bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Automated on‐the‐fly detection and correction procedure for EPR imaging data acquisition
Authors: Ahmad Rizwan , Vikram Deepti S. , Petryakov Sergey , Deng Yuanmu , Zweier Jay L. , Kuppusamy Periannan , Clymer Bradley
Published: July 2006

Fast and reliable data acquisition is a major requirement for successful and useful biological electron paramagnetic resonance imaging (EPRI) experiments. Even a technologically advanced and professionally supervised EPRI system can exhibit instabilities initiated by perturbations such as animal motion, microphonics, and temperature changes. As a result, part of an acquired data set may become corrupted with excessive noise and distortions, which in turn may degrade the quality of the reconstructed image. In this work an automated scheme to monitor the system performance and stability over the course of an experiment is demonstrated. This method ensures that the quality of the acquired data is maintained during the experiment. For this purpose, four parameters including noise content and integration of each acquired projection are quantified and measured against those of the zero‐gradient (ZG) projection, which is set as a quality benchmark. Projections with parameter values that differ substantially from the expected values are identified as damaged and consequently are reacquired. Therefore, the proposed technique not only effectively monitors the quality of acquisition, it also saves a substantial amount of acquisition time because it eliminates the necessity of repeating the entire experiment in cases in which only a small fraction of the data are corrupted. Magn Reson Med, 2006. © 2006 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Injection molding shrinkage of PP: Experimental progress
Authors: Pomerleau Joel , Sanschagrin Bernard
Published: July 2006

Injection molding shrinkage deals with dimensional differences between a molded part and the cavity. By adding an array of orthogonal marks into a mold, local shrinkage values may be obtained by comparing dimensions of this array with dimensions of the array replicated on the surface of the parts. A profilograph is employed to obtain dimensional measurements, in the parallel to flow direction and in the cross flow direction. A sensitivity analysis is conducted to determine aspects of shrinkage evaluation causing uncertainty on the results. Prominent sources of uncertainty found are mark straightness defect and part warpage. Uncertainty on shrinkage is evaluated to 0.00025 mm/mm for a distance between the marks of 6.350 mm. Shrinkages have been evaluated locally for molded plates. Different distribution forms were observed for parallel to flow and cross flow shrinkage. Important anisotropy is also observed. The effects of holding pressure and injection velocity on shrinkages have been evaluated using a 23 factorial design of experiment for three locations on the plates. Finally, shrinkages for three mold geometries have been compared: constant thickness plate, variable in thickness symmetrical plate, and variable in thickness asymmetrical plate. Variable in thickness plates showed the importance of solidification dynamics on final shrinkages. POLYM. ENG. SCI., 46:1275–1283, 2006. © 2006 Society of Plastics Engineers
Effect of stoichiometry on liquid crystalline supramolecular polymers formed with complementary nucleobase pair interactions
Authors: Burke Kelly A. , Sivakova Sona , McKenzie Blayne M. , Mather Patrick T. , Rowan Stuart J.
Published: July 2006

We report herein studies on the liquid crystalline behavior of a series of supramolecular materials that contain different ratios of two complementary symmetrically‐substituted alkoxy‐bis(phenylethynyl)benzene AA‐ and BB‐type monomers. One monomer has thymine units placed at either end of the rigid mesogenic core, while the other has N6‐(4‐methoxybenzoyl)‐adenine units placed on the ends. Differential scanning calorimetric and polarized optical microscopy studies have been carried out on these systems. These studies show that the material's behavior is strongly dependent on its thermal history. As a result, the materials can exhibit, on heating, either a liquid crystalline phase, a crystalline phase, or the coexistence of crystalline and liquid crystalline regions. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 44: 5049–5059, 2006
Stabilization of vinyl chloride/vinylidene chloride copolymers using N‐substituted maleimides
Authors: Howell Bob A. , Zhang Jin
Published: July 2006

As a consequence of their excellent barrier properties, vinyl chloride/vinylidene chloride copolymers have long been prominent in the flexible packaging market. While these polymers possess a number of superior characteristics, they tend to undergo thermally induced degradative dehydrochlorination at process temperatures. This degradation must be controlled to permit processing of the polymers. Three series of N‐substituted maleimides (N‐alkyl‐, N‐aralkyl‐, and N‐aryl‐) have been synthesized, characterized spectroscopically, and evaluated as potential stabilizers for a standard vinyl chloride/vinylidene chloride (85 wt%) copolymer. As surface blends with the polymer, these compounds are ineffective as stabilizers. However, significant stabilization may be achieved by pretreatment of the polymer with N‐substituted maleimides. The most effective stabilization of the polymer is afforded by N‐aralkyl‐ or N‐arylmaleimides, most notably, N‐benzylmaleimide and N‐(p‐methoxyphenyl)maleimide. J. VINYL. ADDIT. TECHNOL. 12:88–97, 2006. © 2006 Society of Plastics Engineers.
Improvement of sympathetic skin responses under enzyme replacement therapy in Fabry disease
Authors: Jardim L. B. , Gomes I. , Netto C. B. O. , Nora D. B. , Matte U. S. , Pereira F. , Burin M. G. , Kalakun L. , Giugliani R. , Becker J.
Published: July 2006

Aim To report the effect of enzyme replacement therapy (ERT) in sympathetic skin responses (SSR) of patients with Fabry disease. Patients and methods Seven male patients were included in an open‐label protocol using agalsidase‐alfa, continued at regular intervals. Five patients completed 24 months of ERT and two of them completed 18 months. Two main measurements were performed at baseline, as well as 1 and 2 years after ERT: (1) a standard neurological examination (NE), with a detailed evaluation of the sensory perception of light touch, pinprick, cold, hot, and vibratory stimuli; (2) the SSR amplitudes. Results Although there were no significant differences between NE in this time period, all patients reported general improvement in their subjective reports of acroparaesthesia and sweating. Before starting ERT, the SSR amplitudes were either too small (3/7 patients) or absent (4/7 patients): the average (range) amplitude of 122 μV (0 through 492) was statistically smaller than that found in a control group, i.e. 1453.6 μV (619.7–2754) (p<0.0001, t‐test). Mean ± SD SSR amplitude increased to 1088± 690 μV in the second year of ERT, reaching the range found in a normal control group (p=0.004). Conclusion ERT improved SSR continuously in Fabry patients in 2 years of observation. Although the mechanism of the SSR improvement is unknown, this response to ERT can be clinically significant if it reflects a normalization in sweating.
FETAL NUCLEIC ACIDS IN MATERNAL PLASMA
Authors: LEE TRACY YH , LO YM DENNIS
Published: July 2006

Prenatal diagnosis is now an established part of modern obstetrical practice around the world. While the current definitive methods for prenatal diagnosis rely mainly on invasive procedures such as chorionic villus sampling and amniocentesis, such procedures carry a low but definite risk of fetal loss. As a consequence of the procedure-associated risk of miscarriage, prenatal diagnosis is currently limited to pregnant women with an increased likelihood of bearing an abnormal fetus. To extend the application of prenatal diagnosis to all pregnant women, it has been a long-sought goal of researchers worldwide to introduce safer methods for prenatal diagnosis, towards noninvasive prenatal diagnosis.
RATIONALE FOR USING PROGESTERONE FOR PRETERM BIRTH
Authors: ELOVITZ MICHAL A
Published: July 2006

Preterm birth is a significant contributor to perinatal morbidity and mortality. Any intervention to effectively decrease the complications of a preterm birth must not only delay or prevent preterm delivery, but also improve neonatal outcomes. Until recently, interventions to prevent preterm birth have been largely unsuccessful. While some interventions are demonstrated to delay delivery for a short interval, the increased latency period does not result in improved neonatal outcomes. Recently, two randomized clinical trials demonstrated that progestational agents may decrease the incidence of preterm birth. As obstetricians, it is critical that we question the biological plausibility of a treatment prior to using it as standard of care. This review will address the physiologic role of progesterone in preterm and term labour, the molecular mechanisms by which progestational agents might exert a biological effect and the possible mechanisms by which these agents may prevent preterm birth.
Optimization of the Human Adenosine A2a Receptor Yields in Saccharomyces cerevisiae
Authors: Wedekind Alison , O'Malley Michelle A. , Niebauer Ronald T. , Robinson Anne S.
Published: July 2006

G‐protein coupled receptors (GPCRs) have been implicated in many human diseases and have emerged as important drug targets. Despite their medical relevance, knowledge about GPCR structure is limited, mainly due to difficulties associated with producing large amounts of functional protein and isolating this protein in functional form. However, our previous results indicate that when the human adenosine A2a receptor (A2aR) is expressed in Saccharomyces cerevisiae, high yields can be achieved. In light of these initial results and in anticipation of future purification efforts, experiments were conducted to optimize the system for maximum total protein yield. Emphasis was placed on not only producing large quantities of A2aR in each cell but also achieving high cell density in batch culture. Therefore, temperature, media pH, inducer concentration in the media, and induction cell density were tested for their effects on both cell growth (as measured by optical density, OD600) and per cell A2aR expression levels. For these studies, the A2aR expression levels were determined using a previously described A2aR‐green fluorescent protein (GFP) fusion, so that expression could be monitored by fluorescence. Overall the data indicate that at late times (∼60 h of expression) approximately 75% higher total batch protein yields can be achieved using lower expression temperatures or 60% higher using elevated induction cell density. The highest yields correspond to approximately 28 mg per liter of culture of total A2aR. Amounts of functional receptor were shown to increase on a per cell basis by decreasing expression temperature up to 25 h of expression, but at late time points (∼60 h) functional yields did not appreciably improve. When compared to other reports of GPCR expression in yeast it is clear that this system is among those producing the highest GPCR protein yields per culture both before and after optimization.
Surface drifter exchange between the North Atlantic subtropical and subpolar gyres
Authors: Brambilla Elena , Talley Lynne D.
Published: July 2006

Surface drifters deployed in the subtropical and subpolar North Atlantic from 1990 to 2002 show almost no connection between the subtropical and subpolar gyres; only one drifter crosses the intergyre boundary even though other data types (e.g., dynamic topography and tracers) suggest a major connection. Two of several possible causes for the lack of intergyre connectivity in this two‐dimensional data set are examined: (1) undersampling and short drifter lifetime leading to underestimation of the northward flow, and (2) the southward mean Ekman velocity. Advection of a large number of long‐lived synthetic drifters through the observed mean velocity results in a 5% increase in cross‐gyre flux compared with that for synthetic drifters with realistic lifetimes. By further advecting synthetic drifters through the observed mean velocity field with and without the Ekman component, estimated from the wind field associated with the actual drifters, it is shown that removal of the Ekman component further increases the intergyre flux by up to 6%. With a turbulent component added to the mean velocity field to simulate the eddy field, there is a further increase in connection by 5%. Thus the Ekman and eddy contributions to the drifter trajectories nearly cancel each other. Consideration of three‐dimensional processes (subduction and obduction) is reserved for complete modeling studies.
Neotectonics of the central Nepalese Himalaya: Constraints from geomorphology, detrital 40Ar/39Ar thermochronology, and thermal modeling
Authors: Wobus Cameron W. , Whipple Kelin X. , Hodges Kip V.
Published: July 2006

The southern flanks of the central Nepalese Himalaya correspond to a sharp transition in landscape morphology and bedrock mineral cooling ages that suggests a change in rock uplift rate. This transition can be explained by either (1) accretion of footwall material to the hanging wall across a ramp in the décollement separating India from Eurasia, thereby enhancing rock uplift rates above the zone of accretion or (2) out‐of‐sequence surface thrust faulting at the physiographic transition. Here we use geomorphic data, 649 new detrital 40Ar/39Ar cooling ages, and a simple thermokinematic model to evaluate which of these tectonic configurations is most appropriate for the central Nepalese Himalaya. We first define and delineate the physiographic transition in central Nepal using maps of knickpoints, river steepness indices, local relief, and the distribution of thick alluvial fill deposits. We then report new detrital 40Ar/39Ar data from two trans‐Himalayan transects, each of which suggests a rapid northward increase in the total amount of exhumation across the physiographic transition. Thermokinematic modeling suggests that either of the two developmental scenarios for the transition is plausible but that an accretion model is viable only under an extremely narrow range of conditions. We contend that the physiographic and thermochronologic data in our study area are most simply explained by recent out‐of‐sequence surface thrusting within the Lesser Himalayan metasedimentary sequence, approximately 15–30 km south of the mapped surface trace of the Main Central Thrust system. An important finding of this work is that there are substantial along‐strike variations in physiography and thermal history that reflect along‐strike changes in the degree and location of out‐of‐sequence surface thrusting.
Intra‐seasonal relationship between the Northern Hemisphere sea ice variability and the North Atlantic Oscillation
Authors: Yamamoto Kentaro , Tachibana Yoshihiro , Honda Meiji , Ukita Jinro
Published: July 2006

An intra‐seasonal relationship, including a possible feedback, is investigated between the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) and a hemispheric‐scale seesaw‐like pattern dominant in sea ice variability over the wintertime Northern Hemisphere, with one polarity in the Bering and Labrador Seas and the other in the Okhotsk and Greenland‐Barents Seas. Statistical analysis using observational data suggests that a particular phase of NAO and anomalous atmospheric circulation in the Pacific during early winter contribute toward the development of the midwinter hemispheric sea‐ice seesaw. In contrast, the ice seesaw tends to damp the preexisting NAO signal during late winter, indicating a reversal of the phase relation between them. This NAO damping may be triggered by the Pacific sea‐ice anomalies. Results from numerical experiments generally support this notion and further suggests a stationary Rossby wave train emanated from the North Pacific as a dynamical mechanism for damping the NAO signal.
Evidence for trends in the Northern Hemisphere water cycle
Authors: Dirmeyer Paul A. , Brubaker Kaye L.
Published: July 2006

We have applied a unique water vapor tracing algorithm using observed precipitation and atmospheric analyses for the period 1979–2003 to estimate water budgets and recycling ratio (the fraction of precipitation over a region that originated as evaporation from the same region) over land areas across the globe. Over most mid‐ and high‐latitude areas, a strong annual cycle of recycling ratio exists; low during winter when storm tracks are active, tropospheric circulation strong, and surface evaporation rates low, high during summer when winds are light and evaporation is greater. Trends in recycling ratio have been found over large areas at high‐latitudes that are consistent with an expansion into spring of the warm‐season regime of water vapor recycling. These trends are consistent with observed vegetation‐related changes often attributed to global climate change, and are most evident over northern Europe and North America where the density of meteorological data influencing the atmospheric analyses is high. Less extensive trends are found in other seasons.
Modeling the amide I bands of small peptides
Authors: la Cour Jansen Thomas , Dijkstra Arend G. , Watson Tim M. , Hirst Jonathan D. , Knoester Jasper
Published: July 2006

In this paper different floating oscillator models for describing the amide I band of peptides and proteins are compared with density functional theory (DFT) calculations. Models for the variation of the frequency shifts of the oscillators and the nearest-neighbor coupling between them with respect to conformation are constructed from DFT normal mode calculations on N-acetyl-glycine-N′-methylamide. The calculated frequencies are compared with those obtained from existing electrostatic models. Furthermore, a new transition charge coupling model is presented. We suggest a model which combines the nearest-neighbor maps with long-range interactions accounted for using the new transition charge model and an existing electrostatic map for long-range interaction frequency shifts. This model and others, which account for the frequency shifts by electrostatic maps exclusively, are tested by comparing the predicted IR spectra with those from DFT calculations on the pentapeptide [Leu]-enkephalin. The new model described above gives the best agreement and, after a systematic blueshift is accounted for, reproduces the DFT frequencies to within 3.5cm−1. The correlation of the intensities for this model with intensities from DFT calculations is 0.94.
Large scale magnetic fields and coherent structures in nonuniform unmagnetized plasma
Authors: Jucker Martin , Andrushchenko Zhanna N. , Pavlenko Vladimir P.
Published: July 2006

The properties of streamers and zonal magnetic structures in magnetic electron drift mode turbulence are investigated. The stability of such large scale structures is investigated in the kinetic and the hydrodynamic regime, for which an instability criterion similar to the Lighthill criterion for modulational instability is found. Furthermore, these large scale flows can undergo further nonlinear evolution after initial linear growth, which can lead to the formation of long-lived coherent structures consisting of self-bound wave packets between the surfaces of two different flow velocities with an expected modification of the anomalous electron transport properties.
The cotton fiber zinc-binding domain of cellulose synthase A1 from
Gossypium hirsutum
displays rapid turnover
in vitro
and
in vivo
Authors: Jacob-Wilk Debora , Kurek Isaac , Hogan Patrick , Delmer Deborah P.
Published: July 2006

Little is known about the assembly and turnover of cellulose synthase complexes commonly called rosettes. Recent work indicates that rosette assembly could involve the dimerization of CesA (cellulose synthase catalytic subunit) proteins regulated by the redox state of the CesA zinc-binding domain (ZnBD). Several studies in the 1980s led to the suggestion that synthase complexes may have very short half-lives
in vivo
, but no recent work has directly addressed this issue. In the present work, we show that the half-life of cotton fiber GhCesA1 protein is <30 min
in vivo
, far less than the average membrane protein. We also show that the reduced monomer of GhCesA1 ZnBD is rapidly degraded when exposed to cotton fiber extracts, whereas the oxidized dimer is resistant to degradation. Low rates of degradation activity were detected
in vitro
by using extracts from fibers harvested during primary cell-wall formation, but activity increased markedly during transition to secondary cell-wall synthesis.
In vitro
degradation of reduced GhCesA1 ZnBD is inhibited by proteosome inhibitor MG132 and also by E64 and EGTA, suggesting that proteolysis is initiated by cysteine protease activity rather than the proteosome. We used a yeast two-hybrid system to identify a putative cotton fiber metallothionein and to confirm it as a protein that could interact with the GhCesA1 ZnBD. A model is proposed wherein active cellulose synthase complexes contain CesA proteins in dimerized form, and turnover and degradation of the complexes are mediated through reductive zinc insertion by metallothionein and subsequent proteolysis involving a cysteine protease.
Prevalence of EGG Derangement in Newly Diagnosed Type 1 Diabetes in Childhood
Authors: Toporowska‐Kowalska Ewa , Wąsowska‐Królikowska Krystyna , Szadkowska Agnieszka , Młynarski Wojciech , Bodalski J
Published: July 2006

Objective:

To evaluate gastric myoelectrical activity in children with newly diagnosed type 1 diabetes melliltus (T1DM) in relation to blood glucose control and visceral neuropathy.

Methods:

Percutaneous electrogastrograpy (EGG) was performed on 42 children (20 F; mean age 12.9 ± 3.1 years) with T1DM of <1 year's duration and on 35 healthy controls (18 F; mean age 13.4 ± 3.6 years). After overnight fasting, a 30‐minute EGG recording was followed by test meal consumption and then a 60‐minute postprandial EGG aquisition. Fasting and postprandial periods were analyzed for gastric dysrhythmias, dominant frequency (DF) and additional parameters. In T1DM patients, HbA1c and blood glucose levels were measured and tests for visceral neuropathy were performed.

Results:

In 41 T1DM patients (98%), cardiovascular neuropathy tests were negative. In 12 of those patients (29%) and in 32 healthy controls (91%), electrogastrograms were normal. The percentages of fasting and postprandial gastric dysrhythmias were significantly higher in T1DM patients compared to controls (P < 0,05). In T1DM children after feeding, some normalization of gastric myoelectrical rhythm was observed: normogastria increased nearly 2‐fold to 72.6 ± 22.9% and bradygastria decreased to 20.8 ± 20.4% from 52.3 ± 32.4% (P < 0.05). The percentages of fasting bradygastria and normogastria were correlated with glycemia level (r = −0.55 and r = 0.51, respectively; P < 0.05), as was postprandial DF (r = 0.41; P < 0.05). There was no correlation between HbA1c levels and EGG parameters.

Conclusions:

Derangement of the gastric myoelectrical activity is present in 71% of children with early stage T1DM. Glucose levels influence gastric myoelectrical activity, whereas long‐term glucose control (HbA1c level) does not correlate with EGG parameters.
Alanine Amino Transferase Concentrations Are Linked to Folate Intakes and Methylenetetrahydrofolate Reductase Polymorphism in Obese Adolescent Girls
Authors: Frelut Marie‐Laure , Emery‐Fillon Nathalie , Guilland Jean‐Claude , Dao Hunh Han , de Courcy Geneviève Potier
Published: July 2006

Objective:

The objective of this study was to investigate the consequences of low dietary folate intake and the impact of the 677 C→T methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) common mutation on liver function in obese adolescents.

Methods:

Fifty‐seven obese girls (BMI = 36.1 ± 6.0 kg/m2) aged 14.1 ± 1.5 years were included before starting a weight reduction program. Dietary intakes for folate were assessed by means of an adapted food frequency questionnaire (n = 50). Liver enzymes, plasma lipids, glucose metabolism parameters, ferritin, homocysteine and erythrocyte folate content were measured in plasma or blood obtained under fasting conditions. The MTHFR 677 C→T polymorphism, which is associated with decreased enzyme activity, was determined using PCR. Body composition was assessed using dual x‐ray absorptiometry.

Results:

Twenty‐three subjects were heterozygote (CT) for the mutation and 5 were homozygote (TT). An increase in alanine amino transferase (ALT) and ALT/aspartate aminotransferase ratio was associated with the mutation (F = 4.46, P = 0.016 and F = 5.92, P = 0.0049, respectively). Alanine amino transferase was correlated negatively to folate intake (r = −0.32, P = 0.024) (n = 50) and positively to homocysteine concentrations (r = 0.30, P = 0.025). Body composition was similar among the 3 genotypic groups. Ferritin was also correlated to ALT concentrations of the entire group (P = 0.009).

Conclusion:

Our data suggest that folate intake and the MTHFR polymorphism represent a part of the link between antioxidant status and liver disease in obese adolescent girls.
Hepatitis C in Children
Authors: Rumbo Carolina , Fawaz Rima L. , Emre Sukru H. , Suchy Frederick J. , Kerkar Nanda , Morotti Raffaella A. , Shneider Benjamin L.
Published: July 2006

Introduction:

Chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection affects 0.3% of children in the United States, and the general impression is that it has a benign course in childhood. We analyzed a pediatric population with chronic HCV in a quaternary referral center.

Material and Methods:

This is a retrospective clinical review comprising all patients with chronic HCV referred to the Pediatric Liver/Liver Transplant Program between January 1999 and December 2004.

Results:

Ninety‐one patients (52% female; mean age, 9 years) were assessed. Eight‐three percent of the patients were genotype 1. Twenty‐one patients received/are receiving interferon and ribavirin for chronic HCV (treatment indications‐advanced disease, 9; clinical trial, 6; genotype 2, 2; social, 2; prerenal transplant, 1). Eight (53%) of 15 patients, who have completed therapy and follow‐up, achieved sustained viral response. Seven of 91 patients had cirrhosis at presentation (mean age, 11.7 years). Four underwent liver transplantation, all experienced HCV recurrence, 2 died, 1 was retransplanted, and 1 has compensated cirrhosis.

Conclusion:

Although, in general, HCV in children has a slow progression, there are cases with an accelerated course and early development of cirrhosis requiring liver transplant. Hepatitis C virus recurs universally after transplant, and its prognosis is usually poor; therefore, the most promising long‐term approach is to clear this infection before transplantation.
Slicing a protease: Structural features of the ATP‐dependent Lon proteases gleaned from investigations of isolated domains
Authors: Rotanova Tatyana V. , Botos Istvan , Melnikov Edward E. , Rasulova Fatima , Gustchina Alla , Maurizi Michael R. , Wlodawer Alexander
Published: July 2006

ATP‐dependent Lon proteases are multi‐domain enzymes found in all living organisms. All Lon proteases contain an ATPase domain belonging to the AAA+superfamily of molecular machines and a proteolytic domain with a serine‐lysine catalytic dyad. Lon proteases can be divided into two subfamilies, LonA and LonB, exemplified by theEscherichia coliandArchaeoglobus fulgidusparalogs, respectively. The LonA subfamily is defined by the presence of a large N‐terminal domain, whereas the LonB subfamily has no such domain, but has a membrane‐spanning domain that anchors the protein to the cytoplasmic side of the membrane. The two subfamilies also differ in their consensus sequences. Recent crystal structures for several individual domains and sub‐fragments of Lon proteases have begun to illuminate similarities and differences in structure–function relationships between the two subfamilies. Differences in orientation of the active site residues in several isolated Lon protease domains point to possible roles for the AAA+domains and/or substrates in positioning the catalytic residues within the active site. Structures of the proteolytic domains have also indicated a possible hexameric arrangement of subunits in the native state of bacterial Lon proteases. The structure of a large segment of the N‐terminal domain has revealed a folding motif present in other protein families of unknown function and should lead to new insights regarding ways in which Lon interacts with substrates or other cellular factors. These first glimpses of the structure of Lon are heralding an exciting new era of research on this ancient family of proteases.
Towards Extended Schools? How Education and Other Professionals Understand Community‐Oriented Schooling
Authors: Cummings Colleen , Todd Liz , Dyson Alan
Published: July 2006

The government in England is proposing that every school should offer extended services to children, families and communities. However, in the absence of agreed models of how such community‐oriented schooling should operate, its form will depend on how it is understood by the education professionals and their partners in other agencies who have to make it work in practice. This article draws on data from interviews with over 350 professionals to outline two such understandings. It suggests that they rest on different assumptions about fundamental social and educational issues and argues for a more open debate around these issues. Copyright © 2006 The Author(s). Journal compilation © National Children's Bureau.
Plane xanthomata associated with multiple myeloma and hyperlipoproteinaemia
Authors: MARIEN K.J.C. , SMEENK G.
Published: July 2006

A case of plane xanthomatosis associated with multiple myeloma and hyperlipoproteinaemia in a 62-year-old woman is reported. The patient had IgG type lambda paraproteinaemia and type II A hyperlipoproteinaemia.

The IgG paraprotein showed binding activity against high-density lipoproteins. It could not be demonstrated that these paraprotein-lipoprotein complexes were responsible for the hyperlipidaemia.

Microchemical analysis of pathological skin demonstrated a high content of triglycerides, similar to that in eruptive xanthomata. No correlation was found between the lipid composition of the xanthomatous skin and the serum lipid composition.

The results obtained with an in vitro culture method showed that the paraprotein present in the patient's serum was synthesized in the bone marrow but not in the normal or pathological skin.
Elastic fibres in the dermal papilla
Authors: TSUJI TAKUO
Published: July 2006

The straight elastic fibres aligned perpendicularly to the dermo-epidermal junction have been examined by transmission and scanning electron microscopy. We found that these fibres connect the basal lamina to the underlying dermal elastic tissue, and it seems likely that they are involved in dermoepidermal adhesion.
Neutron activation analysis of trace elements in skin. IX. Rubidium in normal skin
Authors: PORTNOY BENJAMIN , DYER ALAN , MOLOKHIA ANAT
Published: July 2006

Regional variations of levels of rubidium (Rb) in normal adult skin were determined by non-destructive neutron activation analysis combined with gamma spectroscopy.
The relief of pruritus in primary biliary cirrhosis by hydroxyethylrutosides
Authors: HISHON S. , ROSE J.D. , HUNTER J.O.
Published: July 2006

Hydroxyethylrutosides (Paroven, Zyma) was effective in relieving chronic pruritus in six patients with primary biliary cirrhosis.
A severe ‘stasis eczema’, associated with low plasma zinc, treated successfully with oral zinc
Authors: OWENS C.W.I. , AL-KHADER A.A. , JACKSON M.J. , PRICHARD B.N.C.
Published: July 2006

We describe a case of non-ulcerating severe stasis eczema in an elderly female associated with a low plasma zinc and which responded to treatment with oral supplements. The dermatological changes were not accompanied by oedema and were most marked over the lower legs and ankles, with patchy erythematous lesions extending to the inner thighs, over the dorsal surface of both hands and the forearms. There was some excoriation and a degree of lichenification. These lesions were intensely pruritic and resolved almost completely following treatment with oral zinc sulphate (220 mg daily) on two separate occasions. Histological appearances of biopsy material included those of stasis eczema but there was also a marked degree of parakeratosis.

The cause of the low plasma zinc was not identified.
Erythema nodosum and Hodgkin's disease
Authors: CHALMERS R.J.G. , PROCTOR S.J. , MARKS JANET M.
Published: July 2006

Three patients with unexplained recurrent erythema nodosum were found to have Hodgkin's disease. The latter diagnosis should be considered in patients with unexplained recurrent erythema nodosum.
Packing of sands
Authors: PANAYIOTOPOULOS K. P. , MULLINS C. E.
Published: July 2006

The packing of sands was studied over a range of moisture contents using both static loads and impacts from a Bruce compactor. Particle shape and particle size distribution were found to determine the maximum and minimum void ratio to which a sand would pack. For narrowly graded sands, air‐dry and nearly saturated sands were always found to pack more closely under a given load than the same sand at any other moisture content. There was practically no variation of packing with moisture content over a wide range of intermediate moisture contents. The bulk density attained after impact loading depended on the bulk density prior to impact and increased with the logarithm of the number of impacts. An attempt is made to give a physical explanation for these results and to relate results obtained by static loading and Bruce compaction.
Fused protein of δPKC activation loop and PDK1‐interacting fragment (δAL‐PIF) functions as a pseudosubstrate and an inhibitory molecule for PDK1 when expressed in cells
Authors: Seki Takahiro , Irie Naoki , Nakamura Kyoko , Sakaue Hiroshi , Ogawa Wataru , Kasuga Masato , Yamamoto Hideyuki , Ohmori Shiho , Saito Naoaki , Sakai Norio
Published: July 2006

To elucidate the role of 3‐phosphoinositide‐dependent protein kinase‐1 (PDK1) in cellular signaling, we constructed and expressed a pseudosubstrate of PDK1, designated as δAL‐PIF, and characterized its properties in cultured cells. δAL‐PIF consists of two fused proteins of the protein kinase Cδ (δPKC) activation loop (δAL) and PDK1‐interacting fragment (PIF). The phosphorylation of δAL‐PIF was detected with anti‐δPKC phospho‐Thr505‐specific antibody and was increased in proportion to the expression level of co‐expressed GST‐PDK1, indicating that it acts as a pseudosubstrate of PDK1. In cells expressing δAL‐PIF, basal phosphorylation level at the activation loop of PKBα, δPKC and γPKC was reduced, compared with that in control cells, suggesting that δAL‐PIF functions as an inhibitory molecule for PDK1. δAL‐PIF affected the stability, translocation and endogenous activity of PKCs. These effects of δAL‐PIF on γPKC properties were confirmed by investigation using conditioned PDK1 knockout cells. Furthermore, apoptosis frequently occurred in cells expressing δAL‐PIF for 3 days. These findings revealed that δAL‐PIF served as an effective pseudosubstrate and an inhibitory molecule for PDK1, suggesting that this molecule can be used as a tool for investigating PDK‐mediated cellular functions as well as being applicable for anti‐cancer therapy.
The effect of planting Pinus pinaster Ait. on populations of soil microarthropods and on litter decomposition at Gnangara, Western Australia
Authors: SPRINGETT JOSEPHINE A.
Published: July 2006

Litter decomposition rates and the population densities of soil microarthropods were measured in three Pinus pinaster stands thirty‐one, twenty‐three and eighteen years old, and on an area of native vegetation on sandy soil at Gnangara, W.A. Litter decomposition was faster in the soil than within the litter layer and was slowest at the litter surface. Decomposition was rapid in cool wet seasons and slow in hot, dry summers. Microarthropod population densities were similar on all sites (77–100 × 103/m2) but species diversity was greatest under native vegetation and least under the youngest pine stand. The impoverished soil micro‐fauna of the pine stands is unable to decompose pine or sclerophyll litter as fast as the full complement of soil microfauna in native vegetation.
Population characteristics of Australian leafrollers (Epiphyas spp., Lepidoptera) infesting orchards
Authors: GEIER P. W. , SPRINGETT B. P.
Published: July 2006

Light‐brown apple moths (LBAMs) are Australian leafrollers of the genus Epiphyas, capable of infesting orchards and other horticultural crops. Currently, five species are recognized, two of which, E. postvittana and E. pulla, can be serious economic pests.

By means of principal‐components and group‐average cluster analyses applied to six parameters of demographic performance, two forms suspected of being interspecific hybrids were tested comparatively with possible parent species, and were found to be indistinguishable from E. postvittana.

The frequency distribution of cornuti, a structural feature of the male genitalia used in identification, was investigated experimentally in the two economic species and their hybrids. The numerical variability of this character was shown to be much greater than had been recognized previously. It was found also that, in E. postvittana, cornuti frequencies may change in response to environmental influences. Hybrids tended to have cornuti numbers intermediate between those of their progenitors.

LBAMs seem to be undergoing rapid evolutionary change in response to man‐induced alterations in the environment, and represent a hazard to horticulture not only in Australia, but possibly also in any temperate or sub‐tropical region to which they might gain access overseas. The situation would justify undertaking a systematic, Australia‐wide, survey of these and related leafrollers.
Physical structure of an ant community in semi‐arid Australia
Authors: BRIESE D. T. , MACAULEY B. J.
Published: July 2006

A study was carried out on the physical structure of an ant community in a semi‐arid habitat of southern New South Wales. Thirty‐seven species were collected from the area, and the relative abundance and spatial distribution of colonies of these species were determined in two plots, one in an area dominated by saltbush (Atriplex vesicaria), the other in an area where saltbush had been removed by overgrazing, leaving a simple grassland.

The composition and community structure of the populations were found to be little affected by vegetation, and there were no marked differences between the ant faunas of the two areas.

Analyses of spatial distribution of the ant colonies showed a variety of patterns, ranging from aggregated to overdispersed, both within and between species. It is suggested that the contemporary structure of an ant community results in the main from processes involving aggressive interactions, determined by the intrinsic properties of the constituent species.
Microvariation in the fauna of a sublittoral sand bank, Moreton Bay, Queensland
Authors: POINER I. R.
Published: July 2006

Benthic macrofauna was sampled from Naval Reserve Bank, Moreton Bay, Queensland, using an 0.05 m2 van Veen grab, and data were used to investigate spatial micropatterning. Samples were taken within a 5 × 6 square sampling grid (total area 730 in2) with an intersampling distance of 6 m. Samples were taken in duplicate on each occasion at 2‐inonth intervals. Particle size of sediments and depth data were also collected. Data on other abiotic factors such as temperature, salinity and currents were inferred.

Sampling gave data for 131 species. Hierarchical numerical classificatory techniques were employed to obtain (a) spatial patterns (site‐groups) based on biotic data, and (b) species‐groups which characterize the above site groups. Species diversity (SH) species richness (S), species evenness (J’) and individual species diversity (I) indices were computed for the total data set for each site with the species summated over the sampling times.

A selected number of species were used in the classification. The spatial patterns were well defined but the species‐groups categorizing them were somewhat confused. Species diversity indices were found to be of little aid in the interpretation of the site patterns or in generating alternative hypotheses.
The comparative ecology of ten species of honeyeaters in South Australia
Authors: FORD HUGF A. , PATON DAVID C.
Published: July 2006

We describe the habitats and feeding sites used by ten species of honeyeaters in the Mount Lofty Ranges near Adelaide, South Australia.Five of the species have relatively short beaks and feed chiefly on insects gleaned from leaves and bark or captured in the air. They also visit the flowers of Eucalyptus and occasionally of other plants. Species in the same genus occupy different habitats. The five longer‐beaked species feed more often onflowers of a wider variety including Eucalyptus, tubular flowers of the heaths and the inflorescences of bottle‐brushes. They also feed on insects, most of which they capture in the air. Most of these species overlap broadly in habitat and thus form a guild of species which are very similar in their overall ecology.
Aggregation of sublittoral macrobenthos in Moreton Bay, Queensland
Authors: STEPHENSON W. , COOK S. D.
Published: July 2006

Quintuplicate samples of macrobenthos were collected by an 0.1 m2 Smith‐McIntyre grab from six selected sites in Moreton Bay at 8‐week intervals on twelve occasions. This is part of a continuing study of time changes in the benthos.

The present paper deals with the‘withinfives’data, mostly on a species basis. We show that there is, for most species, a close power curve relationship between variances (withinfives) and means (of fives): here v = am where V is variance, m is mean, and a and b are constants. Following Taylor's (1961, 1971) initial interpretations b is a measure of aggregation, although a values also have interpretive importance. Of eight‐seven species studied there is a spectrum from highly aggregated (c. 65% of total) to random (c. 25%) to spaced (c. l0%). There is a comparable spectrum of transformations to produce variance stabilizing in the data.

Power curve fitting also applies to total site populations (n) where b is 1.977 and data require log transformation, and to species densities (s) where b is 1.342 and data require cube‐root transformation.

The data are not entirely suitable for investigating the topographic scale of patchiness of species within the 20 m‘within‐fives’traverses. A predominant patch width of 30 m or more was revealed.
Time‐patterns of macrobenthic species in Moreton Bay
Authors: STEPHENSON W.
Published: July 2006

Data were obtained at 2‐month intervals for ea 31/2 years by quintuplicate sampling with an 0.1 m2 Smith‐Mclntyre grab at six selected sites in Moreton Bay. A total of 312 species‐in‐sites was obtained; when considering species‐in‐all‐sites this was reduced to 158. Both sets of data were analysed with and without data (species) reduction.

After trials of several analytical methods single cyclical regressions involving Fourier transforms were selected as the main method. By prescribing a range of wavelengths, those giving the best and most significant fit to the data were obtained. Two ranges of wavelengths were used, near‐annual and long‐term.

The former showed a wide range of optimal periodicities from ca 38 to 60 weeks for one set of data and ca 38 to ca 65 weeks for the other. Species with the more rapid cycles are believed to be under particularly severe control by predator/disturbers.

‘Imposing’ a 52‐week cycle on the data and determining the estimated times of attainment of the first maximum shows a modal distribution with most species attaining maximum populations in September. This agrees with previous, but less intensive work, in Moreton Bay.

More species show significant long‐term cycles than show annual cycles, with a spectrum of cycles of from 2 to 7 years (the range scanned), with concentrations at 3, 5 and 6 years. It is impossible to ‘explain’ these varying cycles by any conceivable combination of abiotic factors. Considering cycles of 5, 6 and 7 years, there is convincing evidence in each case that an earlier group of species is replaced, in a synchronous fashion, by a later group. Quite often species disappear from one site and are synchronously replaced at another.

It was suspected that the overall situation would be complex, and although this complexity has been partially partitioned and partly clarified, much remains unexplained.
Throughfall and stemflow on silverleaf ironbark (Eucalyptus melanophloia) trees
Authors: PREBBLE R. E. , STIRK G. B.
Published: July 2006

The redistribution of rainfall on silverleaf ironbark (Eucalyptus melanophloia) trees in a semiarid environment at Narayen Research Station has been studied using detailed measurements on four trees.

Interception accounts for about 11% of the annual rainfall with only 0.6% as stem flow; canopy storage capacity is estimated to be 2 mm and an estimate of the rain required to initiate stem flow is 7 mm.

With the exception of nitrogen, the amounts of major elements returned to the soil surface beneath the tree canopy via through fall and stem flow is of the same order as that added by litter fall.
Vegetation of an alkaline pan — acidic peat mosaic in the Hardwood River Valley, Tasmania
Authors: BROWN M. J. , CROWDEN R. K. , JARMAN S. J.
Published: July 2006

The vegetation associated with sandy alkaline pans and surrounding acidic peats in south‐west Tasmania is described. The upper margins of the pans are characterized by sharp environmental discontinuities, with pH changes of more than 3 units in only 20 cm being recorded. Classification and ordination of quadrats by plant species associated with a typical pan showed that five distinct communities are evident, but that these form a gradational series which reflects the altering edaphic status of the sites during infilling of the pans. The pH, drainage and redox characteristics of the substrates are among the factors determining the frequency of particular species at any stage of the progression. Frequency histograms for plant species in and around the pans indicate that many of the species respond individually to changing pH.
Arthropod associates and macronutrient status of the red‐ink sundew (Drosera erythrorhiza Lindl.)
Authors: WATSON A. P. , MATTHIESSEN J. N. , SPRINGETT B. P.
Published: July 2006

Arthropods found associated with field populations of the Western Australian red‐ink sundew, Drosera erythrorhiza, were evaluated for their trophic relationship to the plant in a bushland site of the Spearwood Dunes System near Perth. The major prey of Drosera leaves was the collembolan, Hypogastrura vernalis, whose presence in the Perth metropolitan area is a new record for Australia. Additional arthropods found associated with Drosera included primary consumers and opportunistic predators that scavenge captured prey items.

Physical models of Drosera leaves were placed in the field and used to estimate potential leaf capture rate immediately prior to Drosera senescence. These data were coupled with nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K) analysis of soil, Drosera components and insect prey to determine that H. vernalis populations in the study area were sufficient to supply 100% of the observed sundew N and P pool, but a negligible proportion of the K pool. Soil sources of K exceeded any potential contribution of insect K.