bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Hydromagnetic Flow in Thin Films of Liquid with a Rheological Power‐Law
Authors: Roy S. K. , Agarwal J. P.
Published: June 2007

The problem of determining the flow characteristics of a thin film of conducting non‐Newtonian power‐law liquid adhering to a vertical plate in the presence of a magnetic field has been investigated for two cases, namely, the plate stationary and the plate withdrawn with a constant velocity from a liquid bath. It is found that the effect of increase in magnetic field is to decrease the velocity in the case of stationary plate and to increase the velocity in the case of moving plate. The flow rate of the film, however, decreases with increase in the magnetic field in both the cases, and the flow of the film is thereby restricted. Moreover, when a dilatant liquid film flows along a stationary plate, there is found to exist a critical value of the generalized Hartmann number, and if the generalized Hartmann number exceeds its critical value, there appears a zone near the free surface in which the liquid flows like a quasi‐solid body. This zone widens with the increase in the generalized Hartmann number.
Behaviour of Finite Amplitude Waves in a Radiating Gas
Authors: Sharma V. D. , Shyam Radhe , Menon V. V.
Published: June 2007

A differential approximation for the equations of radiative transfer in a grey gas of arbitrary opacity including the effects of radiative flux, pressure and energy density is applied in a study of the effects of thermal radiation on the growth and decay properties of finite amplitude waves of arbitrary shape propagating through a thermally inviscid gas.
On Some Generalized Free Boundary‐Value Problem for a System of One‐Dimensional Diffusion Equations
Authors: Wolska‐Bocheneky J. , v. Wolfersdorf L.
Published: June 2007

A free boundary value problem for a system of two one‐dimensional diffusion equations occurring in metal physics is dealt with by reducing to a system of two nonlinear integral equations of Volterra type following a known method due to A. Friedman.
Sturm‐Sequence Check for Eigenproblems Resulting from Variational Principles with Subsidiary Conditions
Authors: Mang H. A. , Walter H.
Published: June 2007

Permitting determination of the number of eigenvalues smaller than a shift to the right of the largest one of these eigenvalues, the well‐known “Sturm‐sequence check” is an indispensable remedy for the numerical solution of large‐scale eigenproblems. The purpose of the present paper is to adapt the classical “Sturm‐sequence check” for application to eigenproblems derived from variational principles with subsidiary conditions in the form of linear constraint conditions for the unknowns, as are frequently occurring in technical applications. The scope of this article encompasses theoretical considerations as well as a numerical study. The objectives of the numerical investigation are twofold: (a) numerical verification of the theoretical findings by means of transparent hand‐calculation and (b) application of a computer algorithm containing the modified “Sturm‐sequence check”.
Transverse Curvature Effects on a Slender Cone with Heat Transfer and Angle of Attack
Authors: Kumar Pradeep , Jain A. C.
Published: June 2007

Für das dreidimensionale Grenzschichtproblem werden die Gleichungen in räumlichen Polarkoordinaten für eine kompressible Strömung an einem schlanken Kegel mit Wärmeübertragung und Angriffswinkel gelöst. Die Strömungsfunktionen werden in aufsteigende Potenzen der Parameter bezüglich der transversen Krümmung und des Angriffswinkels entwickelt. Die Gleichungen, die bis zur ersten Ordnung der bestimmenden Parameter korrekt sind, werden mit der Methode der Universellen Funktionen gelöst. Man erhält allgemeine Ausdrücke für die Wärmeübertragung und die Koeffizienten der Grenzschicht in der Längs‐ und Umfangsrichtung für die Prandtlzahlen 1,0 und 0,72. Für die Prandtl‐Zahl 1.0 erhält man die Spezialfälle von Probstein und Elliot [1] und Moore [2]. Es wird gezeigt, daß bei Berücksichtigung der Effekte der transversalen Krümmung und des Angriffswinkels die Reynoldssche Analogie zur Berechnung der Wärmeübertragungskoeffizienten nicht gilt. Die für die Prandtl‐Zahl 0,72 vorausberechneten Werte der Wärmeübertragung werden mit experimentellen Daten von Tracy [3] verglichen. Man stellt fest, daß unter Einbeziehung der Effekte der transversalen Krümmung die vorausberechneten Ergebnisse näher bei den experimentellen Daten liegen.
Zur numerischen Berechnung der stationären turbulenten Blasenströmung in senkrechten Kanälen
Authors: Bauerfeind K.
Published: June 2007

Für den Fall der ebenen turbulenten Blasenströmung zwischen parallelen Wänden werden die zeitlich1gemittelten Grundgleichungen des Zwei‐Fluid‐Modells unter Verwendung empirischer Ansätze für die Turbulenz‐ und Phasenwechselwirkungs‐Terme mit einem Finite‐Differenzen‐Verfahren gelöst. Konvergenz und Stabilität des Verfahrens werden anhand berechneter Profilentwicklungen wichtiger Strömungsparameter nachgewiesen.
Restoration of reproductive potential after expiration or removal of melengestrol acetate contraceptive implants in Tigers (Panthera tigris)
Authors: Chuei Jason Y. , Asa Cheryl S. , Hall‐Woods Monica , Ballou Jonathon , Traylor‐Holzer Kathy
Published: June 2007

The need for contraception in the successful management of captive wild animals is becoming increasingly apparent. Because concerns exist regarding the reversibility of the contraceptive implant melengestrol acetate (MGA), reproductive data for 94 female Amur (Panthera tigris altaica) and Sumatran tigers (Panthera tigris sumatrae) were analyzed using survival analyses to evaluate return to reproductive status after implant removal or assumed expiration. Females placed in potential breeding situations after MGA implants were surgically removed showed a 62% return to reproduction by 5.25 years, whereas females with implants that were assumed to have expired showed only a 30% return to reproduction by 6 years. Implanted females did not reproduce as successfully as non‐implanted control females, which showed an 85% probability of reproducing after placement in a new breeding situation by 2.66 years. Parturition increased the probability of reproducing in non‐implanted females, but not in implanted females. Litter size, stillbirths, and offspring survival were not significantly different between non‐implanted, implant‐removed and implant‐expired female tigers. Ten female tigers reproduced both before and after implant placement, and the differences in litter size, stillbirths, and offspring survival were not significant, nor were they significantly different from non‐implanted females. Prior parturition, age when implant was removed, and duration of implantation did not affect the probability of reproducing for females after implant removal. These results show substantial reversibility of MGA implants, leading to 62% successful reproduction after implant removal. The reasons for lower successful reproduction in animals previously treated with the contraceptive compared to non‐implanted females are not known, but a greater delay in reversibility was seen when implants were left in place and only presumed expired. Zoo Biol 26:275–288, 2007. © 2007 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Political Emotions: Aristotle and the Symphony of Reason and
Emotion
Authors: Ward Ann
Published: June 2007

Political Emotions: Aristotle and the Symphony of Reason and
Emotion, Marlene K. Sokolon, DeKalb: Northern Illinois University
Press, 2006, pp. 217.

Marlene K. Sokolon has provided an intellectually stimulating and
highly original work on Aristotle's understanding of the emotions,
mainly as presented in his treatise the Art of Rhetoric. The
central thesis of Sokolon's book manifests itself in her analysis of
the emotion of anger. According to Sokolon, for Aristotle anger is the
paradigmatic human emotion, defined as the desire for revenge for a
dishonourable and undeserving public insult against oneself or those one
loves. Of this desire for revenge, Sokolon argues that “for
Aristotle, unique human anger is not ‘at’ something, but more
properly ‘with’ what some other person did or intends to do.
Anger and the other political emotions are certain kinds of judgments or
perceptions about sociopolitical circumstances. Anger judges specific
kinds of events with an acknowledged political, or what we now call
‘cultural,’ meaning” (p. 55). Thus, Sokolon argues that
for Aristotle the emotional experience of anger occurs in social and
political contexts where there are evaluations of worth in situations
involving relations of power. But if anger is the paradigmatic
human emotion, this means that anger is not simply representative of
various political emotions, but illustrates that human emotion as
such is an essentially political phenomenon. Sokolon's thesis,
therefore, is that for Aristotle, “man is by nature a political
animal” not simply because he possesses reason, the apparent claim
of the Politics, but also because he experiences emotions.
Impact of uncertainty on the optimum nitrogen fertilization rate and agronomic, ecological and economic factors in an oilseed rape based crop rotation
Authors: HENKE J. , BREUSTEDT G. , SIELING K. , KAGE H.
Published: June 2007

Crop yield and optimum nitrogen fertilization rates (Nopt) are often calculated ex post by specific functions of the nitrogen fertilization rate, but in doing this, uncertainties in terms of model choice, annual nitrogen response variations and parameter estimation are neglected. In the present study, Nopt, grain yields, net revenues and N balances were estimated for the three crops of an oilseed rape (OSR)–winter wheat–winter barley rotation. The effects of uncertainties were considered using three different statistical models, estimating an identical Nopt over the years and carrying out Monte-Carlo simulations where model parameters were varied according to their estimated standard errors. The statistical models used were the quadratic (Q) polynomial function, the linear response and plateau (LRP) function and the quadratic response and plateau (QRP) function.

The Q model tended to estimate the highest Nopt values for the three crops, followed by the QRP and the LRP model in an initial ex post analysis. The highest corresponding mean net revenues in the rotation were estimated by the LRP model, followed by the Q and QRP model; mean N balances increased in the order LRP, QRP and Q. In the comparison of the crops, OSR showed the highest N balances followed by wheat and barley. Considering the protein concentration in wheat, Nopt values estimated by the Q model were considerably higher than without the economic effects of grain quality.

In order to consider uncertainties in annual nitrogen response, an ex ante Nopt over the years was determined by maximizing the cumulated net revenues over all years in the rotation. Ex ante Nopt was higher as the mean of the ex post Nopt values for the QRP and LRP model. Average grain yields and net revenues were lower, N balances were higher. Running the Monte-Carlo simulations, ex post Nopt was obtained by 10 000 generated functions in each year and ex ante Nopt by 50 000 generated functions of years 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999 and 2002. This led to an increase in Nopt especially for the LRP model, while effects on the estimation of Nopt by the Q model were rather small. For the LRP model, corresponding mean net revenue decreased and mean N balance rose. In contrast, due to marginal changes in Nopt, the consideration of uncertainties in the estimations had only a small effect on net revenue and N balance in the Q model.

In general, all kinds of uncertainty tended to increase Nopt but this effect was much higher for the LRP model as compared to the Q model. This increase in Nopt was associated with decreasing net revenues and increasing N balances. Exceptionally in OSR using the Q model, however, the ex ante approaches considering uncertainty led to slightly lower Nopt values compared to the ex post value.
Concomitant infections, parasites and immune responses
Authors: COX F. E. G.
Published: June 2007

Concomitant infections are common in nature and often involve parasites. A number of examples of the interactions between protozoa and viruses, protozoa and bacteria, protozoa and other protozoa, protozoa and helminths, helminths and viruses, helminths and bacteria, and helminths and other helminths are described. In mixed infections the burden of one or both the infectious agents may be increased, one or both may be suppressed or one may be increased and the other suppressed. It is now possible to explain many of these interactions in terms of the effects parasites have on the immune system, particularly parasite-induced immunodepression, and the effects of cytokines controlling polarization to the Th1or Th2arms of the immune response. In addition, parasites may be affected, directly or indirectly, by cytokines and other immune effector molecules and parasites may themselves produce factors that affect the cells of the immune system. Parasites are, therefore, affected when they themselves, or other organisms, interact with the immune response and, in particular, the cytokine network. The importance of such interactions is discussed in relation to clinical disease and the development and use of vaccines.
Interactions between species and the structure of helminth communities
Authors: POULIN R.
Published: June 2007

The role of interspecific interactions in the structure of gastrointestinal helminth communities has been at the core of most research in parasite community ecology, yet there is no consensus regarding their general importance. There have been two different approaches to the study of species interactions in helminths. The first one consists of measuring the responses of helminth species in concomitant infections, preferably in laboratory experiments. Any change in numbers of parasite individuals or in their use of niche space, compared with what is observed in single infections, provides solid evidence that the species are interacting. The second approach can only provide indirect, circumstantial evidence. It consists in contrasting observed patterns either in the distribution of species richness of infracommunities from wild hosts, in their species composition, or in pairwise associations between helminth species among infracommunities, with the random patterns predicted by appropriate null models. In many cases, observed patterns do not depart from predicted ones; when they do, alternative explanations are usually as plausible as invoking the effect of interactions among helminth species. The present evidence suggests that the role of species interactions in helminth community structure is often negligible, but that it must always be evaluated on a case-by-case basis.
Variation patterns in across-word regressive assimilation
in Picard: An Optimality Theoretic account
Authors: Cardoso Walcir
Published: June 2007

Before the advent of Optimality Theory (OT), quantitative
variation patterns were usually regarded as the outcome of a
selection between categorical grammars (see Bailey, 1973;
Bickerton, 1973, among others). In a constraint-based approach,
like OT, one is able to account for variation without resorting
to a separate grammar for each variant, since the framework
allows for variation to be encoded in (and therefore predicted
by) a single grammar, through variable ranking (or crucial
nonranking) of constraints. Along the lines of Reynolds (1994)
and Anttila (1997), this study supports the view that, from
the predictions determined by a language-specific set of variably
ranked constraints, it is possible to establish quantitatively
the probability of application of each variant inherent to the
variation process. As a consequence, the analysis of across-word
regressive assimilation in Picard attempts to incorporate into
the grammar of the language both abstract knowledge and
quantitative patterns of language use.
Winners and Losers: Assessing the Distributional Effects of Long-Term Care Funding Regimes
Authors: Hancock Ruth , Juarez-Garcia Ariadna , Comas-Herrera Adelina , King Derek , Malley Juliette , Pickard Linda , Wittenberg Raphael
Published: June 2007

Using two linked simulation models, we examine the public expenditure costs and distributional effects of potential reforms to long-term care funding in the UK. Changes to the means tests for user contributions to care costs are compared with options for the abolition of these means tests (‘free’ personal care). The latter generally cost more than the former and benefit higher income groups more than those on lower incomes (measuring income in relation to the age-specific income distribution). Reforms to the means tests target benefits towards those on lower incomes. However, the highest income group are net losers if free personal care is financed by a higher tax rate on higher incomes and the effect on the whole population considered.
Research on the Costs of Long-Term Care for Older People – Current and Emerging Issues
Authors: Bowes Alison
Published: June 2007

This review explores debates concerning the costs of long-term care for older people, and aims to give an overview of the recent and current research agenda in this area, referring primarily to work published 2000–2006. The focus of much work is on the identification of costs, their distribution and the contexts of policy and delivery of services in which these operate. Live debates concern future costs, their control and related issues of social justice and equity.
Belastungsdyspnoe und bihiläre Raumforderung bei i.v.-Kokain/Heroinabusus
Authors: Sawatzki  , Keller
Published: June 2007

Wir berichten über einen 44-jährigen Patienten mit i.v.-Kokain/Heroinabusus mit zunehmender Belastungsdyspnoe und bihilärer Raumforderung. Als Ursache fand sich ein Cor pulmonale bei schwerer pulmonal-arterieller Hypertonie mit deutlich erweiterten Pulmonalarterien bihilär. Die Differentialdiagnose ist vielfältig und bedarf mehrerer Abklärungen. Neben oraler Antikoagulation, Diuretika, gegebenenfalls Kalziumantagonisten und Sauerstofftherapie stehen zusätzlich spezielle inhalative und perorale Therapeutika zur Wahl.
A Bottleneck in Face Identification
Authors: Bindemann Markus , Jenkins Rob , Burton A. Mike
Published: June 2007

Abstract. There is evidence that face processing is capacity-limited in distractor interference tasks and in tasks requiring overt recognition memory. We examined whether capacity limits for faces can be observed with a more sensitive measure of visual processing, by measuring repetition priming of flanker faces that were presented alongside a face or a nonface target. In Experiment 1, we found identity priming for face flankers, by measuring repetition priming across a change in image, during task-relevant nonface processing, but not during the processing of a concurrently-presented face target. Experiment 2 showed perceptual priming of the flanker faces, across identical images at prime and test, when they were presented alongside a face target. In a third Experiment, all of these effects were replicated by measuring identity priming and perceptual priming within the same task. Overall, these results imply that face processing is capacity limited, such that only a single face can be identified at one time. Merely attending to a target face appears sufficient to trigger these capacity limits, thereby extinguishing identification of a second face in the display, although our results demonstrate that the additional face remains at least subject to superficial image processing.
Subcritical creep compaction of quartz sand at diagenetic conditions: Effects of water and grain size
Authors: Chester F. M. , Chester J. S. , Kronenberg A. K. , Hajash A.
Published: June 2007

Compactional creep was measured for aggregates of quartz sand that were subjected to an effective pressure of 34.5 MPa and temperature of 150°C for times up to 6 months. The effects of grain size and water on creep were determined by loading quartz aggregates of 255 ± 60, 130 ±18, and 35 ± 12 μm grain size under nominally dry, water vapor, static liquid water, and flowing water conditions. All aggregates displayed transient, decelerating creep; volume strain rates as low as 2 × 10−10 s−1 were achieved. Volume strain rate increases systematically with decrease in grain size and increase in exposure to water at comparable strain or time. Despite the fact that the effective pressure applied was far less than the critical pressures for short‐term cataclastic compaction of the quartz aggregates, grain‐scale microstructures indicate that the underlying mechanism of creep is crack growth. Creep rates are explained by subcritical crack growth, as governed by water–silicate reactions at crack tips, controlled by access of water at dry and vapor conditions, and solute chemistry under static and flowing liquid water conditions. Extrapolation of the experimental results to natural compaction of quartz sand during burial and diagenesis over times of tens of millions of years indicates that porosity loss through subcritical cracking and grain rearrangement of medium‐grained, porous, wet quartz sands can reach ∼10%.
Deep storage of oceanic crust in a vigorously convecting mantle
Authors: Brandenburg J. P. , van Keken P. E.
Published: June 2007

Fractionated isotopic ratios in some oceanic basalts indicates the presence of recycled oceanic crust in the mantle. This crust must have escaped complete remixing for a significant period of time. Gravitational settling into a dense layer at the base of the mantle may facilitate this preservation. Christensen and Hofmann (1994) first demonstrated the dynamics of this process by developing scaling laws for extrapolating low convective vigor models to conditions estimated for the mantle. Here this sequestration is studied in models with more Earth‐like convective vigor. Scaling laws for geodynamic parameters are updated and the isotopic evolution of the U‐Pb and Sm‐Nd systems examined. Significant accumulation is still found at high Rayleigh number, but only when the excess density of oceanic crust in the lower mantle is larger than currently suggested from laboratory experiments. These accumulations are found to maintain the fractionated isotopic signature of ancient crust for models with moderate to moderately high convective vigor relative to mantle estimates. At the highest convective vigor tested, the accumulations are not isotopically distinct.
Improving regional ozone modeling through systematic evaluation of errors using the aircraft observations during the International Consortium for Atmospheric Research on Transport and Transformation
Authors: Mena‐Carrasco Marcelo , Tang Youhua , Carmichael Gregory R. , Chai Tianfeng , Thongbongchoo Narisara , Campbell J. Elliott , Kulkarni Sarika , Horowitz Larry , Vukovich Jeffrey , Avery Melody , Brune William , Dibb Jack E. , Emmons Louisa , Flocke Frank , Sachse Glen W. , Tan David , Shetter Rick , Talbot Robert W. , Streets David G. , Frost Gregory , Blake Donald
Published: June 2007

During the operational phase of the ICARTT field experiment in 2004, the regional air quality model STEM showed a strong positive surface bias and a negative upper troposphere bias (compared to observed DC‐8 and WP‐3 observations) with respect to ozone. After updating emissions from NEI 1999 to NEI 2001 (with a 2004 large point sources inventory update), and modifying boundary conditions, low‐level model bias decreases from 11.21 to 1.45 ppbv for the NASA DC‐8 observations and from 8.26 to −0.34 for the NOAA WP‐3. Improvements in boundary conditions provided by global models decrease the upper troposphere negative ozone bias, while accounting for biomass burning emissions improved model performance for CO. The covariances of ozone bias were highly correlated to NOz, NOy, and HNO3 biases. Interpolation of bias information through kriging showed that decreasing emissions in SE United States would reduce regional ozone model bias and improve model correlation coefficients. The spatial distribution of forecast errors was analyzed using kriging, which identified distinct features, which when compared to errors in postanalysis simulations, helped document improvements. Changes in dry deposition to crops were shown to reduce substantially high bias in the forecasts in the Midwest, while updated emissions were shown to account for decreases in bias in the eastern United States. Observed and modeled ozone production efficiencies for the DC‐8 were calculated and shown to be very similar (7.8) suggesting that recurring ozone bias is due to overestimation of NOx emissions. Sensitivity studies showed that ozone formation in the United States is most sensitive to NOx emissions, followed by VOCs and CO. PAN as a reservoir of NOx can contribute to a significant amount of surface ozone through thermal decomposition.
Analysis of nonlocal thermodynamic equilibrium CO 4.7 μm fundamental, isotopic, and hot band emissions measured by the Michelson Interferometer for Passive Atmospheric Sounding on Envisat
Authors: Funke B. , López‐Puertas M. , Bermejo‐Pantaleón D. , von Clarmann T. , Stiller G. P. , Höpfner M. , Grabowski U. , Kaufmann M.
Published: June 2007

Nonlocal thermodynamic equilibrium (non‐LTE) simulations of the 12C16O(1 → 0) fundamental band, the 12C16O(2 → 1) hot band, and the isotopic 13C16O(1 → 0) band performed with the Generic Radiative Transfer and non‐LTE population Algorithm (GRANADA) and the Karlsruhe Optimized and Precise Radiative Transfer Algorithm (KOPRA) have been compared to spectrally resolved 4.7 μm radiances measured by the Michelson Interferometer for Passive Atmospheric Sounding (MIPAS). The performance of the non‐LTE simulation has been assessed in terms of band radiance ratios in order to avoid a compensation of possible non‐LTE model errors by retrieval errors in the CO abundances inferred from MIPAS data with the same non‐LTE algorithms. The agreement with the measurements is within 5% for the fundamental band and within 10% for the hot band. Simulated 13C16O radiances agree with the measurements within the instrumental noise error. Solar reflectance at the surface or clouds has been identified as an important additional excitation mechanism for the CO(2) state. The study represents a thorough validation of the non‐LTE scheme used in the retrieval of CO abundances from MIPAS data.
Diurnal cycle of land surface temperature in a desert encroachment zone as observed from satellites
Authors: Pinker R. T. , Sun D. , Miller M. , Robinson G. J.
Published: June 2007

Climate variability in the African Soudano‐Sahel savanna zone has attracted much attention because of the persistence of anomalously low rainfall. Past efforts to monitor the climate of this region have focused on rainfall and vegetation conditions, while land surface temperature (LST) has received less attention. Remote sensing of LST is feasible and possible at global scale. Most remotely sensed estimates of LST are based on the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR) that are limited in their ability to capture the full diurnal cycle. Although more frequent observations are available from past geostationary satellites, their spatial resolution is coarser than that of polar orbiting satellites. In this study, the improved capabilities of the Spinning Enhanced Visible and Infrared Imager (SEVIRI) on the METEOSAT Second Generation (MSG) instrument are used to remotely sense the LST in the African Soudano‐Sahel savanna zone at a resolution of 3 km and 15 minutes. In support of the Radiative Atmospheric Divergence using the ARM Mobile Facility (AMF), GERB and AMMA Stations (RADAGAST) project, African Monsoon Multidisciplinary Analyses (AMMA) project and the Department of Energy's Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) program, the ARM Mobile Facility was deployed during 2006 in this climatically sensitive region, thereby providing a unique opportunity to evaluate remotely sensed algorithms for deriving LST.
The N terminus of the serpin, tengpin, functions to trap the metastable native state
Authors: Zhang Qingwei , Buckle Ashley M , Law Ruby H P , Pearce Mary C , Cabrita Lisa D , Lloyd Gordon J , Irving James A , Smith A Ian , Ruzyla Katya , Rossjohn Jamie , Bottomley Stephen P , Whisstock James C
Published: June 2007

Serpins fold to a metastable native state and are susceptible to undergoing spontaneous conformational change to more stable conformers, such as the latent form. We investigated conformational change in tengpin, an unusual prokaryotic serpin from the extremophile Thermoanaerobacter tengcongensis. In addition to the serpin domain, tengpin contains a functionally uncharacterized 56‐amino‐acid amino‐terminal region. Deletion of this domain creates a variant—tengpinΔ51—which folds past the native state and readily adopts the latent conformation. Analysis of crystal structures together with mutagenesis studies show that the N terminus of tengpin protects a hydrophobic patch in the serpin domain and functions to trap tengpin in its native metastable state. A 13‐amino‐acid peptide derived from the N terminus is able to mimick the role of the N terminus in stabilizing the native state of tengpinΔ51. Therefore, the function of the N terminus in tengpin resembles protein cofactors that prevent mammalian serpins from spontaneously adopting the latent conformation.
Apparent Rotation and Jazzing in Leviant's Enigma Illusion
Authors: Hamburger Kai
Published: June 2007

In 1981 Leviant devised Enigma, a figure that elicits perceived rotary motion in the absence of real motion. However, despite its striking appearance there is no good explanation for this motion illusion to date. Gregory (1993 Proceedings of the Royal Society of London B253 123) pointed out a similarity to MacKay's ‘complementary’ afterimage in his ray pattern and suggested accommodative fluctuations and small eye movements as a potential origin for these phenomena. Furthermore, Zeki et al (1993 Proceedings of the Royal Society of London B252 215–222) found PET-activation in response to Enigma in visual area V5 and immediately surrounding areas (called V5 complex) suggesting that the illusory motion could be mediated by the same neurons as real motion. In the experiments reported here, I show that the rotary motion is perceived on coloured as well as achromatic annuli intercepting the radial lines. More importantly, the illusory streaming motion continues to be seen with a cycloplegic lens as well as through a pinhole (ie ruling out transient changes of accommodation), and in the positive afterimage (ie in the absence of eye movements). Apparent rotation is strongest with radial inducers impinging at right angles onto the annuli, but persist, although to a lesser degree, when the inducing lines are tilted in opposite directions, non-collinear, or replaced by dotted lines or lines with rounded terminators. For an explanation, the Enigma illusion requires a neural mechanism that uses lines abutting an empty annulus to elicit orthogonal streaming motion in one or the other direction.
Hearing Gestures, Seeing Music: Vision Influences Perceived Tone Duration
Authors: Schutz Michael , Lipscomb Scott
Published: June 2007

Percussionists inadvertently use visual information to strategically manipulate audience perception of note duration. Videos of long (L) and short (S) notes performed by a world-renowned percussionist were separated into visual (Lv, Sv) and auditory (La, Sa) components. Visual components contained only the gesture used to perform the note, auditory components the acoustic note itself. Audio and visual components were then crossed to create realistic musical stimuli. Participants were informed of the mismatch, and asked to rate note duration of these audio-visual pairs based on sound alone. Ratings varied based on visual (Lv versus Sv), but not auditory (La versus Sa) components. Therefore while longer gestures do not make longer notes, longer gestures make longer sounding notes through the integration of sensory information. This finding contradicts previous research showing that audition dominates temporal tasks such as duration judgment.
Stimulation of subterritories of the subthalamic nucleus reveals its role in the integration of the emotional and motor aspects of behavior
Authors: Mallet Luc , Schüpbach Michael , N'Diaye Karim , Remy Philippe , Bardinet Eric , Czernecki Virginie , Welter Marie-Laure , Pelissolo Antoine , Ruberg Merle , Agid Yves , Yelnik Jérôme
Published: June 2007

Two parkinsonian patients who experienced transient hypomanic states when the subthalamic nucleus (STN) was stimulated during postoperative adjustment of the electrical parameters for antiparkinsonian therapy agreed to have the mood disorder reproduced, in conjunction with motor, cognitive, and behavioral evaluations and concomitant functional neuroimaging. During the experiment, STN stimulation again induced a hypomanic state concomitant with activation of cortical and thalamic regions known to process limbic and associative information. This observation suggests that the STN plays a role in the control of a complex behavior that includes emotional as well as cognitive and motor components. The localization of the four contacts of the quadripolar electrode was determined precisely with an interactive brain atlas. The results showed that (i) the hypomanic state was caused only by stimulation through one contact localized in the anteromedial STN; (ii) both this contact and the contact immediately dorsal to it improved the parkinsonian motor state; (iii) the most dorsal and ventral contacts, located at the boundaries of the STN, neither induced the behavioral disorder nor improved motor performance. Detailed analysis of these data led us to consider a model in which the three functional modalities, emotional, cognitive, and motor, are not processed in a segregated manner but can be subtly combined in the small volume of the STN. This nucleus would thus serve as a nexus that integrates the motor, cognitive, and emotional components of behavior and might consequently be an effective target for the treatment of behavioral disorders that combine emotional, cognitive, and motor impairment.
Adipose tissue-specific inactivation of the retinoblastoma protein protects against diabesity because of increased energy expenditure
Authors: Dali-Youcef Nassim , Mataki Chikage , Coste Agnès , Messaddeq Nadia , Giroud Sylvain , Blanc Stéphane , Koehl Christian , Champy Marie-France , Chambon Pierre , Fajas Lluis , Metzger Daniel , Schoonjans Kristina , Auwerx Johan
Published: June 2007

The role of the tumor suppressor retinoblastoma protein (pRb) has been firmly established in the control of cell cycle, apoptosis, and differentiation. Recently, it was demonstrated that lack of pRb promotes a switch from white to brown adipocyte differentiation
in vitro
. We used the Cre-Lox system to specifically inactivate pRb in adult adipose tissue. Under a high-fat diet, pRb-deficient (pRb
ad−/−
) mice failed to gain weight because of increased energy expenditure. This protection against weight gain was caused by the activation of mitochondrial activity in white and brown fat as evidenced by histologic, electron microscopic, and gene expression studies. Moreover, pRb
−/−
mouse embryonic fibroblasts displayed higher proliferation and apoptosis rates than pRb
+/+
mouse embryonic fibroblasts, which could contribute to the altered white adipose tissue morphology. Taken together, our data support a direct role of pRb in adipocyte cell fate determination
in vivo
and suggest that pRb could serve as a potential therapeutic target to trigger mitochondrial activation in white adipose tissue and brown adipose tissue, favoring an increase in energy expenditure and subsequent weight loss.
Dendritic BC200 RNA in aging and in Alzheimer's disease
Authors: Mus El , Hof Patrick R. , Tiedge Henri
Published: June 2007

Small untranslated BC1 and BC200 RNAs are translational regulators that are selectively targeted to somatodendritic domains of neurons. They are thought to operate as modulators of local protein synthesis in postsynaptic dendritic microdomains, in a capacity in which they would contribute to the maintenance of long-term synaptic plasticity. Because plasticity failure has been proposed to be a starting point for the neurodegenerative changes that are seen in Alzheimer's disease (AD), we asked whether somatodendritic levels of human BC200 RNA are deregulated in AD brains. We found that in normal aging, BC200 levels in cortical areas were reduced by >60% between the ages of 49 and 86. In contrast, BC200 RNA was significantly up-regulated in AD brains, in comparison with age-matched normal brains. This up-regulation in AD was specific to brain areas that are involved in the disease. Relative BC200 levels in those areas increased in parallel with the progression of AD, as reflected by Clinical Dementia Rating scores. In more advanced stages of the disease, BC200 RNA often assumed a clustered perikaryal localization, indicating that dendritic loss is accompanied by somatic overexpression. Mislocalization and overexpression of BC200 RNA may be reactive–compensatory to, or causative of, synaptodendritic deterioration in AD neurons.
Loss of a quiescent niche but not follicle stem cells in the absence of bone morphogenetic protein signaling
Authors: Kobielak Krzysztof , Stokes Nicole , de la Cruz June , Polak Lisa , Fuchs Elaine
Published: June 2007

During the hair cycle, follicle stem cells (SCs) residing in a specialized niche called the “bulge” undergo bouts of quiescence and activation to cyclically regenerate new hairs. Developmental studies have long implicated the canonical bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) pathway in hair follicle (HF) determination and differentiation, but how BMP signaling functions in the hair follicle SC niche remains unknown. Here, we use loss and gain of function studies to manipulate BMP signaling in the SC niche. We show that when the
Bmpr1a
gene is conditionally ablated, otherwise quiescent SCs are activated to proliferate, causing an expansion of the niche and loss of slow-cycling cells. Surprisingly, follicle SCs are not lost, however, but rather, they generate long-lived, tumor-like branches that express Sox4, Lhx2, and Sonic Hedgehog but fail to terminally differentiate to make hair. A key component of BMPR1A-deficient SCs is their elevated levels of both Lef1 and β-catenin, which form a bipartite transcription complex required for initiation of the hair cycle. Although β-catenin can be stabilized by Wnt signaling, we show that BMPR1A deficiency enhances β-catenin stabilization in the niche through a pathway involving PTEN inhibition and PI3K/AKT activation. Conversely, sustained BMP signaling in the SC niche blocks activation and promotes premature hair follicle differentiation. Together, these studies reveal the importance of balancing BMP signaling in the SC niche.
Inhibition of VEGF-A prevents the angiogenic switch and results in increased survival of
Apc
+/min
mice
Authors: Korsisaari Nina , Kasman Ian M. , Forrest William F. , Pal Navneet , Bai Wei , Fuh Germaine , Peale Franklin V. , Smits Ron , Ferrara Napoleone
Published: June 2007

Anti-VEGF-A monoclonal antibodies, in combination with chemotherapy, result in a survival benefit in patients with metastatic colorectal and non-small cell lung cancer, but little is known regarding the impact of anti-VEGF-A therapy on benign or premalignant tumors. The
Apc
+/min
mice have been widely used as a model recapitulating early intestinal adenoma formation. To investigate whether tumor growth in
Apc
+/min
mice is mediated by VEGF-A-dependent angiogenesis, we used two independent approaches to inhibit VEGF-A: monotherapy with a monoclonal antibody (Mab) targeting VEGF-A and genetic deletion of VEGF-A selectively in intestinal epithelial cells. Short-term (3 or 6 weeks) treatment with anti-VEGF-A Mab G6–31 resulted in a nearly complete suppression of adenoma growth throughout the small intestine. Growth inhibition by Mab G6–31 was associated with a decrease in vascular density. Long-term (up to 52 weeks) treatment with Mab G6–31 led to a substantial increase in median survival. Deletion of VEGF-A in intestinal epithelial cells of
Apc
+/min
mice yielded a significant inhibition of tumor growth, albeit of lesser magnitude than that resulting from Mab G6–31 administration. These results establish that inhibition of VEGF-A signaling is sufficient for tumor growth cessation and confers a long-term survival benefit in an intestinal adenoma model. Therefore, VEGF-A inhibition may be a previously uncharacterized strategy for the prevention of the angiogenic switch and growth in intestinal adenomas.
Prediction of Outcome for Veterans with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Using Constructs from the Transtheoretical Model of Behaviour Change
Authors: Rooney Kathleen , Hunt Caroline , Humphreys Leanne , Harding David , Mullen Miriam , Kearney John
Published: June 2007

Objective: Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a disabling condition, sometimes unresponsive to treatment. The aim of the present study was to examine the predictive utility of constructs from the transtheoretical model of behaviour change (TTM) known to predict outcome for other disorders.

Method: A sample of 50 veterans presenting for a PTSD treatment programme provided data for this longitudinal study. Variables were assessed at four time-points during the treatment programme. Multiple regression and mixed-effects regression were utilized to determine the predictive utility of variables from the TTM.

Results: Allocated stage of change at the time of a 2 day introduction programme predicted follow-up symptom severity, but changes therein during treatment did not predict changes in symptom severity. However, changes in the continuous readiness-to-change variable and behavioural processes of change were predictive of such changes.

Conclusions: Despite some difficulties in the application of the TTM to PTSD, the model does appear to predict treatment outcome. Veterans who have increased readiness to change and who make more use of behavioural processes of change are likely to have improved outcomes.
Borderline Personality Disorder, Mother–Infant Interaction and Parenting Perceptions: Preliminary Findings
Authors: Newman Louise K. , Stevenson Caroline S. , Bergman Lindy R. , Boyce Philip
Published: June 2007

Objective: Parents diagnosed with borderline personality disorder (BPD) are likely to find the emotional aspects of parenting challenging. Research into the difficulties that these parents experience, however, is lacking. The aims of the present study were to (i) gain an understanding of the interactional patterns of mothers with BPD and their infants and (ii) to explore the parenting perceptions of mothers with BPD.

Method: Two groups of mother–infant dyads were recruited: mothers with BPD and their infants; and community mothers and their infants. Groups were compared on mother–infant interaction patterns and on maternal self-perceptions of parenting.

Results: Mothers with BPD were found to be less sensitive and demonstrated less structuring in their interaction with their infants, and their infants were found to be less attentive, less interested and less eager to interact with their mother. Furthermore, mothers with BPD reported being less satisfied, less competent and more distressed.

Conclusions: Early intervention needs to be provided to mothers with BPD to promote maternal sensitivity and maternal perceptions of competence.
Idiopathic Recurrent Catatonia Needs Maintenance Lorazepam: Case Report and Review
Authors: Manjunatha Narayana , Saddichha Sahoo , Khess Christoday R.-J.
Published: June 2007

Objectives: Catatonia as a phenomenon has been well described with either a schizophrenic illness, severe mood disorders or periodic catatonia disorder. We aim to report a patient who had recurrent catatonia that responded to and required lorazepam for maintenance.

Methods: We describe the case of a 28 year old woman who had a history of recurrent catatonia that was unresponsive to most anti-psychotics, but who responded to high doses of lorazepam and needed long-term lorazepam for maintenance.

Results and Conclusion: Our patient met the criteria for a diagnosis of idiopathic catatonic disorder. Response to lorazepam suggests that a certain group of patients may require long-term treatment with lorazepam, especially those who may have down-regulation of GABA-A receptors.
The commonality of protein interaction networks determined in neurodegenerative disorders (NDDs)
Authors: Limviphuvadh Vachiranee , Tanaka Seigo , Goto Susumu , Ueda Kunihiro , Kanehisa Minoru
Published: June 2007

Motivation: Neurodegenerative disorders (NDDs) are progressive and fatal disorders, which are commonly characterized by the intracellular or extracellular presence of abnormal protein aggregates. The identification and verification of proteins interacting with causative gene products are effective ways to understand their physiological and pathological functions. The objective of this research is to better understand common molecular pathogenic mechanisms in NDDs by employing protein–protein interaction networks, the domain characteristics commonly identified in NDDs and correlation among NDDs based on domain information.

Results: By reviewing published literatures in PubMed, we created pathway maps in Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) for the protein–protein interactions in six NDDs: Alzheimer's disease (AD), Parkinson's disease (PD), amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), Huntington's disease (HD), dentatorubral-pallidoluysian atrophy (DRPLA) and prion disease (PRION). We also collected data on 201 interacting proteins and 13 compounds with 282 interactions from the literature. We found 19 proteins common to these six NDDs. These common proteins were mainly involved in the apoptosis and MAPK signaling pathways. We expanded the interaction network by adding protein interaction data from the Human Protein Reference Database and gene expression data from the Human Gene Expression Index Database. We then carried out domain analysis on the extended network and found the characteristic domains, such as 14-3-3 protein, phosphotyrosine interaction domain and caspase domain, for the common proteins. Moreover, we found a relatively high correlation between AD, PD, HD and PRION, but not ALS or DRPLA, in terms of the protein domain distributions.

Availability:  http://www.genome.jp/kegg/pathway/hsa/hsa01510.html (KEGG pathway maps for NDDs)

Contact:  kanehisa@kuicr.kyoto-u.ac.jp
Physical, Mechanical, and Barrier Properties of Kafirin Films from Red and White Sorghum Milling Fractions
Authors: da Silva Laura S. , Taylor John R. N.
Published: June 2007

Fractions from the sorghum dry milling industry, including bran, are a potential source of kafirin. Free‐standing plasticized cast films were prepared from defatted kafirin preparations from red and white sorghum flour and bran fractions, and from commercial zein. All the kafirin preparations were able to form films. However, there were differences in film thickness, clarity, flexibility, surface texture, odor, and color between the different kafirin films. Bran kafirin films were highly colored, less flexible with a less smooth surface texture compared with films from flour, probably due to higher levels of contaminants in the bran kafirins. The strong color of the bran films could limit their use in certain coating applications. The kafirin films had much higher tensile strength and lower extensibility than zein film, probably because of the presence of β‐ and γ‐kafirins in the kafirin, giving high levels of disulfide cross‐linking in the kafirin films. The kafirin films had poorer water barrier properties than zein film, possibly due to greater thickness or to poorer flexibility, which may have caused microcracks.