bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Use of Mycelial-Phase
Sporothrix schenckii
Exoantigens in an Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay for Diagnosis of Sporotrichosis by Antibody Detection
Authors: Almeida-Paes Rodrigo , Pimenta Monique A. , Pizzini Claudia Vera , Monteiro Paulo Cezar F. , Peralta José Mauro , Nosanchuk Joshua D. , Zancopé-Oliveira Rosely Maria
Published: January 2007

An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was developed for specific antibody detection in serum specimens of patients with sporotrichosis. The assay was made with mycelial-phase
Sporothrix schenckii
exoantigens and was tested against 90 sera from patients with different clinical forms of sporotrichosis. Potential cross-reactions were analyzed with 72 heterologous sera from patients with paracoccidioidomycosis, cryptococcosis, aspergillosis, histoplasmosis, tuberculosis, and American tegumentary leishmaniasis, as well as 76 sera from healthy controls. We found a sensitivity of 97% and a specificity of 89% in this assay. Some cross-reactions were seen, as observed in other immunoassays for the diagnosis of sporotrichosis. The ELISA appears to be especially useful for cutaneous forms of disease, since these are not promptly diagnosed with available immunoprecipitation or agglutination techniques. These results suggest that the ELISA using mycelial-phase
S. schenckii
exoantigens is a very sensitive diagnostic tool for the serodiagnosis of sporotrichosis and can be used in conjunction with conventional methods of diagnosis, particularly in cases where cross-reactions or false-positive results are experienced with the serodiagnosis.
A Nationwide Epidemic of Influenza C Virus Infection in Japan in 2004
Authors: Matsuzaki Yoko , Abiko Chieko , Mizuta Katsumi , Sugawara Kanetsu , Takashita Emi , Muraki Yasushi , Suzuki Hiroshi , Mikawa Masahide , Shimada Shinichi , Sato Katsuhiko , Kuzuya Mitsutaka , Takao Shinichi , Wakatsuki Kiyoko , Itagaki Tsutomu , Hongo Seiji , Nishimura Hidekazu
Published: January 2007

During the period from January to July 2004, a total of 131 influenza C viruses were detected by cell culture or reverse transcription-PCR (RT-PCR) from specimens that were obtained from children with acute respiratory symptoms in 10 prefectures across Japan. Influenza C virus was identified most frequently in the Miyagi (1.4%, 45 of 3,226 specimens) and Yamagata (2.5%, 31 of 1,263 specimens) prefectures, and the frequency in this year was the highest since 1990. Phylogenetic analysis of the hemagglutinin esterase gene of the 13 strains isolated in nine prefectures revealed that genetically similar strains belonging to the Kanagawa/1/76-related lineage dominantly spread throughout Japan. During the 2004 influenza season, influenza C virus coexisted with epidemics of influenza A virus (H3 strain), and 12 cases were identified from patients who had been diagnosed with influenza-like illness (7 were detected by RT-PCR, and 5 were detected by culture). A comparison of specimens that were found positive by culture with those found positive only by RT-PCR shows that the amount of virus in PCR-positive specimens tended to be lower than in isolation-positive specimens. Although the mean peak temperature in patients in the PCR-positive group was slightly lower, there were no significant differences in characteristics between specimens (i.e., kind of specimen, period from onset to specimen collection, age distribution of patients, and severity of illness). These results suggest that an epidemic of influenza C virus occurred on a national scale during this period and that RT-PCR can be an effective supplemental tool for the evaluation of clinical and epidemiological information.
Multi-Virulence-Locus Sequence Typing Identifies Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms Which Differentiate Epidemic Clones and Outbreak Strains ofListeria monocytogenes
Authors: Chen Yi , Zhang Wei , Knabel Stephen J.
Published: January 2007

A recently developed multi-virulence-locus sequence typing (MVLST) method showed improved discriminatory power for subtyping genetically diverseListeria monocytogenesisolates and identified epidemic clone II isolates associated with two recent U.S. multistate listeriosis outbreaks. To evaluate the ability of MVLST to distinguish other epidemic clones and outbreak strains ofL. monocytogenes, 58 outbreak-related isolates from 14 outbreaks and 49 unrelated isolates were analyzed. Results showed that MVLST provided very high discriminatory power (0.99), epidemiological concordance (1.0), stability, and typeability. MVLST accurately identified three previously known epidemic clones (epidemic clones I, II, and III) and redefined another epidemic clone (epidemic clone IV) in serotype 4b ofL. monocytogenes. A set of 28 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) differentiated all epidemiologically unrelated isolates. A subset of 16 SNPs differentiated all epidemic clones and outbreak strains. Phylogenetic analysis showed congruence between MVLST clusters, serotypes, and previously defined genetic lineages ofL. monocytogenes. SNPs in virulence genes appear to be excellent molecular markers for the epidemiological investigation of epidemics and outbreaks caused byL. monocytogenes.
High Prevalence of Human Bocavirus Detected in Young Children with Severe Acute Lower Respiratory Tract Disease by Use of a Standard PCR Protocol and a Novel Real-Time PCR Protocol
Authors: Kleines Michael , Scheithauer Simone , Rackowitz Annette , Ritter Klaus , Häusler Martin
Published: January 2007

The human bocavirus (HBoV) was recently isolated from respiratory tract samples. Within a study collective of children with severe lower respiratory tract disease, the patients testing positive for HBoV (12.8%) had a higher rate of underlying cardiopulmonary disease. Viral loads in respiratory tract specimens varied from 10
2
to 10
10
genome equivalents/ml.
Correlation of Neo-Sensitabs Tablet Diffusion Assay Results on Three Different Agar Media with CLSI Broth Microdilution M27-A2 and Disk Diffusion M44-A Results for Testing Susceptibilities of
Candida
spp. and
Cryptococcus neoformans
to Amphotericin B, Caspofungin, Fluconazole, Itraconazole, and Voriconazole
Authors: Espinel-Ingroff A. , Canton E. , Gibbs D. , Wang A.
Published: January 2007

We compared the Neo-Sensitabs tablet assay to both reference M27-A2 broth microdilution and M44-A disk diffusion methods for testing susceptibilities of 110 isolates of
Candida
spp. and
Cryptococcus neoformans
to amphotericin B, caspofungin, fluconazole, itraconazole, and voriconazole. Neo-Sensitabs assay inhibition zone diameters in millimeters on three agars (Mueller-Hinton agar supplemented with 2% dextrose and 0.5 μg/ml methylene blue [MGM], Shadomy [SHA], and RPMI 1640 [RPMI, 2% dextrose]) were obtained at 24 to 72 h. The correlation coefficient of Neo-Sensitabs results with MICs was similar to that of the disk method for most of the five agents on MGM (
R
, 0.80 to 0.89 versus 0.76 to 0.89, respectively). Overall, superior correlation was observed at 24 h for most agents. The exception was amphotericin B (
R
values of 0.68 and 0.5 for disk and tablet, respectively, at 48 h versus 0.68 and 0.48, respectively, at 24 h). In general, Neo-Sensitabs results were less consistent on SHA and RPMI agars. Although agreement by breakpoint category of Neo-Sensitabs and disk results with CLSI method M27-A2 was also similar on MGM (92.7 to 98.2% versus 95.5 to 100%, respectively), the Neo-Sensitabs method failed to identify two of the six isolates with high amphotericin B MICs. These data suggest the potential value of the Neo-Sensitabs assay for testing at least four of the five agents against yeasts evaluated in the clinical laboratory.
Activity of Dalbavancin Tested against
Staphylococcus
spp. and β-Hemolytic
Streptococcus
spp. Isolated from 52 Geographically Diverse Medical Centers in the United States
Authors: Biedenbach Douglas J. , Ross James E. , Fritsche Thomas R. , Sader Helio S. , Jones Ronald N.
Published: January 2007

Dalbavancin is a lipoglycopeptide antimicrobial agent with a potency significantly better than that of vancomycin when tested against staphylococci and streptococci. These two pathogens are common causes of skin and skin structure infections (SSSIs), and dalbavancin has been approved for the treatment of moderate to severe SSSIs. This study generated susceptibility data for staphylococci and β-hemolytic streptococci from 52 U.S. medical centers that locally tested dalbavancin, vancomycin, and other antimicrobial class representatives to assess the potency of dalbavancin and the overall contemporary activities of commonly prescribed agents. Locally generated data showed that oxacillin-resistant staphylococci (57.0% overall) had slightly higher dalbavancin MIC
90
values (0.19 μg/ml) than oxacillin-susceptible strains (0.125 μg/ml). This potency was 8- to 16-fold greater than that for vancomycin. β-Hemolytic streptococci had MIC
90
values ranging between ≤0.016 and 0.064 μg/ml (highest for group B isolates). Levofloxacin, gentamicin, and tetracycline were active against oxacillin-susceptible staphylococci (82 to 99% susceptible), with lower susceptibility rates seen for the oxacillin-resistant strains. Linezolid coverage was >98% against staphylococci. Erythromycin resistance was high for staphylococci (30.6 to 94.1%) with inducible clindamycin resistance rates of 26.0% and 55.0% for oxacillin-susceptible and -resistant
Staphylococcus aureus
, respectively. β-Hemolytic streptococci had a 20.2% erythromycin resistance rate and a 60% inducible clindamycin resistance rate but were highly susceptible to other tested agents. Etest reading errors were apparent and skewed results towards slightly higher dalbavancin MICs, requiring further education on how to interpret Etest method results for this compound. Current disk diffusion breakpoint criteria for oxacillin susceptibility for
S. aureus
showed a very-major-error rate of 2.3% and only a 0.9% minor-error rate when cefoxitin was used to predict oxacillin susceptibility. Dalbavancin demonstrated excellent potency and activity (100% susceptibility at proposed breakpoints) against common causes of SSSI pathogens in this U.S. multicenter study sample.
UL20 Protein Functions Precede and Are Required for the UL11 Functions of Herpes Simplex Virus Type 1 Cytoplasmic Virion Envelopment
Authors: Fulmer Preston A. , Melancon Jeffrey M. , Baines Joel D. , Kousoulas Konstantin G.
Published: January 2007

Egress of herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) from the nucleus of the infected cell to extracellular spaces involves a number of distinct steps, including primary envelopment by budding into the perinuclear space, de-envelopment into the cytoplasm, cytoplasmic reenvelopment, and translocation of enveloped virions to extracellular spaces. UL20/gK-null viruses are blocked in cytoplasmic virion envelopment and egress, as indicated by an accumulation of unenveloped or partially enveloped capsids in the cytoplasm. Similarly, UL11-null mutants accumulate unenveloped capsids in the cytoplasm. To assess whether UL11 and UL20/gK function independently or synergistically in cytoplasmic envelopment, recombinant viruses having either the UL20 or UL11 gene deleted were generated. In addition, a recombinant virus containing a deletion of both UL20 and UL11 genes was constructed using the HSV-1(F) genome cloned into a bacterial artificial chromosome. Ultrastructural examination of virus-infected cells showed that both UL20- and UL11-null viruses accumulated unenveloped capsids in the cytoplasm. However, the morphology and distribution of the accumulated capsids appeared to be distinct, with the UL11-null virions forming aggregates of capsids having diffuse tegument-derived material and the UL20-null virus producing individual capsids in close juxtaposition to cytoplasmic membranes. The UL20/UL11 double-null virions appeared morphologically similar to the UL20-null viruses. Experiments on the kinetics of viral replication revealed that the UL20/UL11 double-null virus replicated in a manner similar to the UL20-null virus. Additional experiments revealed that transiently expressed UL11 localized to the trans-Golgi network (TGN) independently of either gK or UL20. Furthermore, virus infection with the UL11/UL20 double-null virus did not alter the TGN localization of transiently expressed UL11 or UL20 proteins, indicating that these proteins did not interact. Taken together, these results show that the intracellular transport and TGN localization of UL11 is independent of UL20/gK functions, and that UL20/gK are required and function prior to UL11 protein in virion cytoplasmic envelopment.
Phosphoacceptor Site S173 in the Regulatory Domain of Epstein-Barr Virus ZEBRA Protein Is Required for Lytic DNA Replication but Not for Activation of Viral Early Genes
Authors: El-Guindy Ayman , Heston Lee , Delecluse Henri-Jacques , Miller George
Published: January 2007

The Epstein-Barr virus ZEBRA protein controls the viral lytic cycle. ZEBRA activates the transcription of viral genes required for replication. ZEBRA also binds to oriLyt and interacts with components of the viral replication machinery. The mechanism that differentiates the roles of ZEBRA in regulation of transcription and initiation of lytic replication is unknown. Here we show that S173, a residue in the regulatory domain, is obligatory for ZEBRA to function as an origin binding protein but is dispensable for its role as a transcriptional activator of early genes. Serine-to-alanine substitution of this residue, which prevents phosphorylation of S173, resulted in a threefold reduction in the DNA binding affinity of ZEBRA for oriLyt, as assessed by chromatin immunoprecipitation. An independent assay based on ZEBRA solubility demonstrated a marked defect in DNA binding by the Z(S173A) mutant. The phenotype of a phosphomimetic mutant, the Z(S173D) mutant, was similar to that of wild-type ZEBRA. Our findings suggest that phosphorylation of S173 promotes viral replication by enhancing ZEBRA's affinity for DNA. The results imply that stronger DNA binding is required for ZEBRA to activate replication than that required to activate transcription.
Heparan Sulfate Binding Can Contribute to the Neurovirulence of Neuroadapted and Nonneuroadapted Sindbis Viruses
Authors: Ryman Kate D. , Gardner Christina L. , Burke Crystal W. , Meier Kathryn C. , Thompson Joseph M. , Klimstra William B.
Published: January 2007

Cell culture-adapted laboratory strains of Sindbis virus (SB) exhibit efficient initial attachment to cell surface heparan sulfate (HS) receptors. In contrast, non-cell-adapted strains, such as the SB consensus sequence virus TR339, interact weakly with HS and cell surfaces. Regardless of their HS binding phenotype, most SB strains do not cause fatal disease in adult mice, whether inoculated subcutaneously (s.c.) or intracranially (i.c.). However, laboratory strains of SB can be rendered neurovirulent for adult mice by introduction of a glutamine (Gln)-to-histidine (His) mutation at position 55 of the E2 envelope glycoprotein. In the current work, we have determined that E2 His 55-containing viruses require a second-site mutation (Glu to Lys) at E2 position 70 that confers efficient HS binding in order to exhibit virulence for adult mice and that virulence is correlated with very high infectivity for many cell types. Furthermore, introduction of E2 Lys 70 or certain other HS-binding mutations alone also increased morbidity and/or mortality over that of TR339 for older mice inoculated i.c. However, all viruses containing single HS-binding mutations were attenuated in s.c. inoculated suckling mice in comparison with TR339. These results suggest that HS binding may attenuate viral disease that is dependent on high-titer viremia; however, efficient cell attachment through HS binding can increase virulence, presumably through enhancing the replication of SB within specific host tissues such as the brain.
Electron Tomography of Nascent Herpes Simplex Virus Virions
Authors: Baines Joel D. , Hsieh Chyong-Ere , Wills Elizabeth , Mannella Carmen , Marko Michael
Published: January 2007

Cells infected with herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) were conventionally embedded or freeze substituted after high-pressure freezing and stained with uranyl acetate. Electron tomograms of capsids attached to or undergoing envelopment at the inner nuclear membrane (INM), capsids within cytoplasmic vesicles near the nuclear membrane, and extracellular virions revealed the following phenomena. (i) Nucleocapsids undergoing envelopment at the INM, or B capsids abutting the INM, were connected to thickened patches of the INM by fibers 8 to 19 nm in length and ≤5 nm in width. The fibers contacted both fivefold symmetrical vertices (pentons) and sixfold symmetrical faces (hexons) of the nucleocapsid, although relative to the respective frequencies of these subunits in the capsid, fibers engaged pentons more frequently than hexons. (ii) Fibers of similar dimensions bridged the virion envelope and surface of the nucleocapsid in perinuclear virions. (iii) The tegument of perinuclear virions was considerably less dense than that of extracellular virions; connecting fibers were observed in the former case but not in the latter. (iv) The prominent external spikes emanating from the envelope of extracellular virions were absent from perinuclear virions. (v) The virion envelope of perinuclear virions appeared denser and thicker than that of extracellular virions. (vi) Vesicles near, but apparently distinct from, the nuclear membrane in single sections were derived from extensions of the perinuclear space as seen in the electron tomograms. These observations suggest very different mechanisms of tegumentation and envelopment in extracellular compared with perinuclear virions and are consistent with application of the final tegument to unenveloped nucleocapsids in a compartment(s) distinct from the perinuclear space.
Importance of the Anti-Interferon Capacity of Sendai Virus C Protein for Pathogenicity in Mice
Authors: Kato Atsushi , Kiyotani Katsuhiro , Kubota Toru , Yoshida Tetsuya , Tashiro Masato , Nagai Yoshiyuki
Published: January 2007

The Sendai virus (SeV) C protein blocks signal transduction of interferon (IFN), thereby counteracting the antiviral actions of IFN. Using HeLa cell lines expressing truncated or mutated SeV C proteins, we found that the C-terminal half has anti-IFN capacity, and that K
151
A, E
153
A, and R
154
A substitutions in the C protein eliminated this capacity. Here, we further created the mutant virus SeV Cm*, in which K
151
A, E
153
K, and R
157
L substitutions in the C protein were introduced without changing the amino acid sequence of overlapped P, V, and W proteins. SeV Cm* was found to lack anti-IFN capacity, as expected. While the growth rate and final yield of SeV Cm* were inferior to those of the wild-type SeV in IFN-responsive, STAT1-positive 2fTGH cells, SeV Cm* grew equivalently to the wild-type SeV in IFN-nonresponsive, STAT1-deficient U3A cells. SeV Cm* was thus shown to maintain multiplication capacity, except that it lacked anti-IFN capacity. Intranasally inoculated SeV Cm* could propagate in the lungs of STAT1
−/−
mice but was cleared from those of STAT1
+/+
mice without propagation. It was found that the anti-IFN capacity of the SeV C protein was indispensable for pathogenicity in mice. Conversely, the results show that the innate immunity contributed to elimination of SeV in early stages of infection in the absence of anti-IFN capacity.
Seismic design of buckling-restrained braced frames based on a modified energy-balance concept
Authors: Choi Hyunhoon , Kim Jinkoo , Chung Lan
Published: January 2007

The conventional energy-based seismic design procedure based on the energy-balance concept was revised for performance-based design of buckling-restrained braced frames. The errors associated with the energy-balance concept were identified and were corrected by implementing proper correction factors. The design process began with the computation of the input energy from a response spectrum. Then the plastic energy computed based on the modified energy-balance concept was distributed to each story and the cross-sectional area of each brace was computed in such a way that all the plastic energy was dissipated by the brace. The proposed procedure was applied to the design of three-, six-, and eight-story steel frames with buckling-restrained braces for three different performance targets. According to the time-history analysis results, the mean values of the top story displacements of the model structures, designed in accordance with the proposed procedure, corresponded well with the given target displacements. Key words: energy-balance concept, buckling-restrained braces, hysteretic energy, performance-based seismic design.
Efficient extraction of road information for car navigation applications using road pavement markings obtained from aerial images
Authors: Kim Jin Gon , Han Dong Yeob , Yu Ki Yun , Kim Yong Il , Rhee Sung Mo
Published: January 2007

The efficient extraction of road information is increasingly important with the rapid growth of road-related services, such as car navigation systems, telematics, and location-based services. Conventional methods of creating and updating road information are expensive and time consuming. Therefore, a set of processes is required that collects the same information more efficiently. We propose a new method for collecting road information in complex urban areas from road pavement markings located on aerial images. This information includes lane and symbol markings that guide direction; the geometric properties of the pavement markings and their spatial relationships are analyzed. Road construction manuals and a series of cutting-edge techniques, including template matching, are used in our analysis. To validate our approach, the accuracy of our results was evaluated by comparing the data with manually extracted ground truth data. Our approach demonstrates that road information can be extracted efficiently to an extent in a complex urban area.Key words: aerial image, automatic extraction, pavement marking, road information, CNS.
Oblique weir equation using incomplete self-similarity
Authors: Borghei S M , Kabiri-Samani A R , Nekoee N
Published: January 2007

Incomplete self-similarity (ISS) concept is employed to develop the equations from existing experimental results of flow over an oblique rectangular sharp-crested weir for both free and submerged flow. The stage-discharge relationship is obtained by theoretical analysis, based on the application of the dimensional analysis and the ISS theory. For analysis, the relations were found by trial and error procedure using the SPSS mathematical computer program that estimates the relation among multi-variable functions. Thus, equations to estimate the flow characteristics for both free and submerged flow are proposed. The results show a better compatibility with the experimental data than the previous equations given by the main author. Hence, the capabilities of ISS method for similar analysis and the powerful program of SPSS for multi-variable data analysis is shown. Finally, design guides together with examples are presented to show the simple use of the graphs obtained . Key words: dimensional analysis, incomplete self-similarity (ISS), oblique weir, experimental data.
Activity vulnerability index for delay risk forecasting
Authors: Kim Jungwuk , Lee Sangyoub , Hong Taehoon , Han Seungwoo
Published: January 2007

The vulnerability of construction activities to delay factors controls the magnitude of the delay impact. Vulnerability characteristics of construction activities result in different patterns of duration variation. To identify the relationship between the delay factors and an activity's vulnerability, an activity vulnerability index was developed based on the subjective knowledge of experienced experts in construction operations. Incorporating the fuzzy set theory, the index provides not only information about the quantified vulnerability characteristics of an activity but also a reference for an activity criticality assessment. This study intends to suggest a framework for delay risk assessment and forecasting.Key words: construction delay, vulnerability index, fuzzy set theory.
Inhibition of human and rabbit arterial smooth muscle cell migration mediated by the kinin B1 receptor: role of receptor density and released mediators
Authors: Morissette Guillaume , Sabourin Thierry , Adam Albert , Marceau François
Published: January 2007

Bradykinin (BK)-related peptides are suspected to negatively influence diverse functions in vascular smooth muscle cells (SMCs), notably via stimulation of the inducible B1 receptor (B1R), and have been shown to inhibit the migration of rat SMCs. The present study had several objectives: (i) to test whether B1R mediates the inhibition of migration of arterial SMCs from additional species (the human and the rabbit); (ii) whether B1R density influences this action and whether autocrine NO or prostanoid release modulate it; and (iii) the possible signaling interaction between the B1R and phosphatidylinositol-3 kinase (PI-3K) has been addressed. The peptidase resistant B1R agonist Sar-[D-Phe8]des-Arg9-BK (10 nmol/L – 1 μmol/L) was an inhibitor of migration in human or rabbit arterial SMCs in a wound closure assay, more effectively if the medium composition allowed a high B1R expression (20% fetal bovine serum (FBS) + interleukin-1β (IL-1β) in human SMCs, 10% FBS in rabbit cells). The effect of the B1R agonist on motility was abrogated by a B1R antagonist, B-9858, but not by the B2R antagonist Hoe 140; a peptidase-resistant B2R agonist, [Phe8Ψ(CH2-NH)-Arg9]BK, had a marginal or no effect on migration. Sar-[D-Phe8]des-Arg9-BK (1 μmol/L) did not significantly influence SMC proliferation. The B1R-mediated inhibition of SMC migration was not affected by pharmacological inhibition of the nitric oxide synthases or cyclooxygenases-1 or -2, but was correlated to an inhibition of PI-3K in both types of SMCs. The inhibition of SMC migration mediated by the kinin B1R is likely independent from NO or prostanoid release, applicable to several species, and correlated to receptor density and the inhibition of PI-3K.
Field stimulation-induced tetrodotoxin-resistant vasorelaxation is mediated by sodium hypochlorite
Authors: Varma Daya R. , Xia Zhicheng , Ozgoli Mehran , Chemtob Sylvain , Mulay Shree
Published: January 2007

This study was done to determine the mechanism of field stimulation-induced tetrodotoxin (TTX)- and NG-     nitro-l-arginine (LNA)-resistant vasorelaxation. Field stimulation with platinum and carbon, but not with silver, electrodes (30 V, 30 HZ, 2–5 ms pulse width) as well as electrically stimulated salt (0.9% NaCl) solution (ESSS) or Krebs solution caused 100% relaxation of phenylephrine-contracted rat aortic strips, which was TTX and LNA resistant and endothelium independent. ESSS also relaxed other vascular preparations (rabbit aorta and renal artery, dog coronary artery, pig ductus arteriosus, and rat portal vein). The electric current generated hypochlorite (OCl–) and H2O2 from the salt solution; however, vasorelaxation was caused by NaOCl and not by H2O2. ESSS and NaOCl caused contraction failure of spontaneously beating right atria of rats and did not affect uterine contractions, vascular cAMP, cGMP, or the pH of the tissue bath. Field stimulation, ESSS, and NaOCl did not relax aortic preparations contracted by 32 mmol/L potassium and their vasorelaxant effects on phenylephrine-contracted rat aortic strips and rings were completely reversed by tetraethylammonium and partially by glibenclamide and iberiotoxin. We conclude that electric pulses generate the oxidant OCl– from the salt solution, which causes vasorelaxation by increasing K+ conductance.
Intrahepatic adenosine-mediated activation of hepatorenal reflex is via A1receptors in rats
Authors: Ming Zhi , Lautt W. Wayne
Published: January 2007

Previous studies have shown that intrahepatic adenosine is involved in activation of the hepatorenal reflex that regulates renal sodium and water excretion. The present study aims to determine which subtype of adenosine receptors is implicated in the process. Mean arterial pressure, portal venous pressure and flow, and renal arterial flow were monitored in pentobarbital anesthetized rats. Urine was collected from the bladder. Intraportal administration of 8-cyclopentyl-1,3-dipropylxanthine (DPCPX), a selective adenosine A1receptor antagonist, increased urine flow by 24%, 89%, and 143% at the dose of 0.01, 0.03, and 0.1 mg·kg–1, respectively; in contrast, DPCPX, when administered intravenously at the same doses, only increased urine flow by 0%, 18%, and 36%. The increases in urine flow induced by intraportal administration of DPCPX were abolished in rats with liver denervation. Intrahepatic infusion of adenosine significantly decreased urine flow and this response was abolished by intraportal administration of DPCPX. Neither intraportal nor intravenous administration of 3,7-dimethyl-1-propargylxanthine, a selective adenosine A2receptor antagonist, showed significant influence on urine flow. Systemic arterial pressure, renal blood flow and glomerular filtration rate were unaltered by the administration of any of the drugs. In conclusion, intrahepatic adenosine A1receptors are responsible for the adenosine-mediated hepatorenal reflex that regulates renal water and sodium excretion.
Acute hemorrhage causes hepatic insulin sensitizing substance (HISS)-dependent insulin resistance
Authors: Seredycz Larissa I. , Ming Zhi , Lautt W. Wayne
Published: January 2007

Hepatic insulin sensitizing substance (HISS) has been shown to account for 55% of the action of insulin in the fed state. HISS blockade leads to HISS-dependent insulin resistance (HDIR). The objective of this study was to test the hypothesis that insulin resistance produced by hemorrhage was HDIR. Insulin sensitivity was measured using the rapid insulin sensitivity test (RIST), which can identify HISS-dependent and independent components. Hemorrhage was performed in anesthetized rats by removing blood to reduce mean arterial pressure to 50 mmHg. Subsequent to blood removal, a RIST was performed. The results show that hemorrhage caused complete HDIR as subsequent administration of atropine failed to further reduce insulin sensitivity. However, the posthemorrhage RIST was reduced by 34% and not the anticipated 55%. The lesser reduction of the RIST index by hemorrhage was related to reduced apparent volume of distribution and clearance of insulin, since occlusion of the superior mesenteric artery, which caused a similar decrease in portal venous flow as did hemorrhage, resulted in a similar degree of reduction of insulin clearance. The response to administered insulin was confounded by the impact of reduced hepatic blood flow on insulin metabolism that resulted in an increase in the HISS independent (direct) action of injected insulin against a background of complete HDIR. HDIR represents a useful hormonal response to assure a hyperglycemic response to hemorrhage.
Physiological role and regulation of the Na+/H+exchanger
Authors: Malo Mackenzie E. , Fliegel Larry
Published: January 2007

In mammalian eukaryotic cells, the Na+/H+exchanger is a family of membrane proteins that regulates ions fluxes across membranes. Plasma membrane isoforms of this protein extrude 1 intracellular proton in exchange for 1 extracellular sodium. The family of Na+/H+exchangers (NHEs) consists of 9 known isoforms, NHE1–NHE9. The NHE1 isoform was the first discovered, is the best characterized, and exists on the plasma membrane of all mammalian cells. It contains an N-terminal 500 amino acid membrane domain that transports ions, plus a 315 amino acid C-terminal, the intracellular regulatory domain. The Na+/H+exchanger is regulated by both post-translational modifications including protein kinase-mediated phosphorylation, plus by a number of regulatory-binding proteins including phosphatidylinositol-4,5-bisphosphate, calcineurin homologous protein, ezrin, radixin and moesin, calmodulin, carbonic anhydrase II, and tescalcin. The Na+/H+exchanger is involved in a variety of complex physiological and pathological events that include regulation of intracellular pH, cell movement, heart disease, and cancer. This review summarizes recent advances in the understanding of the physiological role and regulation of this protein.
M3 muscarinic receptor-deficient mice retain bethanechol-mediated intestinal ion transport and are more sensitive to colitis
Authors: Hirota Christina L. , McKay Derek M.
Published: January 2007

Acetylcholine (ACh) is an important regulator of intestinal epithelial ion transport via muscarinic or nicotinic ACh receptors. Previous studies emphasize the role of the M3 muscarinic receptor subtype in mediating the effects of cholinergic agonists on intestinal ion transport. With the prevalence of mouse models to study intestinal (patho)physiology, it is crucial that ion transport be understood in this species. Using M3 receptor-deficient (KO) mice and wild-type (WT) mice, we examined M3 receptor contributions to ion transport as well as its role in colitis induced by dextran sodium sulphate (DSS). In the Ussing chambers, ileal and colonic tissue from M3 KO and WT mice displayed similar baseline ion transport properties. Short-circuit current (ISC) responses to the muscarinic receptor agonist bethanechol were slightly decreased in ileal tissue from M3 KO mice compared with tissue from WT mice, whereas responses were not significantly different in colonic tissue. ISC responses to bethanechol were partially inhibited by pirenzepine in WT ileum, but not tetrodotoxin, suggesting involvement of a non-neuronal M1 muscarinic receptor. In the ileum, the M3 receptor may inhibit neuronally evoked ion transport, as indicated by the increased ISC responses to electrical stimulation in tissue from M3 KO mice. Furthermore, whereas all DSS-treated mice developed colitis, M3 KO mice displayed more rapid mass loss and more severe disease than DSS-treated WT mice, even following a reduction in the amount and time of DSS treatment. Thus, M3 receptor-KO mice are compensated in their ability to evoke muscarinic receptor-driven ion transport responses, but are more sensitive to DSS. This work highlights the need to dissect muscarinic receptor-mediated events in the mouse, as mice become increasingly valuable in enteric disease models.
ON VERTEX RECONSTRUCTIONS FOR CELL-CENTERED FINITE VOLUME APPROXIMATIONS OF 2D ANISOTROPIC DIFFUSION PROBLEMS
Authors: BERTOLAZZI ENRICO , MANZINI GIANMARCO
Published: January 2007

The accuracy of the diamond scheme is experimentally investigated for anisotropic diffusion problems in two space dimensions. This finite volume formulation is cell-centered on unstructured triangulations and the numerical method approximates the cell averages of the solution by a suitable discretization of the flux balance at cell boundaries. The key ingredient that allows the method to achieve second-order accuracy is the reconstruction of vertex values from cell averages. For this purpose, we review several techniques from the literature and propose a new variant of the reconstruction algorithm that is based on linear Least Squares. Our formulation unifies the treatment of internal and boundary vertices and includes information from boundaries as linear constraints of the Least Squares minimization process. It turns out that this formulation is well-posed on those unstructured triangulations that satisfy a general regularity condition. The performance of the finite volume method with different algorithms for vertex reconstructions is examined on three benchmark problems having full Dirichlet, Dirichlet-Robin and Dirichlet–Neumann boundary conditions. Comparison of experimental results shows that an important improvement of the accuracy of the numerical solution is attained by using our Least Squares-based formulation. In particular, in the case of Dirichlet–Neumann boundary conditions and strongly anisotropic diffusions the good behavior of the method relies on the absence of locking phenomena that appear when other reconstruction techniques are used.
A PARABOLIC–HYPERBOLIC FREE BOUNDARY PROBLEM MODELLING TUMOR TREATMENT WITH VIRUS
Authors: TAO YOUSHAN , ZHANG HUI
Published: January 2007

We consider a procedure for cancer therapy which consists of injecting replication-competent viruses into the tumor. The viruses infect tumor cells, replicate inside them, and eventually cause their death. As infected cells die, the viruses inside them are released and then proceed to infect adjacent tumor cells. However, a major factor influencing the efficacy of virus agents is the immune response that may limit the replication and spread of the replication-competent virus. The competition between tumor cells, a replication-competent virus and an immune response is modelled as a free boundary problem for a nonlinear system of partial differential equations, where the free boundary is the surface of the tumor. In this model, the immune response equation is a semilinear parabolic equation, including a chemotaxis term which is used to describe the movement of the immune response induced by gradients of the infected cell density. Under the assumption that the chemotactic sensitivity coefficient is small compared with the diffusion coefficient of the immune response, we prove the global existence and uniqueness of the solution of this free boundary problem. For large chemotactic coefficient, the global existence is still open.
FLAME PROPAGATION IN ONE-DIMENSIONAL STATIONARY ERGODIC MEDIA
Authors: CAFFARELLI L. A. , LEE K.-A. , MELLET A.
Published: January 2007

This paper investigates front propagation in random media for a free boundary problem arising in combustion theory. We show the existence of asymptotic traveling waves solutions with effective speed depending only on the essential infimum of the combustion rate. This result generalizes a previous result of the same authors in the periodic case.
A COMPARISON OF QUINTESSENCE AND NON-LINEAR BORN–INFELD SCALAR FIELD USING GOLD SUPERNOVA DATA
Authors: FANG WEI , LU H. Q. , LI B. , ZHANG K. F.
Published: January 2007

We study the Non-Linear Born–Infeld (NLBI) scalar field model and quintessence model with two different potentials (V(ϕ) = -sϕ and [Formula: see text]). We investigate the differences between these two models. We explore the equation of state parameter w and the evolution of scale factor a(t) in both the NLBI scalar field and quintessence model. The present age of universe and the transition redshift are also obtained. We use the Gold dataset of 157 SN-Ia to constrain the parameters of the two models. All the results show that the NLBI model is slightly superior to the quintessence model.
EXACT SOLUTION OF A LINEAR WAVE EQUATION IN COSMOLOGICAL GENERAL RELATIVITY
Authors: OLIVEIRA FIRMIN J.
Published: January 2007

A linear second-order wave equation is presented based on cosmological general relativity, which is a space-velocity theory of the expanding universe. The wave equation is shown to be exactly solvable, based on the Gaussian hypergeometric function.
ANOMALY INDUCED EFFECTIVE ACTION COMBINED WITH GENERALIZED BRANS–DICKE THEORY
Authors: BREVIK IVER
Published: January 2007

We consider the anomaly induced effective action in [Formula: see text] super Yang–Mills theory in interaction with the Brans–Dicke (BD) field. The generalization of the BD theory so as to permit an energy exchange between the scalar field and ordinary matter fields, was recently worked out by T. Clifton and J. D. Barrow [Phys. Rev. D73, 104022 (2006)]. We derive the scalar field equations for the dilaton field, and the BD field, and discuss the Friedmann equation in the general case. The present paper is a continuation of an investigation few years ago dealing with the case of conformal anomaly plus ordinary classical gravity [I. Brevik and S. D. Odintsov, Phys. Lett. B455, 104 (1999)].
PREDICTING NUCLEAR MASSES BY IMAGE RECONSTRUCTION
Authors: MORALES IRVING , FRANK ALEJANDRO , LÓPEZ-VIEYRA JUAN CARLOS , BAREA JOSÉ , HIRSCH JORGE G. , VELÁZQUEZ VÍCTOR , VAN ISACKER PIET
Published: January 2007

The differences between measured masses and Liquid Drop Model (LDM) predictions have well known regularities, which can be analyzed as a two-dimensional texture on the N-Z plane. The remaining microscopic effects, obtained after removing the smooth LDM mass contributions, have proved difficult to model. They contain all the information related to shell closures, nuclear deformation and the residual nuclear interactions, and display a well defined pattern. In the present work the more than 2000 known nuclear masses are studied as an array in the N-Z plane viewed through a mask, behind which the approximately 7000 unknown unstable nuclei that can exist between the proton and neutron drip lines are hidden. Employing a Fourier transform deconvolution method these masses can be predicted. Measured masses are reconstructed with and r.m.s. error of less than 100 keV. Potential applications of the present approach are outlined.
TWO-BODY ENSEMBLES WITH GROUP SYMMETRIES FOR CHAOS AND REGULAR STRUCTURES
Authors: KOTA V. K. B.
Published: January 2007

The simplest of the two-body random matrix ensembles (TBRE) is the embedded Gaussian orthogonal ensemble of two-body interactions [EGOE(2)] for spinless fermion systems. With m fermions in N single particle states, EGOE(2) and similarly EGUE(2) [the embedded Gaussian unitary ensemble] are generated by the SU(N) algebra. For these ensembles results, obtained using SU(N) Wigner-Racah algebra, for lower order cross correlations between spectra with different particle numbers are given. For fermions with spin degree of freedom one has EGOE(2)-s and similarly EGUE(2)-s, both generated by U(2Ω) ⊃ U(Ω) ⊗ SU(2) algebra with SU(2) generating m particle spins S and 2Ω = N. For these ensembles numerical and first analytical results for cross correlations between spectra with different particle numbers and spins are given. As further extensions, it is possible to construct EGOE(2)-(s,p) generated by U(2Ω) ⊃ [U(Ω) ⊃ SO(Ω)] ⊗ SU(2) where SO(Ω) corresponds to pairing, for nuclear shell model the EGOE(2)-JT generated by U(N) ⊃ SOJ(3) ⊗ SUT(2) algebra etc. On the other hand EGOE's with extended group symmetries of the shell model and the interacting boson models of nuclei, in particular via trace propagation for energy centroids give new insights into regular structures seen in the ground state region of nuclei. Several new examples for energy centroids generated by random 2 and 3-body interactions are given.
ROLES OF ANTI-NUCLEON DEGREES OF FREEDOM IN RELATIVISTIC NUCLEAR MODELS
Authors: KURASAWA HARUKI , SUZUKI TOSHIO
Published: January 2007

The roles of anti-nucleon degrees of freedom in nuclear relativistic models are discussed. They are necessary for sum rules. It is also pointed out that the no-sea approximation, where the divergent terms due to the anti-nucleon degrees of freedom are neglected, has no physical justification and is a serious problem. These facts are shown in an analytic way by using the sum rule and RPA response function for the giant Gamow-Teller states.
RANK-TWO RICHARDSON-GAUDIN MODELS
Authors: DUKELSKY J. , LERMA H. S. , ERREA B. , PITTEL S. , DIMITROVA S. , GUEORGUIEV V. G. , VAN ISACKER P.
Published: January 2007

We first review the development of the Richardson-Gaudin exactly-solvable pairing models and then discuss several new models based on rank-two algebras and their applications to problems in nuclear structure.
CONCLUDING REMARKS
Authors: ARIMA A.
Published: January 2007

I have enjoyed very much this international conference on nuclear structure. It is my great pleasure to summarize what we have learnt in this conference.
CHIRALITY IN NUCLEAR STRUCTURE: AN EXPERIMENTAL VIEW INTO UNDERLYING SYMMETRIES
Authors: PETRACHE C. M.
Published: January 2007

The experimental information on the observed nearly degenerate bands in the N = 75 isotones, in particular 134 Pr , which is considered as the best candidate for chiral bands, if critically analyzed, shows that most properties of the bands, in particular the recently measured branching ratios and lifetimes, are in clear disagreement with the interpretation of the two bands as chiral bands. For I = 14 - 18 in 134 Pr , where the observed energies are almost degenerate, a value of 2.0(4) for the ratio of the transition quadrupole moments of the two bands was obtained, which implies a considerable difference in the nuclear shape associated with the two bands. The insufficiency of the near-degeneracy criterion to trace nuclear chirality is clearly emphasized.
STUDY OF PARITY DOUBLETS IN ODD-A NUCLEI
Authors: HE X. T. , ZHAO E. G. , SCHEID W.
Published: January 2007

The structure of parity doublet rotational bands in odd-A actinides is investigated in the di-nuclear system model, in which the cluster-type shape is described by collective oscillations in the mass asymmetry degree of freedom. The odd nucleon is assumed to move in the mean field produced by the even-even di-nuclear core, which is approximated by a Woods-Saxon potential with quadrupole and octupole deformation. The calculated spin dependence of the parity splitting is in good agreement with the experimental data.
EVOLUTION OF DEFORMATIONS IN SD AND PF SHELL NUCLEI
Authors: ZHOU XIAN-RONG , SAGAWA H. , ZHANG XI-ZHEN
Published: January 2007

In the frame of deformed Skyrme Hartree-Fock (HF) model with pairing correlations, the strong mass number dependence of quadrupole deformations in sd and pf shell nuclei with mass A =(16 ~ 56) is studied as a clear manifestation of the evolution of nuclear deformation in nuclear many-body systems. The competition between the deformation driving particle-vibration coupling and the shell structure is shown by a systematic study on the ratios of the protons to neutrons quadrupole moments in nuclei with T =| T z|=1. The mass number dependence of deformations obtained by deformed HF calculations is compared with the results of shell model and experimental data.
STUDY OF ISOSCALING PHENOMENA FOR PROJECTILE-LIKE FRAGMENTS
Authors: SU Q. M. , FANG D. Q. , MA Y. G. , ZHONG C. , MA C. W. , WANG K. , YAN T. Z. , CAI X. Z. , SHEN W. Q.
Published: January 2007

In the framework of a modified statistical abrasion-ablation (SAA) model, the isospin effect and isoscaling behavior in projectile fragmentation have been systematically investigated. The normalized peak differences and reduced isoscaling parameters are found to decrease with (Z proj -Z)/Z proj and have no significant dependence on the size of reaction systems. The linear dependence of α and |β| on [Formula: see text] or [Formula: see text] for projectile-like fragments is demonstrated, which is obtained for light fragments from multifragmentation in the grand-canonical limit. Assuming a Fermi-gas behavior, the excitation energy dependence of the symmetry energy coefficients are tentatively extracted from α and β which looks consistent with the experimental data. It is pointed out that the reduced isoscaling parameters can be used as an observable to study the excitation extent of system and asymmetric nuclear equation of state in heavy ion collisions.
COMPARISON OF RELATIVISTIC AND NON-RELATIVISTIC APPROACHES IN HALO
Authors: TERASAKI JUN , ZHANG S. Q. , ZHOU S. G. , MENG J.
Published: January 2007

The phenomena of giant halo and halo of neutron-rich even- Ca isotopes are investigated and compared in the framework of the relativistic continuum Hartree-Bogoliubov (RCHB) and non-relativistic Skyrme Hartree-Fock-Bogoliubov (HFB) calculations. With two parameter sets for each of the RCHB and the Skyrme HFB calculations, it is found that although halo phenomena exist for Ca isotopes near neutron drip line in both calculations, the halo of the Skyrme HFB calculations starts at a more neutron-rich nucleus than that of the RCHB calculations, and the RCHB calculations have larger neutron root-mean-square (rms) radii systematically in N ≥ 40 than those of the Skyrme HFB calculations. The former difference comes from difference in shell structure. The reasons for the latter can be partly explained by the neutron 3s1/2orbit, which causes more than 50 % of the difference among the four calculations for neutron rms radii at66Ca .