bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Profiling of 95 MicroRNAs in Pancreatic Cancer Cell Lines and Surgical Specimens by Real‐Time PCR Analysis
Authors: Zhang Yuqing , Li Min , Wang Hao , Fisher William E. , Lin Peter H. , Yao Qizhi , Chen Changyi
Published: November 2008

Background

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are involved in cancer pathogenesis, apoptosis, and cell growth, thereby functioning as tumor suppressors or oncogenes. However, expression alterations and roles of these miRNAs in pancreatic cancer are largely unknown. We hypothesized that pancreatic cancer may have a unique miRNA profile, which may play a critical role in pancreatic cancer development, progression, diagnosis, and prognosis.

Methods

Differential expression of 95 miRNAs was analyzed by real time RT‐PCR using the QuantiMir System. All 95 miRNAs chosen for the array are based on their potential functions related to cancer biology, cell development, and apoptosis. The expression of miRNAs for pancreatic cancer tissue samples or cancer cell lines was normalized to U6 RNA and compared with those in relatively normal pancreatic tissues or normal human pancreatic ductal epithelial (HPDE) cells. Human pancreatic tissue with chronic pancreatitis also was included for analysis.

Results

In the initial analysis, the expression of most 95 miRNAs was substantially changed in pancreatic cancer tissues (n = 5) and cell lines (n = 3) compared with relatively normal pancreatic tissues and HPDE cells. However, each pancreatic cancer tissue or cell type had a substantially different profiling pattern with other cases or cell types as well as chronic pancreatitis tissue, indicating the individual diversity of pancreatic cancer. Further analysis was performed on 10 pancreatic cancer cell lines and 17 pairs of pancreatic cancer/normal tissues. Eight miRNAs were significantly upregulated in most pancreatic cancer tissues and cell lines, including miR‐196a, miR‐190, miR‐186, miR‐221, miR‐222, miR‐200b, miR‐15b, and miR‐95. The incidence of upregulation of these eight genes between normal control subjects and tumor cells or tissues ranged from 70–100%. The magnitude of increase of these miRNAs in pancreatic cancer samples ranged from 3‐ to 2018‐fold of normal control subjects.

Conclusions

Pancreatic cancer tissues or cell lines have a unique miRNA profiling pattern at the individual basis compared with relatively normal pancreatic tissues or cells as well as pancreatitis tissue. Upregulation of eight miRNAs occurs in most pancreatic cancer tissues and cell types. These miRNAs may share common pathways in pancreatic cancer pathogenesis. This study may provide useful information for further investigations of functional roles of miRNAs in pancreatic cancer development, progression, diagnosis, and prognosis.
A case of relapsing Salmonella osteomyelitis in a thalassaemia trait patient
Authors: Rayan F. , Mukundan C. , Shukla D. D.
Published: November 2008

We report a case of chronic relapsing osteomyelitis caused bySalmonellaStanley in a β-thalassaemia trait patient who is otherwise normal. The importance of obtaining definitive bacteriological diagnosis and timely intervention to treat bone infection effectively is emphasised here.
Tetrahydrobiopterin in intestinal lumen: Its absorption and secretion in the small intestine and the elimination in the large intestine
Authors: Sawabe K. , Saeki Y. , Ohashi A. , Mamada K. , Wakasugi K. O. , Matsuoka H. , Hasegawa H.
Published: November 2008

In treating hereditary deficiency of tetrahydrobiopterin (BH4), supplementation with BH4might be the ultimate choice of therapy. Oral administration of BH4has been believed to be inefficient owing to poor absorption of BH4in the intestine. In this study, we found a considerable amount of BH4as well as its oxidized pterins in the ingredients of intestinal lumen of mice when they were served food that did not contain significant amounts of biopterin. Ligation of the biliary duct led to significant decrease in luminal biopterin. Supplementation of BH4either by intraperitoneal administration of sepiapterin or of 6RBH4((6R)‐l‐erythro‐5,6,7,8‐tetrahydrobiopterin) increased the BH4content in the intestinal lumen with a slight delay after the rise of blood BH4. In these mice, biopterin appeared in the large intestine, caecum and colon, 2 h after the administration. The appearance of BH4in the large intestine was accompanied by a large amount of pterin (2‐amino‐4‐hydroxypteridine). The amounts of biopterin + pterin that appeared in the large intestine after intraperitoneal administration of BH4were not greater than those found after oral administration at the same dose. When the mice were treated with a large dose of antibiotics prior to the BH4administration, the amount of biopterin increased in the caecum but the amount of pterin decreased greatly. These results suggested that a large proportion of BH4administered moved to the large intestine, where most biopterin was decomposed presumably by enteric bacteria. Nonetheless, most of the orally administered biopterin was taken up by the small intestine and the amount of biopterin reaching the large intestine was almost the same as that which appeared after direct injection of 6RBH4into the peritoneal cavity.
EXTENSION OF CONTINUOUS MAPPINGS AND H1-RETRACTS
Authors: KARLOVA OLENA
Published: November 2008

We prove that any continuous mapping f:E→Y on a completely metrizable subspace E of a perfect paracompact space X can be extended to a Lebesgue class one mapping g:X→Y (that is, for every open set V in Y the preimage g−1(V ) is an Fσ-set in X) with values in an arbitrary topological space Y.
Sorbitol-fermenting enterohaemorrhagicEscherichia coliO157:H−causes another outbreak of haemolytic uraemic syndrome in children
Authors: ALPERS K. , WERBER D. , FRANK C. , KOCH J. , FRIEDRICH A. W. , KARCH H. , AN DER HEIDEN M. , PRAGER R. , FRUTH A. , BIELASZEWSKA M. , MORLOCK G. , HEISSENHUBER A. , DIEDLER A. , GERBER A. , AMMON A.
Published: November 2008

An outbreak of haemolytic uraemic syndrome (HUS) among children caused by infection with sorbitol-fermenting enterohaemorrhagicEscherichia coliO157:H−(SF EHEC O157:H−) occurred in Germany in 2002. This pathogen has caused several outbreaks so far, yet its reservoir and routes of transmission remain unknown. SF EHEC O157:H−is easily missed as most laboratory protocols target the more common sorbitol non-fermenting strains. We performed active case-finding, extensive exploratory interviews and a case-control study. Clinical and environmental samples were screened for SF EHEC O157:H−and the isolates were subtyped by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis. We identified 38 case-patients in 11 federal states. Four case-patients died during the acute phase (case-fatality ratio 11%). The case-control study could not identify a single vehicle or source. Further studies are necessary to identify the pathogen's reservoir(s). Stool samples of patients with HUS should be tested with an adequate microbiological set-up to quickly identify SF EHEC O157:H−.
Dignity, Contractualism and Consequentialism
Authors: CUMMISKEY DAVID
Published: November 2008

Kantian respect for persons is based on the special status and dignity of humanity. There are, however, at least three distinct kinds of interpretation of the principle of respect for the dignity of persons: thecontractualistconception, thesubstantiveconception and thedirectconception. Contractualist theories are the most common and familiar interpretation. The contractualist assumes that some form of consent or agreement is the crucial factor that is required by respect for persons. The substantive conceptions of dignity, on the other hand, treat the concept of dignity as a substantive value that justifies a deontological conception of respect for persons. A third conception of respect for the dignity of persons, the conception that I favor, focuses directly on the special value of our rational nature. According to this consequentialist conception, we respect the dignity of persons by promoting the flourishing of rational nature.
The Consistency of Qualitative Hedonism and the Value of (at Least Some) Malicious Pleasures
Authors: FLETCHER GUY
Published: November 2008

In this article, I examine two of the standard objections to forms of value hedonism. The first is the common claim, most famously made by Bradley and Moore, that Mill's qualitative hedonism is inconsistent. The second is the apparent problem for quantitative hedonism in dealing with malicious pleasures. I argue that qualitative hedonism is consistent, even if it is implausible on other grounds. I then go on to show how our intuitions about malicious pleasure might be misleading.
Systematic Self-Monitoring and Reflection of Health Behavior in Widely Differing Preventive Settings
Authors: Krampen Günter
Published: November 2008

Effects of a group health promotion program were tested in widely differing preventive settings. The objectives of the SySeRe program are systematic self-monitoring and reflection on everyday life health behavior as well as the promotion of health- and development-related cognitions and personal well-being. Randomized group designs were employed to evaluate effects on health locus of control, health value, personal developmental control, personal self-regulation of development, well-being, and psychosomatic complaints. Program effects were confirmed with reference to outcome measures administered at the end of the treatment and at 2-month follow-ups in samples of 56 aged individuals (Study 1), 50 adolescents (Study 2), and 53 inpatients on a psychosomatic rehabilitation hospital program (Study 3). Results demonstrate effectiveness and usability of the SySeRe program as an economical health promotion treatment in different primary and tertiary preventive settings.
How the Motivation to Make Fair Judgments Influences Memory for In- and Out-Group Behavior
Authors: Scarabis Martin , Florack Arnd
Published: November 2008

In the present study, we investigated the subtle effect of instructing participants to make fair judgments by avoiding the influence of stereotypes on their judgments. Previous studies have shown that instructing participants to disregard a stereotype may lead to enhanced accessibility of that stereotype, which in turn facilitates the encoding and identification of stereotype-consistent information, but not of stereotype-irrelevant information. Extending this research, we examined the effect of giving fairness instructions on the encoding of stereotype-inconsistent and stereotype-consistent information: Participants who were instructed to avoid stereotypic judgments showed enhanced memory for stereotype-consistent as well as for stereotype-inconsistent information. Thus, instructing participants to make fair judgments had the undesired effect of enhancing memory for stereotype-consistent information, but also the desired effect of enhancing memory for stereotype-inconsistent information.
Evidence for the linked biogeochemical cycling of zinc, cobalt, and phosphorus in the western North Atlantic Ocean
Authors: Jakuba R. Wisniewski , Moffett J. W. , Dyhrman S. T.
Published: November 2008

Many trace metals such as iron, copper, and manganese have lower concentrations in the surface waters of the North Pacific Ocean than in North Atlantic surface waters. However, cobalt and zinc concentrations in North Atlantic surface waters are often as low as those reported in the North Pacific. We studied the relationship between the distribution of cobalt, zinc, and phosphorus in surface waters of the western North Atlantic Ocean. Both metals show strong depletion in the southern Sargasso Sea, a region characterized by exceedingly low dissolved inorganic phosphorus (generally <4 nmol L−1) and measurable alkaline phosphatase activity. Alkaline phosphatase is a metalloenzyme (typically containing zinc) that cleaves phosphate monoesters and is a diagnostic indicator of phosphorus stress in phytoplankton. In contrast to the North Pacific Ocean, cobalt and zinc appear to be drawn down to their lowest values only when inorganic phosphorus is below 10 nmol L−1 in the North Atlantic Ocean. Lower levels of phosphorus in the Atlantic may contribute to these differences, possibly through an increased biological demand for zinc and cobalt associated with dissolved organic phosphorus acquisition. This hypothesis is consistent with results of a culture study where alkaline phosphatase activity decreased in the model coccolithophore Emiliania huxleyi upon zinc and cobalt limitation.
Paleonutrient and productivity records from the subarctic North Pacific for Pleistocene glacial terminations I to V
Authors: Gebhardt Holger , Sarnthein Michael , Grootes Pieter M. , Kiefer Thorsten , Kuehn Hartmut , Schmieder Frank , Röhl Ursula
Published: November 2008

Our study addresses fundamental questions of the mode and timing of orbital and millennial‐scale changes in the meridional overturning circulation (MOC) of the subarctic North Pacific. Particular concerns are the vertical mixing, the present and past abundance of nutrients in surface waters despite strong stratification, and the North Pacific–North Atlantic seesaw of oscillations in sea surface temperature (SST). We do this by generating and interpreting multiple records for glacial terminations I–V down two long piston cores, one each from the western and eastern subarctic Pacific. Chlorins and biogenic opal are proxies for surface water productivity; δ13C of epibenthic foraminifera is a record of deepwater ventilation; and the δ13C of N. pachyderma sin. is a tracer of nutrients in subsurface waters that extend up to the sea surface during times of vertical mixing. The degree of mixing is traced by pairing SST and δ18O records of planktic surface and subsurface (pycnocline) dwellers. Tight age control is deduced from a suite of age‐calibrated 14C plateau boundaries for Termination I and benthic δ18O and geomagnetic events for the last 800 ka. Carbon 14 paleoreservoir ages record the ages of surface and deep waters to uncover short‐term changes in MOC over Termination I. We have defined a standard sequence of short‐term productivity events for Termination I, also evident during terminations II to V and subsequent interglacials over the last 450 ka. The peak glacial regime of stable stratification and low productivity terminated, together with the end of ice rafting and melting, near 17 ka, ∼2000 years after the onset of Termination I. Pulses of vertical mixing and incursion of warm surface waters from the subtropics followed. Convected young water masses finally penetrated down to 3600‐m water depth at 17.0 to less than 14.5 ka, significantly improving bottom water ventilation through the late deglacial and earliest interglacial. Mixing with upwelled nutrients from the pycnocline induced short‐term maxima in algal production of chlorins and biogenic opal near 17–15 and 15–12 ka, respectively. Deglacial meltwater incursions in the Aleutian Current and silica input from North American rivers also promoted East Pacific productivity after 15.5 ka. Productivity decreased during the late deglacial and early interglacial, coeval with an exceptional peak in CaCO3 preservation caused by both low organic flux and well‐ventilated deepwater. Subsequently, low salinity and cool surface waters and in turn, stratification were gradually restored. A second, opal‐dominated productivity maximum marked the ends of interglacials. The deglacial pulses of vertical mixing around 17–11 ka imply an important contribution of the North Pacific to the coeval release of oceanic CO2 into the atmosphere and support the east‐west seesaw model of climate change.
Location of potential energy sources and the export of dense water from the Atlantic Ocean
Authors: Oliver K. I. C. , Edwards N. R.
Published: November 2008

The export of dense water from the Atlantic and into the Indo‐Pacific oceans, and heat transport in the opposite direction, is traditionally attributed to the fact that dense water forms in the Atlantic but not the Pacific. Evidence from two models, presented here, suggests this is an incomplete explanation. It is found that dense water export from the Atlantic depends on a potential energy (PE) sink, associated with dense water downwelling in the Atlantic, that is not balanced by a PE source within the Atlantic. Therefore, increasing the Atlantic PE source reduces dense Atlantic water export. Tide models suggest that the Atlantic PE source may have been much greater at the last glacial maximum. This could have significantly reduced dense water export from the Atlantic Ocean, even if Atlantic overturning was stronger than it is today.
Improving Antarctic tide models by assimilation of ICESat laser altimetry over ice shelves
Authors: Padman Laurie , Erofeeva Svetlana Y. , Fricker Helen Amanda
Published: November 2008

Assimilation of laser altimeter data from the Ice, Cloud and land Elevation Satellite (ICESat) significantly improves the accuracy of ocean tide models for the Ross Ice Shelf (RIS). For the most energetic tidal harmonic, K1, assimilation reduces the root‐mean‐square error (RMSE) between the model and a set of 16 independent tide records on and near the RIS from 6.0 to 2.8 cm, and the combined RMSE for the six most energetic tidal harmonics from 7.7 to 5.4 cm. When only the six most recent and highest‐quality tide records are considered, the combined RMSE is 4.8 cm. This value is close to the uncertainty expected from tidal analyses of the short (∼1–2 month) validation records, indicating that assessing further improvements in tide model accuracy will require development of a higher quality validation data set.
Modelling the Io‐related DAM emission by modifying the beaming angle
Authors: Ray L. C. , Hess S.
Published: November 2008

The Io–Jupiter interaction generates strong decametric radio emissions (DAM), which appear as arcs in the time–frequency plane. These emissions are beamed at an angle from the magnetic field lines, which may vary with frequency and longitude amongst other properties. Empirical models of this beaming angle describe the shape of the DAM arcs and offer insight into the emission mechanism for DAM. Several studies have investigated the variation in the emission beaming angle. The studies span a range of frequencies which depend on the observational means (spacecraft, ground‐based radio telescopes) used to obtain data. Subsequently, because of the varying assumptions made (e.g. relativistic vs. non‐relativistic electrons for the wave polarization), methods used (e.g. prescribing a beaming angle function vs. determining a beaming angle function from observational geometry) and frequency ranges observed, different results have been found in each study. In the present paper, we model the shape of the emission with an empirical beaming angle function and adjust the parameters to best fit the emission arcs. However, our model builds on previous models by taking into account the location of Io in the Jovian magnetic field. We also look at a broader frequency range than many of the intermediate studies. We find that a simple empirical beaming angle function describes the shape of the A, B, and D arcs and that the beaming angle function must decrease at high and low frequencies. We then propose a simple explanation for the beaming angle profile, deduced from cyclotron maser theory.
Quasi-in-plane leaky modes in lasing cholesteric liquid crystal cells
Authors: Blinov Lev M. , Cipparrone Gabriella , Mazzulla Alfredo , Pagliusi Pasquale , Lazarev Vladimir V. , Palto Serguei P.
Published: November 2008

Using a planar cell consisting of a prism and a flat glass, we have carried out precise measurements of the angles at which quasi-in-plane leaky (QIPL) laser modes propagate within a thin layer of a cholesteric liquid crystal (CLC) doped with a laser dye. Both the prism and the glass have refraction indices higher than relevant CLC indices, therefore, the waveguide effect in CLC is excluded. For this type of almost thresholdless lasing neither mirrors nor distributed feedback is necessary. The modes are generated in the amplifying CLC layer due to strong Fresnel reflections from the glass boundaries at propagation angles very close to 90° with respect to the cell normal. In the experiment, two modes polarized differently (s- and p-) have been found outgoing from the prism. Using equivalency between optical properties of a CLC and optically negative nematic liquid crystal at the propagation angles close to 90°, the analytical approach known for a uniform nematic liquid crystal was used for calculations of the threshold gain of the QIPL modes in a helical CLC. The gain has been found for the particular eigenmodes whose propagation angles have been measured. The experimental and calculated data on the propagation angles, polarization and threshold gain are in quantitative agreement.
Effect of solvent polarization on the reorganization energy of electron transfer from molecular dynamics simulations
Authors: Vladimirov Egor , Ivanova Anela , Rösch Notker
Published: November 2008

The solvent contribution λs to the reorganization energy of electron transfer can be estimated from averages of the potential energy gaps between neutral-pair and ion-pair states over an ensemble of structures generated from molecular dynamics simulations. Invoking a Marcus-type two-sphere model for charge separation and recombination in an aqueous environment, we explored the effect of a polarizable force field and noted a strong reduction of λs (by ∼45%) compared to the corresponding value obtained with a standard nonpolarizable force field. Both types of force fields yield λs values that in agreement with the Marcus theory, vary strictly linearly with the inverse of the donor-acceptor distance; the corresponding slopes translate into appropriate effective optical dielectric constants, ε∞≈1.0±0.2 for a nonpolarizable and ε∞≈1.7±0.4 for a polarizable force field. The reduction in the solvent reorganization energy due to a polarizable force field translates into a scaling factor that is essentially independent of the donor-acceptor distance. The corresponding effective optical dielectric constant, ε∞≈1.80, is in excellent agreement with experiment for water.
Tailoring nucleation and growth conditions for narrow compositional distributions in colloidal synthesized FePt nanoparticles
Authors: Srivastava Chandan , Nikles David E. , Thompson Gregory B.
Published: November 2008

To eliminate compositional and size variabilities between individual binary nanoparticles, it is essential to control the mechanistic steps involved in nanoparticle synthesis. A common method for synthesizing FePt nanoparticles involves the simultaneous decomposition and reduction in iron and platinum precursors, respectively. This simultaneous nucleation and growth method yields wide composition and size distributions. This paper describes and experimentally validates a methodology needed to tighten composition and size distributions for this process. By engineering the surfactant chemistry with tertiary phosphines to tightly bind the iron atoms in the iron precursor, uniform platinum rich seeds form during the initial stages of the synthesis. A thermodynamically preferred heterogeneous nucleation of iron atoms into these uniform platinum seeds in the subsequent stages produces a final dispersion with uniform particle-to-particle compositions. The paper addresses the understanding for optimizing the nucleation and growth sequences for compositional control in FePt nanoparticles.
The multiconfigurational-reference internally contracted configuration interaction/complete basis set study of the excited states of the trifluoride anion F3−
Authors: Czernek Jiří , Živný Oldřich
Published: November 2008

The multiconfigurational-reference internally contracted configuration interaction (MRCI)/aug-cc-pVQZ-based computational protocol was employed to search for the minima of the potential energy surface of the low-lying singlet and triplet electronic states of the trifluoride anion F3− in the D∞h, C∞v, C2v, and Cs symmetry groups. The B32 bound state was located (re=1.8777 Å and θ=103.39°), which was predicted to lie less than 1 eV above the X Σ1g+ ground state (re=1.7382 Å) by both the MRCI and equation-of-motion coupled-cluster singles, doubles and triples approaches [the MRCI adiabatic excitation energy extrapolated to the complete basis set (CBS) limit was 0.91 eV]. The latter value is proposed as a reliable estimate of the singlet-triplet energy gap in F3−. The vertical transitions from the X Σ1g+ state were analyzed in terms of the reorganization of electrons leading to the excited states and the corresponding MRCI/CBS excitation energies.
Effect of iron in silicon feedstock on p- and n-type multicrystalline silicon solar cells
Authors: Coletti G. , Kvande R. , Mihailetchi V. D. , Geerligs L. J. , Arnberg L. , Øvrelid E. J.
Published: November 2008

The effect of iron contamination in multicrystalline silicon ingots for solar cells has been investigated. Intentionally contaminated p- and n-type multicrystalline silicon ingots were grown by adding 53 ppm by weight of iron in the silicon feedstock. They are compared to reference ingots produced from nonintentionally contaminated silicon feedstock. p-type and n-type solar cell processes were applied to wafers sliced from these ingots. The as-grown minority carrier lifetime in the iron doped ingots is about 1–2 and 6–20 μs for p and n types, respectively. After phosphorus diffusion and hydrogenation this lifetime is improved up to 50 times in the p-type ingot, and about five times in the n-type ingot. After boron/phosphorus codiffusion and hydrogenation the improvement is about ten times for the p-type ingot and about four times for the n-type ingot. The as-grown interstitial iron concentration in the p-type iron doped ingot is on the order of 1013 cm−3, representing about 10% of the total iron concentration in the ingot, and is reduced to below 1011 cm−3 after phosphorus diffusion and subsequent hydrogenation. The concentration of interstitial iron after boron/phosphorus codiffusion and hydrogenation is about 1012 cm−3, pointing out the reduced gettering effectiveness of boron/phosphorus codiffusion. The effect of the iron contamination on solar cells level is a decrease in the diffusion length in the top half of the ingots with a trend in agreement with Scheil’s model for segregation. This is, however, not the only impact of the iron. An increased crystal defect concentration in the top and bottom of the Fe doped ingots, compared to the reference ingots, is observed, which contributes considerably to the degradation of the solar cell performance.
Ultrafast heating and resolution of recorded crystalline marks in phase-change media
Authors: Aziz M. M. , Belmont M. R. , Wright C. D.
Published: November 2008

This work presents an analytical study of the thermally activated amorphous-to-crystalline phase-change process when the heating source has a delta function temporal profile. This simulates the case of ultrafast heating where crystallization in the amorphous phase-change medium occurs during cooling. The study produced closed-form expressions that predict the necessary peak temperature, and hence energy density, in the phase-change medium for successful crystallization during ultrafast annealing as functions of the kinetic and thermal parameters of the medium. Closed-form expressions were also derived that provide estimates of the final crystalline mark widths and tail lengths when phase change has ceased. The analysis indicated the need to reduce the activation energy of crystallization and the thermal diffusivity of the medium to reduce the initial peak temperature, produced by the heating source, to avoid melting, to increase the crystallization rate, to achieve sufficient levels of crystalline fractions during cooling, and to reduce the size of recorded crystalline marks. Perturbation analysis was carried out to study the effects of latent heat of crystallization during the fast kinetics phase. The result was reductions in the cooling rate of the phase-change material, thus requiring lower peak temperatures to achieve higher volumes of crystalline fraction. Nevertheless, the effects of heat release during crystallization were found to be modest for the class of current phase-change material used in data storage.
On nonlinear evolution of Alfvénic turbulence in low beta plasmas
Authors: Nariyuki Y. , Hada T. , Tsubouchi K.
Published: November 2008

Nonlinear evolution of broadband spectrum Alfvénic turbulence is studied by using one-dimensional hybrid simulations. Numerical solutions indicate that the important characteristics in the solar wind magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) turbulence are naturally reproduced by nonlinear evolution of Alfvénic turbulence with more realistic power spectrum than one used in the past studies. Namely, (i) the modulational instability can dissipate the magnetic energy of Alfvénic turbulence and preserve the Alfvénicity even in low beta plasmas. (ii) Nonlinear evolution of the Alfvénic turbulence can induce the generation of the localized structures in the solar wind MHD turbulence.
Bias mediated tuning of the detection wavelength in asymmetrical quantum dots-in-a-well infrared photodetectors
Authors: Höglund L. , Holtz P. O. , Pettersson H. , Asplund C. , Wang Q. , Malm H. , Almqvist S. , Petrini E. , Andersson J. Y.
Published: November 2008

Bias-mediated tuning of the detection wavelength within the infrared wavelength region is demonstrated for quantum dots-in-a-well and dots-on-a-well infrared photodetectors. By positioning the InAs quantum dot layer asymmetrically in an 8 nm wide In0.15Ga0.85As/GaAs quantum well, a shift in the peak detection wavelength from 8.4 to 10.3 μm was observed when reversing the polarity of the applied bias. For a dots-on-a-well structure, the peak detection wavelength was tuned from 5.4 to 8 μm with small changes in the applied bias. These tuning properties could be essential for applications such as modulators and dual-color infrared detection.
Southern Ocean acidification: A tipping point at 450-ppm atmospheric CO
2
Authors: McNeil Ben I. , Matear Richard J.
Published: November 2008

Southern Ocean acidification via anthropogenic CO
2
uptake is expected to be detrimental to multiple calcifying plankton species by lowering the concentration of carbonate ion (CO
3
2−
) to levels where calcium carbonate (both aragonite and calcite) shells begin to dissolve. Natural seasonal variations in carbonate ion concentrations could either hasten or dampen the future onset of this undersaturation of calcium carbonate. We present a large-scale Southern Ocean observational analysis that examines the seasonal magnitude and variability of CO
3
2−
and pH. Our analysis shows an intense wintertime minimum in CO
3
2−
south of the Antarctic Polar Front and when combined with anthropogenic CO
2
uptake is likely to induce aragonite undersaturation when atmospheric CO
2
levels reach ≈450 ppm. Under the IPCC IS92a scenario, Southern Ocean wintertime aragonite undersaturation is projected to occur by the year 2030 and no later than 2038. Some prominent calcifying plankton, in particular the Pteropod species
Limacina helicina
, have important veliger larval development during winter and will have to experience detrimental carbonate conditions much earlier than previously thought, with possible deleterious flow-on impacts for the wider Southern Ocean marine ecosystem. Our results highlight the critical importance of understanding seasonal carbon dynamics within all calcifying marine ecosystems such as continental shelves and coral reefs, because natural variability may potentially hasten the onset of future ocean acidification.
The Logic of State Failure: Learning from Late-Century Africa
Authors: Bates Robert H.
Published: November 2008

In the last decades of the twentieth century, the rate of civil war and state failure in Africa rose precipitously. In an effort to comprehend the reasons for the rapid rise of political disorder, the author advances a model that isolates the conditions under which rulers will serve as guardians and civilians disarm, arguing that these conditions specify a region within which political order and the state become possible. Using narrative materials and statistical data, the author then tests this argument, and in so doing helps to account for political chaos in late—century Africa.
Studies of the Toxicological Potential of Capsinoids: VII. A 13-Week Toxicity Study of Dihydrocapsiate in Rats
Authors: Kodama Terutaka , Watanabe Eri , Tsubuku Shoji , Otabe Akira , Mochizuki Masahiro , Masuyama Takeshi , Bernard Bruce K.
Published: November 2008

To evaluate the safety of dihydrocapsiate (4-hydroxy-3-methoxybenzyl 8-methylnonanoate; CAS No. 205687-03-2), a 13-week gavage toxicity study was conducted in Sprague-Dawley rats (10/sex/group). Test subjects received either dihydrocapsiate, 100, 300, or 1000 mg/kg/day, or vehicle by gavage and were observed for antemortem and postmortem signs of toxicity, which included changes in clinical signs, body weights, food consumption, water intake, ophthalmology, clinical pathology (clinical chemistry, hematology, urinalysis), tissue findings (macroscopic and microscopic examination), as well as organ weights. No changes attributable to the test article were observed in clinical signs, body weights, food consumption, water intake, ophthalmology, urinalysis, hematology, or histopathology. A number of sporadic blood chemistry differences were observed at the high dose between treated and controls, but were not of toxicological significance and were not attributable to the test article. These included increased alanine aminotransferase (ALT) activity in males; increased total protein in males and females; increased calcium, percentage of albumin fraction, and A/G (albumin/globulin) ratio and decreased percentage of γ-globulin fraction in female rats. An effect, which was attributable to the test article, was increases in both absolute and relative liver weights in the high dose (both sexes). In the absence of histopathological changes attributable to the test article, the liver weight changes were considered adaptive (physiological) in nature and not of toxicological significance. It was concluded that the no observed adverse effect level (NOAEL) of dihydrocapsiate was 1000 mg/kg/day for both male and female rats in this 13-week gavage study.
Studies of the Toxicological Potential of Capsinoids: IX. Teratology Studies of Dihydrocapsiate in Rats and Rabbits
Authors: Bernard Bruce K. , Watanabe Eri , Kodama Terutaka , Tsubuku Shoji , Otabe Akira , Ikeya Masamichi , Matsuoka Tetsuya , Masuyama Takeshi
Published: November 2008

In order to determine the safety of dihydrocapsiate (4-hydroxy-3-methoxybenzyl 8-methylnonanoate; CAS no. 205687-03-2), teratology studies were conducted in pregnant Sprague-Dawley rats (18 to 20 animals per group) and pregnant New Zealand white rabbits (20 to 21 animals per group). The test substance was administered by gavage for 11 days, from days 7 to 17 of gestation in rats, and for 13 days from days 6 to 18 of gestation in rabbits, at dose levels of 0 (vehicle), 100, 300, or 1000 mg/kg/day. In the rat study, no deaths occurred in any group and there were no test substance–related changes or abnormalities in clinical signs, body weight, food consumption, or gross pathological findings. There were no test substance–related changes in the number of corpora lutea, number of implantations, index of implantations, index of embryofetal deaths, and number, sex ratio, or body weight of live fetuses at the end of the gestation period and there were no abnormalities in the placentae of live fetuses. There were no test substance–related abnormalities or variations in the external, skeletal, or visceral examinations of live fetuses. There were no abnormalities in ossification. En toto, it was concluded there were no teratogenic effects in the rat study. In the rabbit study, there were no test substance–related effects on clinical signs, body weight, food consumption, or necropsy findings in any group. There were neither test substance–related abortions nor test substance–related effects on the number of corpora lutea, number of implantations, or implantation index in any group. There were no test substance–related effects on the number of dead embryos/fetuses, the number, sex ratio, or body weight of live fetuses, or gross pathological finding of placentae. There were no test substance–related external abnormalities, or incidence of visceral or skeletal abnormalities or variations, and there were no test substance–related effects on the progress of ossification in any group. Based upon these data, the no observed adverse effect level (NOAEL) of dihydrocapsiate for general toxicity in dams, reproductive functions of dams, and embryofetal development was judged to be 1000 mg/kg/day both in rats and rabbits.
Studies of the Toxicological Potential of Capsinoids: X. Safety Assessment and Pharmacokinetics of Capsinoids in Healthy Male Volunteers after a Single Oral Ingestion of CH-19 Sweet Extract
Authors: Bernard Bruce K. , Tsubuku Shoji , Kayahara Takashi , Maeda Kazutoshi , Hamada Minoru , Nakamura Takeshi , Shirai Yoshiaki , Nakayama Akira , Ueno Satoko , Mihara Ryuichi
Published: November 2008

The safety and pharmacokinetics of capsinoids, physiologically active ingredients of CH-19 Sweet extract, were investigated in 16 healthy male volunteers following a single oral ingestion of CH-19 Sweet extract. The study subjects consumed soft gel capsules containing either capsinoids (15 or 30 mg/person) or placebo. Capsinoids were well tolerated, and no clinically significant changes in physical examinations, blood pressure, heart rate, body temperature, electrocardiogram, hematology, blood chemistry, and urinalysis were observed at either the 15 or 30 mg dose. Body temperature tended to increase after the ingestion of capsinoids, but remained within the normal range. Plasma levels of capsinoids and their metabolite, vanillyl alcohol, were below the lower limit of quantitation. In addition, some study subjects showed increases in urinary excretion of 3-methoxy-4-hydroxyphenylglycol that, when compared to the group receiving the placebo, did not achieve statistical significance.
Phylogenetic relationships of family groups in Pentatomoidea based on morphology and DNA sequences (Insecta: Heteroptera)
Authors: Grazia Jocelia , Schuh Randall T. , Wheeler Ward C.
Published: November 2008

Phylogenetic relationships within the Pentatomoidea are investigated through the coding and analysis of character data derived from morphology and DNA sequences. In total, 135 terminal taxa were investigated, representing most of the major family groups; 84 ingroup taxa are coded for 57 characters in a morphological matrix. As many as 3500 bp of DNA data are adduced for each of 52 terminal taxa, including 44 ingroup taxa, comprising the 18S rRNA, 16S rRNA, 28S rRNA, and COI gene regions. Character data are analysed separately and in the form of a total evidence analysis. Major conclusions of the phylogenetic analysis include: the concept of Urostylididae is restricted to that of earlier authors; the Saileriolinae is raised to family rank and treated as the sister group of all Pentatomoidea exclusive of Urostylididae sensu stricto; a broadly conceived Cydnidae, as recognized by Dolling, 1981, is not supported; the placement of Thaumastellidae within the Pentatomoidea is affirmed and the taxon is recognized at family rank rather than as a subfamily of Cydnidae, although its exact phylogenetic position within the Pentatomoidea remains equivocal; the Parastrachiinae is treated as also including Dismegistus Amyot & Serville and placed within a broadly conceived Corimelaenidae, the latter group being treated at family rank; the family‐group taxa Dinidoridae and Tessaratomidae probably represent a monophyletic group, but the recognition of monophyletic subgroups will benefit from additional representation in the sequence data set; and the Lestoniidae is treated as the sister group of the Acanthosomatidae. The Acanthosomatidae and Scutelleridae are consistently recovered as monophyletic. The monophyly of the Pentatomidae appears unequivocal, inclusive of the Aphylinae and Cyrtocorinae, on the basis of morphology, the latter two taxa not being represented in the molecular data set.

© The Willi Hennig Society 2008.
Shiga toxin-2 results in renal tubular injury but not thrombotic microangiopathy in heterozygous factor H-deficient mice
Authors: Paixão-Cavalcante D , Botto M , Cook H T , Pickering M C
Published: November 2008

Haemolytic uraemic syndrome (HUS) is characterized by microangiopathic haemolytic anaemia, thrombocytopenia and renal failure because of thrombotic microangiopathy (TMA). It may be caused by infection with Shiga toxin-producing enteropathic bacteria (Stx-associated HUS) or with genetic defects in complement alternative pathway (CAP) regulation (atypical HUS). We hypothesized that defective complement regulation could increase host susceptibility to Stx-associated HUS. Hence, we studied the response of mice with heterozygous deficiency of the major CAP regulator, factor H, to purified Stx-2. Stx-2 was administered together with lipopolysaccharide to wild-type and Cfh+/− C57BL/6 animals. Forty-eight hours after administration of the first Stx-2 injection all animals developed significant uraemia. Renal histology demonstrated significant tubular apoptosis in the cortical and medullary areas which did not differ between wild-type or Cfh+/− Stx-2-treated mice. Uraemia and renal tubular apoptosis did not develop in wild-type or Cfh+/− animals treated with lipopolysaccharide alone. No light microscopic evidence of TMA or abnormal glomerular C3 staining was demonstrable in the Stx-2 treated animals. In summary, Stx-2 administration did not result in TMA in either Cfh+/− or wild-type C57BL/6 mice. Furthermore, haploinsufficiency of factor H did not alter the development of Stx-2-induced renal tubular injury.
The Petersen‐Middleton theorem and sampling of seismic data
Authors: Bardan Virgil
Published: November 2008

The Petersen‐Middleton sampling theorem can lead to weaker sampling requirements than the Shannon sampling theorem and therefore proposes advantageous economic alternatives for the acquisition and processing of seismic data. In this paper we present a tutorial review on the Petersen‐Middleton sampling theorem and a unified description of its applications to seismic survey: the interpolation of spatially aliased seismic data, the dealiasing of seismic common midpoint and common offset gathers, the recording and processing of seismic data on a hexagonal sampling grid. The important aspects of this sampling theorem are highlighted and illustrated by synthetic examples.
Tumours and tumour‐like conditions of the thymus other than thymoma; a practical approach
Authors: Den Bakker Michael A , Oosterhuis J Wolter
Published: November 2008

Masses within the thymus and mediastinum are frequently biopsied to establish a diagnosis. The specimens sent for histopathological analysis are typically small (needle) biopsy specimens on which the pathologist is challenged to provide a classifying diagnosis. Despite the fact that the pathology of the anterior mediastinum is predominantly centred on the thymus and it thus might be expected that the range of possible diagnoses is limited, the list of disease entities is in fact extensive, encompassing hyperplastic conditions and both benign and malignant neoplasms. In addition to primary thymic epithelial tumours, a number of less common diseases typical for this location may be encountered, including extragonadal germ cell tumours, lymphomas, soft tissue tumours and a number of conditions which may simulate a tumour, such as cysts and inflammatory conditions. In this review, the disease entities that may be encountered in biopsy material from anterior mediastinal/thymic processes are discussed and an approach to tackle the differential diagnosis is provided.
An algorithm for extracting the network geometry of three‐dimensional collagen gels
Authors: STEIN ANDREW M. , VADER DAVID A. , JAWERTH LOUISE M. , WEITZ DAVID A. , SANDER LEONARD M.
Published: November 2008

The geometric structure of a biopolymer network impacts its mechanical and biological properties. In this paper, we develop an algorithm for extracting the network architecture of three‐dimensional (3d) fluorescently labeled collagen gels, building on the initial work of Wu et al., (2003). Using artificially generated images, the network extraction algorithm is then validated for its ability to reconstruct the correct bulk properties of the network, including fiber length, persistence length, cross‐link density, and shear modulus.
Ontogenetic study of three Calliphoridae of forensic importance through cuticular hydrocarbon analysis
Authors: ROUX O. , GERS C. , LEGAL L.
Published: November 2008

Abstract The ontogeny of the cuticular hydrocarbons of three dipterans of importance to forensic entomology, Calliphora vomitoria (Linné), Calliphora vicina (Robineau‐Desvoidy) and Protophormia terraenovae (Robineau‐Desvoidy) (Diptera: Calliphoridae), was explored using gas chromatography analysis. The stages examined ranged from eggs to 8‐day‐old adults. Cuticular hydrocarbon profiles revealed that odd linear alkanes dominate in all three species. Short‐chain carbon compounds in larvae and post‐feeding larvae were seen to evolve to long‐chain carbon compounds in pupae and adults. Discriminant analysis of cuticular hydrocarbon profiles showed a clear differentiation among the different stages (larvae, post‐feeding larvae, pupae and adults) and within stages, according to the age of individuals. This study concluded that the postmortem interval can be determined from the composition of cuticular waxes in Calliphoridae in forensic situations.
Identification of immune‐responsive genes in the mosquito Culex quinquefasciatus infected with the filarial parasite Wuchereria bancrofti
Authors: KUMAR B. A. , PAILY K. P.
Published: November 2008

Abstract Several antimicrobial/parasitic peptides are known to be upregulated in mosquitoes upon infection with parasites. The aim of this study was to identify immune‐responsive genes in the vector mosquito, Culex quinquefasciatus Say (Diptera: Culicidae) against the human lymphatic filarial parasite, Wuchereria bancrofti (Cobbold) (Spirurida: Onchocercidae). Suppression subtractive hybridization was performed using RNA from filarial infected and non‐infected mosquitoes to obtain differentially expressed transcripts, and their identities were confirmed through reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT‐PCR). Out of 23 clones selected from the suppression subtractive library, three corresponded to antimicrobial peptide genes, defensins, and four corresponded to regulatory serpin peptide genes. RT‐PCR using defensin‐specific primers and sequencing of the product showed a 284‐bp defensin cDNA. Sequence alignment with defensins of the mosquitoes Anopheles gambiae s.s. Giles and Aedes aegypti (L.) showed maximum homology with the former. Similarly, that of serpin‐specific primers showed a 406‐bp cDNA encoding serpins. Sequence alignment showed maximum homology with that of An. gambiae, as in the case of defensins. Hence, this investigation revealed upregulation of defensins and serpins in Cx quinquefasciatus infected with W. bancrofti. Antimicrobial peptide genes such as defensins may have limited or no specific role in regulating parasite development. Serpins may prove to be facilitating molecules, by regulating melanization of the parasite. However, the exact functions of these molecules in the immune system of the vector mosquito are yet to be investigated.