after written consent and ethical approval. Anthropometric information and mean skinfold size for triceps, subscapular, biceps and suprailiac sites were obtained. Triple‐stud self‐adhesive surface electrodes ('Triode'; Thermo Scientific, Physio Med Services, Glossop, Derbyshire, England) were placed over pectoralis major (PM), latissimus dorsi (LD), anterior deltoid (AD) and infraspinatus (IS) at standardized locations. Participants performed five identical uniplanar standard movements (flexion, abduction, external rotation, extension and cross‐body adduction). After a 20‐minute rest period, a dual‐needle technique for fine‐wire insertion was performed and the standard movements were repeated. An experienced examiner in each technique reported if muscle activation patterns differed from agreed normal during any movement and were blinded to the other test results. Sensitivity, specificity and Kappa values for level of agreement between methods were calculated for each muscle according to the method of Altman (1991). Results. Fifteen participants were successfully tested. Sensitivity, specificity and Kappa values between techniques for each muscle were PM (57%, 50%, 0.07), LD (38%, 85%, 0.22), AD (0%, 76%, −0.19) and IS (85%, 75%, 0.6). Only IS demonstrated high sensitivity and specificity and a moderate level of agreement between the two techniques. There was no correlation between skinfold size and agreement levels. Conclusion. The use of surface EMG may help to classify types of shoulder instability and recognize abnormal muscle patterns. It may allow physiotherapists to direct specific rehabilitation strategies, avoiding strengthening of inappropriate muscles. It has a reasonable degree of confidence to evaluate IS but may have poor sensitivity in detecting abnormal patterns in PM, LD and AD. Further work is required to see if investigator interpretation may have been a factor for the poor level of agreement. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Simulated SEM images for resolution measurement
Authors: Cizmar P. , Vladár A. E. , Ming B. , Postek M. T. ,   for the National Institute of Standards and Technology
Published: July 2008

Resolution is a key performance metric, which often defines the quality of a scanning electron microscope (SEM). Traditionally, there is the subjective measurement of the distance between two points on special “resolution” samples and there are several computer‐based resolution‐calculation methods. These computer‐based resolution‐calculation methods are much more precise than direct measurement, but none of them can currently be considered an objective way of measuring the resolution. The methods are still under development; therefore, objective testing is necessary. One approach to algorithm testing is to use simulated images. Simulated images are very useful for this purpose because they can be well‐defined in all parameters unlike the real SEM images. Simulated images can be generated that closely mimic the gold‐on‐carbon SEM test sample images that usually consist of bright grains on a dark background. Simulation can account for edge effect, roughness of the substrate, different focusing, drift and vibration, and noise. Shapes, positions, and sizes of the grain structures are random. The simulated images can be then used for testing the resolution‐calculation methods, especially for finding how the particular properties of SEM images affect the resultant instrument performance and image resolution. To support this testing, NIST has developed and made available a reference set of simulated SEM images generated using the methods described in this article. SCANNING 30: 381–391, 2008. Published 2008 by Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
A prospective randomized clinical trial of urethral catheter removal following elective cesarean delivery
Authors: Onile T.G. , Kuti O. , Orji Ernest O. , Ogunniyi Solomon O.
Published: July 2008

Objective

To compare immediate and 24‐hour postoperative removal of urethral catheters for elective cesarean delivery.

Method

A prospective randomized trial of 200 women admitted for elective cesarean delivery where the urethral catheter was removed 24 hours postoperatively or immediately after the procedure. Urine samples were collected preoperatively and 72 hours postoperatively for microscopy, culture, and sensitivity (MCS). Outcome measures included preoperative and 72‐hour postoperative urine MCS, postoperative morbidities, and length of hospital stay.

Results

There were no significant differences in postoperative urinary retention (P = 0.986), dysuria (P = 0.188), urgency (P = 0.134), fever (P = 1.000), 72‐hour postoperative urine MCS (P = 0.489), and length of hospital stay (P = 0.879) between the 2 groups. There was a non‐significant lower incidence of positive urine culture 72 hours postoperatively for women in the immediate removal group compared with those who were catheterized for 24 hours (8.1% vs 11.2%; P = 0.489).

Conclusion

Immediate postoperative removal of a urethral catheter after elective cesarean delivery may be associated with a lower risk of urinary infection.
Diversity of marine yeasts with high protein content and evaluation of their nutritive compositions
Authors: Chi Zhenming , Yan Kuiran , Gao Lingmei , Li Jing , Wang Xianghong , Wang Lin
Published: July 2008

A total of 327 yeast strains from seawater, sediments, mud of salterns, guts of the marine fish and marine algae were obtained. After crude protein of the yeasts was estimated by the method of Kjehldahl, we found that eight strains of the marine yeasts grown in the medium with 20 g l−1 glucose contained more than 30.4 g protein per 100 g of cell dry weight. The results of routine identification and molecular methods show that they belong to Metschnikowa reukaui, Cryptococcus aureus, Aureobasidium pullulan, Yarrowia lipolytica and Hanseniaspora uvarum, respectively. With the exception of Aureobasidium pullulans 4#2 with nucleic acid of 7.7% (w/w), all other yeast strains contained less than 5.0% (w/w) of nucleic acid. Analysis of fatty acids shows that all the yeast strains tested had a large amount of C18:0 and C18:1 fatty acids while analysis of amino acids indicates that the yeast strains tested had a large amount of essential amino acids, especially lysine and leucine which are very important nutritive components for marine animals.
Egg volume, energy content and fatty acid profile ofMaja brachydactyla(Crustacea: Brachyura: Majidae) during embryogenesis
Authors: Figueiredo Joana , Narciso Luís
Published: July 2008

Fatty-acid and energy content ofMaja brachydactylaeggs at different developmental stages (recently spawned, half-developed and ready to hatch) were analysed in order to understand what is being consumed and produced during the embryonic development. Egg volume increased during development (34%, 0.187 to 0.285 mm3, N = 270) and was negatively correlated with egg energy and fatty-acid content (r = −0.80 and r = −0.46, respectively), which decreased through embryogenesis. The most consumed fatty acids were the PUFA (21.2 μg · mg dw−1), followed by the SFA (18.8 μg · mg dw−1) and MUFA (14.9 μg · mg dw−1). Palmitic (16:0), oleic (18:1n-9) and eicosapentaenoic (EPA, 20:5n-3) acids were preferentially consumed (13.14, 9.21 and 8.67 μg · mg dw−1, respectively). The fatty acid composition found inM. brachydactylaeggs reflected the habitat and omnivorous and detritivorous scanvenger diet of the adults, although the consumption of algae was more important than previously thought, at least in the area where these adults were captured. Pre-hatching eggs have a high PUFA content (64.5 μg · mg dw−1or 46.3% of the egg fatty-acid content). We conclude that larvae of this species might need a diet rich in PUFA, particularly EPA and DHA, for successful development. From the culture perspective, live preys commonly used in aquaculture will likely require to be enriched with DHA.
Evaluation of PCR methods for fixed bivalve larvae
Authors: Sawada Hideki , Saito Hajime , Hosoi Masatomi , Toyohara Haruhiko
Published: July 2008

Investigating the spatio-temporal patterns of planktonic larvae is fundamental to studies regarding stock assessment and larval dispersal of commercial and non-commercial, i.e. invasive or rare marine invertebrates. Because of the difficulty involved in morphological identification of marine invertebrate larvae, various molecular methods based on PCR have been used to enhance taxonomic resolution. In previous studies, different methods for the preservation or pretreatment of larvae were applied in each case. However, no comparative studies have been conducted to determine the optimal method for PCR testing for bivalve larvae, and no information is available regarding the selection of an appropriate method.

This study compared the PCR success rate of 6 pretreatment methods for larvae of the Mediterranean blue mussel, which was preserved using different fixatives (70% ethanol, 100% ethanol, 70% acetone and 10% formalin). The results revealed that the success rate of PCR was different for each pretreatment; moreover, the use of ammonium sulphate and Tween 20 buffer with proteinase K digestion was found to be the most effective method. Some pretreatments showed lower success rates for long-fixed larvae than for short-fixed larvae for formalin-fixed larvae; however, the success rate of PCR amplification for ethanol-fixed larvae pretreated by this method did not decrease through 1-year fixation. In addition, this pretreatment showed a high success rate for different fixation periods. These findings suggest that the selection of the pretreatment method is critically important for successfully amplifying larval DNA and that the pretreatment involving the use of ammonium sulphate prior to PCR amplification enables the use of fixatives for preserving bivalve larvae. This method will be utilized in various field studies and molecular genetic studies.
Emotional and behavioural antecedents of young adults who screen positive for non-affective psychosis: a 21-year birth cohort study
Authors: Welham J. , Scott J. , Williams G. , Najman J. , Bor W. , O'Callaghan M. , McGrath J.
Published: July 2008

Background

Birth cohort studies have shown that individuals who develop non-affective psychoses display subtle deviations in behaviour during childhood and adolescence. We had the opportunity to examine the widely used Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) and the Youth Self-Report (YSR) to explore the antecedents of non-affective psychosis.

Method

Based on a birth cohort of 3801 young adults, psychopathology was assessed at years 5 and 14 using the CBCL and/or the YSR. Screen-positive non-affective psychosis (SP-NAP) was assessed at year 21 by using the Composite International Diagnostic Interview (CIDI) or a self-report checklist. The association between childhood symptoms and SP-NAP was examined using logistic regression.

Results

Of the cohort, 60 subjects were classified as SP-NAP. In males, SP-NAP was associated with higher scores: (a) on year 5 CBCL ‘Total’, ‘Aggression’ and ‘Social, Attention and Thought’ scores; (b) on year 14 CBCL ‘Social’, ‘Attention’ and ‘Delinquency’ scores, and (c) YSR ‘Total’ and many YSR subscores. These associations were less clear for females. Hallucinations at year 14 were associated with SP-NAP for both sexes. Boys with high ‘Total’ scores at both years 5 and 14 were at greatest risk of SP-NAP (a 5-fold risk), followed by boys and girls whose ‘Social, Attention and Thought’ scores either increased or remained high from years 5 to 14 (3- to 13-fold risk).

Conclusions

Individuals who screen positive for non-affective psychosis show increased psychopathology during childhood and adolescence. The psychopathological trajectory of children who go on to develop schizophrenia anticipates the heterogeneity associated with the full clinical syndrome.
On the forcing mechanism for the H2-driven deep biosphere
Authors: Hellevang Helge
Published: July 2008

Heat produced in the mantle and core of the Earth by the decay of radioactive elements and mineral fusion results in large-scale mantle convection. The outer shell of the Earth that floats on the convective mantle is divided into rigid lithospheric plates. Subduction of dense cold plates into the mantle leads to plate tectonics. At divergent plate margins, heat is dissipated through hydrothermal convection cells. As ocean water is entrained into hydrothermal cells it interacts with fresh magmatic rocks and liberates ferrous iron. This iron reduces the ocean water to such an extent that it decomposes and forms hydrogen. Molecular hydrogen, as the most reduced component in the system, forms a basal component to a deep dark biosphere powered by metastable redox gradients. In this paper we review the driving force behind a hydrogen-driven deep biosphere. We present abundant observations of hydrogen produced at natural hydrothermal settings as well as in laboratory experiments. The key mineral reactions responsible for the bulk of this hydrogen production are then presented. A division of the reaction progression into an oxidized state and a reduced state is suggested. The amount of hydrogen produced is insignificant in the oxidized state whereas it becomes proportional to the amount of ferrous iron oxidized in the reduced state. The bulk of basalt-hosted aquifers are expected to reside in the oxidized state because of the low content of ferrous minerals, whereas abundant olivine in ultramafic-hosted systems is responsible for large-scale hydrogen production. Today the majority of the seafloor is basaltic. The Archean seafloor on the other hand consisted of fewer ultramafic exposures, but was dominated by ultramafic magnesium-rich lavas with a higher potential for hydrogen production than the present seafloor.
Does it pay to be SMarT?*
Authors: FINDLEY T. SCOTT , CALIENDO FRANK N.
Published: July 2008

The Save More Tomorrow™ (or SMarT) plan has proven effective in raising employee saving rates and appears to be popular among participants and the media. An important question has remained on the minds of economists despite this success: just how close does the prescriptive SMarT plan come to approximating the normative life-cycle/permanent-income consumption rule? That is, does it pay (in a lifetime utility sense) to participate in a SMarT plan? We attempt to provide some rigorous answers to this question by employing a quantitative-theoretic model to perform dynamic welfare analysis, and our results tend to support the SMarT plan as a decent first approximation to the life-cycle/permanent-income rule. We also consider the problem of an altruistic employer seeking to maximize the lifetime utility of employees by appropriately choosing the default SMarT parameters in the face of employee heterogeneity in saving rates and uncertainty about whether they will actually stick with the plan. The employer's problem is augmented to include employee heterogeneity concerning risk taking, and we also consider the possibility that SMarT saving may be met with increased borrowing.
The role of pre-Gaia positional data in determining binary orbits with Gaia data
Authors: Ren S. L. , Fu Y. N.
Published: July 2008

Simulations show that incorporating the pre-Gaia positional data into the Gaia astrometric data can significantly improve the efficiency of determining binary orbits, especially for those binaries with periods from 8 to 25 years.
The understanding of the FK5 and Hipparcos proper-motion systems
Authors: Zhu Z.
Published: July 2008

Comparing proper motions of the FK5 and Hipparcos, several authors declared that the two proper-motion systems are inconsistent with the value of the precession correction obtained from VLBI and LLR observations. Based on the proper-motion data from the PPM and ACRS catalogues which are constructed on the FK5 system, the inconsistent values of the precessional correction and of the time-dependent term of equinox correction, derived from the different subsets of stellar samples, have been found. One of the reasons for those discrepancies should be mostly due to the internally biased proper-motion system of the FK5.
HST FGS astrometry – the value of fractional millisecond of arc precision
Authors: Benedict G. F. , McArthur B. E. , Bean J. L.
Published: July 2008

In a few years astrometry with the venerable combination of Hubble Space Telescope and Fine Guidance Sensor will be replaced by SIM, Gaia, and long-baseline interferometry. Until then we remain a resource of choice for sub-millisecond of arc precision optical astrometry. As examples we discuss 1) the uses which can be made of our parallaxes of Galactic Cepheids, and 2) the determination of perturbation orbital elements for several exoplanet host stars, yielding true companion masses.
Astrometry of the solar system: the ground-based observations
Authors: Arlot J.-E.
Published: July 2008

The main goal of the astrometry of solar system objects is to build dynamical models of their motions to understand their evolution, to determine physical parameters and to build accurate ephemerides for the preparation and the exploitation of space missions. For many objects, the ground-based observations are still very important because radar or observations from space probes are not available. More, the need of observations on a long period of time makes the ground-based observations necessary. The solar system objects have very different characteristics and the increase of the astrometric accuracy will depend on the objects and on their physical characteristics. The purpose of this communication is to show how to get the best astrometric accuracy.
Solution of Earth orientation parameters in 20th century based on optical astrometry and new catalog EOC-3
Authors: Vondrák J. , Ron C. , Štefka V.
Published: July 2008

A new star catalog has been derived recently, which is based on combination of Hipparcos/Tycho Catalogues with long lasting ground-based astrometric observations. In addition to ‘classical’ mean positions and proper motions of the stars, it contains also information on periodic motions of many stars that are due to double or multiple stellar systems. The catalog, called EOC-3, contains 4418 different objects, out of which 585 have significant periodic motions. This improved catalog is used as a reference frame in optical wavelength to derive a new series of Earth Orientation Parameters. To this end, almost five million observations of latitude/universal time variations made at 33 observatories are used. The new EOP series covers almost the entire 20th century (namely the interval 1899.7-1992.0).
Influence of the astrometric accuracy of observation on the extrapolated ephemerides of natural satellites
Authors: Desmars J. , Arlot J.-E. , Vienne A.
Published: July 2008

The accuracy of planetary satellites ephemerides is determined not only by the accuracy of dynamical model (internal accuracy) but also by the accuracy of the observations (external accuracy) used to fit the initial parameters of a model. This external accuracy extrapolated in the future is unknown most of the time and tends to degrade the global accuracy of ephemerides. Even if we can estimate the quality of the ephemerides by comparison with observations, we do not know how to determinate the evolution of the accuracy outside the period of observations. We will present a statistical method, resampling of observations, which allows a better estimation of the extrapolated accuracy in the future.
Parallax programs at the Bordeaux Observatory at sub-mas level accuracy
Authors: Ducourant C. , Teixeira R. , le Campion J.-F. , Chauvin G.
Published: July 2008

We present ongoing parallax programs developed at the Bordeaux Observatory several years ago. We describe the necessary steps leading to sub-milliarcsecond accuracy of calculated parallax. We show the importance of global methods for accurate parallax determination.
Astrometric detection of faint companions – the Pluto/Charon case study
Authors: Andrei A. H. , Filho V. Antunes , Martins R. Vieira , Assafin M. , da Silva Neto D. N. , Camargo J. I. B.
Published: July 2008

The resolution of pairs of objects closer than the scale of seeing, and of difference of magnitude larger than ten percent is unreliable by direct imaging. The resulting image FWHM differs from a true PSF by no more than four percent. Yet, the peak of the associated Gaussian is shifted to a larger proportion.

The main results are the description of the FWHM and peak location shifts as function of the seeing scale, the centers separation, and of the magnitudes difference. Analytically, the estimators of variation were the resulting Gaussian amplitude, mean value, and standard deviation. The later is shown to be the most reliable estimator.
Fringe Tracker for the VLTI Spectro-Imager
Authors: Gai M. , Buscher D. F. , Corcione L. , Ligori S. , Young J. S.
Published: July 2008

Interferometry in the near IR aims at providing imaging resolution on the mas scale, and astrometry at the few μas level, from ground based infrastructures using current telescope technology. To take advantage of simultaneous combination of four to eight telescopes, an international consortium is proposing to ESO the development of the VLTI Spectro-Imager. One of the key sub-systems, to measure and correct the atmospheric perturbations relative to the beam phase, is the fringe tracker, aimed at providing the science combiner with long, stable observing conditions. The fringe tracker function in interferometer is equivalent to adaptive optics for conventional telescopes. The fringe tracker concept under study, using minimum redundancy combination and bulk optics, is described.
Astrometry from mutual event and small-separation CCD imaging
Authors: Peng Q. Y. , Emelyanov N. V. , Zhou L. , Gu W. R.
Published: July 2008

In order to determine precisely positions of the Galilean satellites of Jupiter, it is useful that shortly before and/or after photometric observations of a mutual event, normal CCD imaging observation is also performed for the two small-separation satellites. Experimental observations showed that the two observational types, on the whole, could derive mean (O-C) s with very good internal and external agreement (about 15–20 mas).
Observation of the fast NEO objects with prolonged exposure
Authors: Shulga O. , Kozyryev Y. , Sibiryakova Y.
Published: July 2008

An original way of application of drift-scan imaging – electronic tracing technique for observation of the fast moving asteroids is presented in this contribution.
Astrometric performance of the Schmidt telescope at the Xuyi station of the Purple Mountain Observatory
Authors: Yu Y. , Tang Z. H. , Qi Z. X. , Wu J. F.
Published: July 2008

On January 26, 2006, an area of the sky of 80 deg2 at α = 9h, δ= 20o (J2000.0) was observed with the 100/120cm Schmidt telescope at the Xuyi station of the Purple Mountain Observatory. Astrometric performance of the telescope is analyzed by this group of CCD observations. The results show that: (1) the CCD images suffer from complicated distortions, and a third order plate model is recommended for reductions; (2) there is no obvious magnitude equation for objects brighter than 16.5 mag, and (3) for this group of CCD images, the astrometric precision for objects brighter than 16.5 mag is better than 70 mas per coordinate when reduced against the UCAC2 catalog.
VLBI astrometry for the NASA/Stanford gyroscope relativity mission Gravity Probe B
Authors: Bartel N. , Ransom R. R. , Bietenholz M. F. , Lebach D. E. , Ratner M. I. , Shapiro I. I. , Lestrade J.-F.
Published: July 2008

We used VLBI observations at 8.4 GHz between 1991 and 2005 to determine the motion of the RS CVn binary IM Pegasi (HR 8703), the guide star for the NASA/Stanford gyroscope relativity mission, Gravity Probe B (GP-B). The motion was determined relative to our primary reference, the core of the quasar 3C 454.3. The stability of this core was checked relative to two other extragalactic sources, B2250+194 and B2252+172, the former of which was tied to the ICRF. The core of 3C 454.3 is stationary relative to these two sources to within 30 μas yr−1 in each coordinate. IM Pegasi's radio morphology varies, but appears to be on average centered on the primary. We estimate the proper motion of IM Pegasi with a statistical standard error (sse) of 30 μas yr−1 in each coordinate. We also estimate the parallax with a statistical standard error of 75 μas and parameters of the orbit with sse's corresponding to 110 μas on the sky. Coupled with our upper limit of three times the sse on any systematic errors in each parameter %threefold higher upper limit on the systematic error contributions to each parameter estimate, these results ensure that the uncertainty of IM Pegasi's proper motion makes only a small contribution to the uncertainty of GP-B's tests of general relativity.
Astrometry of red supergiant VY Canis Majoris with VERA
Authors: Choi Y. K. , Hirota T. , Honma M. , Kobayashi H.
Published: July 2008

We present observational results on the red supergiant VY Canis Majoris with VERA. We have observed 22 GHz H2O masers and 43 GHz SiO masers (v=1 and 2 J=1-0) around VY CMa for 13 months. We succesfully detected a parallax of 0.87 ± 0.08 mas, corresponding to the distance of 1.15 +0.10−0.09 kpc using H2O masers. As the result of phase-referencing analyses, we have measured absolute positions for both H2O masers and SiO masers. The H2O maser features show rapid expansion off the central star.
A strategy for implementing differential VLBI
Authors: Li J. L. , Wang J. , Qiao S. B. , Tian F.
Published: July 2008

Based on past astrometric and geodetic VLBI observations, a strategy for implementing differential VLBI (DVLBI) is developed by interpolating the non-geometric delay (NGD) at the target's direction using observations of several reference sources spreaded out within a circular ring centered on the target. In contrast to the ordinary approach, in our design the limitations in the angular distance are relaxed and the effects of observational uncertainties in reference sources are reduced. Analysis shows that in our design a precision of the NGD correction in S-band reaches about 1ns only. Our design can be adopted for observations of weak sources and in deep space exploration.
The distance to G59.7+0.1 and W3OH
Authors: Xu Y. , Reid M. J. , Menten K. M. , Zheng X. W. , Brunthaler A. , Moscadelli L.
Published: July 2008

We have measured the distance to the high-mass star-forming region G59.7+0.1 (IRAS 19410+2336) and W3OH. Their distances, 2.20 ± 0.11 kpc and 1.95 ± 0.04 kpc, respectively, were determined by triangulation using Very Long Baseline Array (VLBA) observations of 12.2 GHz methanol masers phase-referenced to compact extragalactic radio sources. In addition to the distances, we have also obtained their proper motions.
Gaia: organisation and challenges for the data processing
Authors: Mignard F. , Bailer-Jones C. , Bastian U. , Drimmel R. , Eyer L. , Katz D. , van Leeuwen F. , Luri X. , O'Mullane W. , Passot X. , Pourbaix D. , Prusti T.
Published: July 2008

Gaia is an ambitious space astrometry mission of ESA with a main objective to map the sky in astrometry and photometry down to a magnitude 20 by the end of the next decade. While the mission is built and operated by ESA and an industrial consortium, the data processing is entrusted to a consortium formed by the scientific community, which was formed in 2006 and formally selected by ESA one year later. The satellite will downlink around 100 TB of raw telemetry data over a mission duration of 5 years from which a very complex iterative processing will lead to the final science output: astrometry with a final accuracy of a few tens of microarcseconds, epoch photometry in wide and narrow bands, radial velocity and spectra for the stars brighter than 17 mag. We discuss the general principles and main difficulties of this very large data processing and present the organization of the European Consortium responsible for its design and implementation.
To determining the mass of a gravitational body with micro-arcsecond astrometric data
Authors: Cheng H. , Tang Z. H. , Huang C.
Published: July 2008

A beam of light from a background source to an observer is deflected by a gravitational body when travelling through the space in its vicinity. The deflection changes with configuration of the background source, the gravitational body and the observer, and the amount of deflection is dependent on the gravitational body's mass. It is anticipated that its mass could be determined if the shift can be measured by future precise astrometric projects such as Gaia or SIM-PlanetQuest.
Reference frame linking and tests of GR with Gaia astrometry of asteroids
Authors: Hestroffer D. , Mouret S. , Berthier J. , Mignard F. , Tanga P.
Published: July 2008

The Gaia satellite, an ESA cornerstone mission to be launched at the end of the year 2011, will observe a large number of celestial bodies including also small bodies of the solar system. Albeit spread from the inner to the outer regions of the solar system, these are mainly near-Earth objects and main-belt asteroids. All objects brighter than magnitude V ≤ 20 that cross the field of view (i.e. with solar elongation 45° ≤ L ≤ 135°) of the survey-mode scanning telescope will be observed. The mission will provide, over its 5 years duration, high precision photometry and astrometry with an unprecedented accuracy ranging roughly from 0.3 to 3 milli-arcsecond on the CCD level, and depending on the target's magnitude. In addition, several hundreds of QSOs directly observed by Gaia will provide the kinematically non-rotating reference frame in the visible light, resulting in the construction of a ‘Gaia-ICRF’.

The positions of the asteroids hence enable to relate the dynamical reference frame—as defined by the equations of motion—to the kinematic one, and to further check the non-rotating consistency between both frames' definition. Here we show the results of a variance analysis obtained from a realistic simulation of observations for such a link. The simulation takes into account the time sequences and geometry of the observations that are particular to Gaia observations of solar system objects, as well as the instrument sensitivity and photon noise. Additionally, we show the achievable precision for the determination of a possible time variation of the gravitational constant Ġ/G. Taking into account the non-completeness of the actually known population of NEOs, we also give updated values for the nominal precision of the joint determination of the solar quadrupole J2 and PPN parameter β.