bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Angiogenesis in mucous retention cyst: a human in vivo‐like model of endothelial cell differentiation in mucous substrate
Authors: Swelam Wael , Ida‐Yonemochi Hiroko , Saku Takashi
Published: December 2004

Background:  Mucous retention cysts contain a mucous pool in the lumina, in which pure angiogenic processes are occasionally observed. By using this unique human material, our aim was to understand the in vivo angiogenic process.

Methods:  Fifteen surgical tissue samples of mucous retention cysts of the lip were examined for expression of vascular endothelial markers and extracellular matrix molecules by immunohistochemistry and in situ hybridization (ISH).

Results:  Endothelial cells forming new vascular channels showed immunopositivities for CD31, CD34, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), and von Willebrand factor (vWF). These newly formed capillaries were surrounded by tenascin‐positive matrices and further by a dense infiltration of CD68‐positive cells with foamy to epitheloid appearances. Some of these cells were simultaneously positive for CD34, VEGF, and one of its receptors, Flk‐1, and they showed definite mRNA as well as protein signals for tenascin. In addition, these cells often tended to be aligned, which suggested tubule formation.

Conclusion:  The results suggest that monocyte/macrophage lineage cells are a major source for endothelial cells at least in mucous retention cysts and that tenascin produced by those cells plays an important role in differentiation of endothelial cells.
Dose‐response Study of 22‐Oxacalcitriol in Patients with Secondary Hyperparathyroidism
Authors: Akizawa Tadao , Ohashi Yasuo , Akiba Takashi , Suzuki Masashi , Nishizawa Yoshiki , Ogata Etsuro , Slatopolsky Eduardo , Kurokawa Kiyoshi
Published: December 2004

Abstract:  The dose–response relationships and the safety of administering 22‐oxacalcitriol (OCT) to patients with secondary hyperparathyroidism (2HPT) under regular three‐times‐weekly hemodialysis (HD) were evaluated by double‐blind parallel group design. A total of 203 patients with 2HPT were randomly allocated into four groups, and 5 µg (Group L), 10 µg (Group M), or 15 µg (Group H) OCT, or placebo (Group P) was administrated at the end of every HD for 12 weeks. Reductions of intact‐parathyroid hormone (iPTH) concentration greater than 30% from baseline were observed in 7.7% of Group P as compared to 77.3% of the pooled OCT groups after 12 weeks of treatment (Mantel test: P < 0.001). Time‐trends (slopes) of log‐iPTH concentration calculated by least‐squares line fitting to each patient's data during treatment differed between Group P and the pooled OCT groups (t‐test: P < 0.001) and these iPTH slopes decreased dose‐dependently (linear trend by t‐test: P < 0.001). Slopes of serum calcium corrected for albumin (corrected‐sCa) concentrations also differed between Group P and the pooled OCT groups (t‐test: P < 0.001), and increased dose‐dependently (linear trend by t‐test: P < 0.0001). Serum phosphorus and Ca × P product increased significantly only in high dose groups. Slopes of log(iPTH) and corrected‐sCa concentrations were reciprocally related. Most adverse events were hypercalcemia and dose‐related, but occasionally comprised pruritus or increased serum creatinine phosphokinase. These results indicate that OCT produced a strong and dose‐dependent suppression of PTH and an increase of corrected‐sCa concentration in patients with 2HPT. The recommended initial dosages of OCT would appear to be 5 µg when pretreatment iPTH concentrations are less than 500 pg/mL, and 10 µg when greater than 500 pg/mL for safe and effective treatment. As in the case of PTH, calcium and phosphorus showed dose‐dependent increases. It is therefore essential to take precautions as to possible increases in calcium and phosphorus.
Nutrient Availability Regulates SIRT1 Through a Forkhead-Dependent Pathway
Authors: Nemoto Shino , Fergusson Maria M. , Finkel Toren
Published: December 2004

Nutrient availability regulates life-span in a wide range of organisms. We demonstrate that in mammalian cells, acute nutrient withdrawal simultaneously augments expression of the SIRT1 deacetylase and activates the Forkhead transcription factor Foxo3a. Knockdown of Foxo3a expression inhibited the starvation-induced increase in SIRT1 expression. Stimulation of SIRT1 transcription by Foxo3a was mediated through two p53 binding sites present in the SIRT1 promoter, and a nutrient-sensitive physical interaction was observed between Foxo3a and p53. SIRT1 expression was not induced in starved p53-deficient mice. Thus, in mammalian cells, p53, Foxo3a, and SIRT1, three proteins separately implicated in aging, constitute a nutrient-sensing pathway.
Phosphorylation of Proteins by Inositol Pyrophosphates
Authors: Saiardi Adolfo , Bhandari Rashna , Resnick Adam C. , Snowman Adele M. , Snyder Solomon H.
Published: December 2004

The inositol pyrophosphates IP
7
and IP
8
contain highly energetic pyrophosphate bonds. Although implicated in various biologic functions, their molecular sites of action have not been clarified. Using radiolabeled IP
7
, we detected phosphorylation of multiple eukaryotic proteins. We also observed phosphorylation of endogenous proteins by endogenous IP
7
in yeast. Phosphorylation by IP
7
is nonenzymatic and may represent a novel intracellular signaling mechanism.
Cofolding Organizes Alfalfa Mosaic Virus RNA and Coat Protein for Replication
Authors: Guogas Laura M. , Filman David J. , Hogle James M. , Gehrke Lee
Published: December 2004

Alfalfa mosaic virus genomic RNAs are infectious only when the viral coat protein binds to the RNA 3′ termini. The crystal structure of an alfalfa mosaic virus RNA-peptide complex reveals that conserved AUGC repeats and Pro-Thr-x-Arg-Ser-x-x-Tyr coat protein amino acids cofold upon interacting. Alternating AUGC residues have opposite orientation, and they base pair in different adjacent duplexes. Localized RNA backbone reversals stabilized by arginine-guanine interactions place the adenosines and guanines in reverse order in the duplex. The results suggest that a uniform, organized 3′ conformation, similar to that found on viral RNAs with transfer RNA–like ends, may be essential for replication.
Identification of an Adeno-Associated Virus Rep Protein Binding Site in the Adenovirus
E2a
Promoter
Authors: Casper John M. , Timpe Jennifer M. , Dignam John David , Trempe James P.
Published: December 2004

Adeno-associated virus (AAV) and other parvoviruses inhibit proliferation of nonpermissive cells. The mechanism of this inhibition is not thoroughly understood. To learn how AAV interacts with host cells, we investigated AAV's interaction with adenovirus (Ad), AAV's most efficient helper virus. Coinfection with Ad and AAV results in an AAV-mediated inhibition of Ad5 gene expression and replication. The AAV replication proteins (Rep) activate and repress gene expression from AAV and heterologous transcription promoters. To investigate the role of Rep proteins in the suppression of Ad propagation, we performed chromatin immunoprecipitation analyses that demonstrated in vivo AAV Rep protein interaction with the Ad
E2a
gene promoter. In vitro binding of purified AAV Rep68 protein to the Ad
E2a
promoter was characterized by electrophoretic mobility shift assays (

K
d

= 200 ± 25 nM). A 38 bp, Rep68-protected region (5′-TAAGAGTCAGCGCGCAGTATTTACTGAAGAGAGCCT-3′) was identified by DNase I footprint analysis. The 38-bp protected region contains the weak
E2a
TATA box, sequence elements that resemble the Rep binding sites identified by random sequence oligonucleotide selection, and the transcription start site. These results suggest that Rep binding to the
E2a
promoter contributes to the inhibition of
E2a
gene expression from the Ad
E2a
promoter and may affect Ad replication.
Role for Tumor Necrosis Factor Alpha in Murine Cytomegalovirus Transcriptional Reactivation in Latently Infected Lungs
Authors: Simon Christian O. , Seckert Christof K. , Dreis Doris , Reddehase Matthias J. , Grzimek Natascha K. A.
Published: December 2004

Interstitial pneumonia is a major clinical manifestation of primary or recurrent cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection in immunocompromised recipients of a bone marrow transplant. In a murine model, lungs were identified as a prominent site of CMV latency and recurrence. Pulmonary latency of murine CMV is characterized by high viral genome burden and a low incidence of variegated immediate-early (IE) gene expression, reflecting a sporadic activity of the major IE promoters (MIEPs) and enhancer. The enhancer-flanking promoters MIEP1/3 and MIEP2 are switched on and off during latency in a ratio of ∼2:1. MIEP1/3 latency-associated activity generates the IE1 transcript of the
ie1/3
transcription unit but not the alternative splicing product IE3 that encodes the essential transactivator of early gene expression. Splicing thus appeared to be an important checkpoint for maintenance of latency. In accordance with previous work of others, we show here that signaling by the proinflammatory cytokine tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) activates IE1/3 transcription in vivo. As an addition to current knowledge, Poisson distribution analysis revealed an increased incidence of IE1/3 transcriptional events as well as a higher amount of transcripts per event. Notably, TNF-α promoted the splicing to IE3 transcripts, but transcription did not proceed to the
M55/gB
early gene. Moreover, the activated transcriptional state induced by TNF-α did not predispose latently infected mice to a higher incidence of virus recurrence after hematoablative treatment. In conclusion, TNF-α is an important inductor of IE gene transcriptional reactivation, whereas early genes downstream in the viral replicative cycle appear to be the rate-limiting checkpoint(s) for virus recurrence.
Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1 Genomic RNA Sequences in the Female Genital Tract and Blood: Compartmentalization and Intrapatient Recombination
Authors: Philpott Sean , Burger Harold , Tsoukas Christos , Foley Brian , Anastos Kathryn , Kitchen Christina , Weiser Barbara
Published: December 2004

Investigation of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) in the genital tract of women is crucial to the development of vaccines and therapies. Previous analyses of HIV-1 in various anatomic sites have documented compartmentalization, with viral sequences from each location that were distinct yet phylogenetically related. Full-length RNA genomes derived from different compartments in the same individual, however, have not yet been studied. Furthermore, although there is evidence that intrapatient recombination may occur frequently, recombinants comprising viruses from different sites within one individual have rarely been documented. We compared full-length HIV-1 RNA sequences in the plasma and female genital tract, focusing on a woman with high HIV-1 RNA loads in each compartment who had been infected heterosexually and then transmitted HIV-1 by the same route. We cloned and sequenced 10 full-length HIV-1 RNA genomes from her genital tract and 10 from her plasma. We also compared viral genomes from the genital tract and plasma of four additional heterosexually infected women, sequencing 164
env
and
gag
clones obtained from the two sites. Four of five women, including the one whose complete viral sequences were determined, displayed compartmentalized HIV-1 genomes. Analyses of full-length, compartmentalized sequences made it possible to document complex intrapatient HIV-1 recombinants that were composed of alternating viral sequences characteristic of each site. These findings demonstrate that the genital tract and blood harbor genetically distinct populations of replicating HIV-1 and provide evidence that recombination between strains from the two compartments contributes to rapid evolution of viral sequence variation in infected individuals.
Nodamura Virus RNA Replication in
Saccharomyces cerevisiae
: Heterologous Gene Expression Allows Replication-Dependent Colony Formation
Authors: Price B. Duane , Eckerle Lance D. , Ball L. Andrew , Johnson Kyle L.
Published: December 2004

Nodamura virus
(NoV) and
Flock House virus
(FHV) are members of the family
Nodaviridae
. The nodavirus genome is composed of two positive-sense RNA segments: RNA1 encodes the viral RNA-dependent RNA polymerase and RNA2 encodes the capsid protein precursor. A small subgenomic RNA3, which encodes nonstructural proteins B1 and B2, is transcribed from RNA1 during RNA replication. Previously, FHV was shown to replicate both of its genomic RNAs and to transcribe RNA3 in transiently transfected yeast cells. FHV RNAs and their derivatives could also be expressed from plasmids containing RNA polymerase II promoters. Here we show that all of these features can be recapitulated for NoV, the only nodavirus that productively infects mammals. Inducible plasmid-based systems were used to characterize the RNA replication requirements for NoV RNA1 and RNA2 in
Saccharomyces cerevisiae
. Induced NoV RNA1 replication was robust. Three previously described NoV RNA1 mutants behaved in yeast as they had in mammalian cells. Yeast colonies were selected from cells expressing NoV RNA1, and RNA2 replicons that encoded yeast nutritional markers, from plasmids. Unexpectedly, these NoV RNA replication-dependent yeast colonies were recovered at frequencies 10
4
-fold lower than in the analogous FHV system. Molecular analysis revealed that some of the NoV RNA replication-dependent colonies contained mutations in the NoV B2 open reading frame in the replicating viral RNA. In addition, we found that NoV RNA1 could support limited replication of a deletion derivative of the heterologous FHV RNA2 that expressed the yeast
HIS3
selectable marker, resulting in formation of HIS
+
colonies.
Substitution of Feline Leukemia Virus Long Terminal Repeat Sequences into Murine Leukemia Virus Alters the Pattern of Insertional Activation and Identifies New Common Insertion Sites
Authors: Johnson Chassidy , Lobelle-Rich Patricia A. , Puetter Adriane , Levy Laura S.
Published: December 2004

The recombinant retrovirus, MoFe2-MuLV (MoFe2), was constructed by replacing the U3 region of Moloney murine leukemia virus (M-MuLV) with homologous sequences from the FeLV-945 LTR. NIH/Swiss mice neonatally inoculated with MoFe2 developed T-cell lymphomas of immature thymocyte surface phenotype. MoFe2 integrated infrequently (0 to 9%) near common insertion sites (CISs) previously identified for either parent virus. Using three different strategies, CISs in MoFe2-induced tumors were identified at six loci, none of which had been previously reported as CISs in tumors induced by either parent virus in wild-type animals. Two of the newly identified CISs had not previously been implicated in lymphoma in any retrovirus model. One of these, designated
3-19
, encodes the p101 regulatory subunit of phosphoinositide-3-kinase-gamma. The other, designated
Rw1
, is predicted to encode a protein that functions in the immune response to virus infection. Thus, substitution of FeLV-945 U3 sequences into the M-MuLV long terminal repeat (LTR) did not alter the target tissue for M-MuLV transformation but significantly altered the pattern of CIS utilization in the induction of T-cell lymphoma. These observations support a growing body of evidence that the distinctive sequence and/or structure of the retroviral LTR determines its pattern of insertional activation. The findings also demonstrate the oligoclonal nature of retrovirus-induced lymphomas by demonstrating proviral insertions at CISs in subdominant populations in the tumor mass. Finally, the findings demonstrate the utility of novel recombinant retroviruses such as MoFe2 to contribute new genes potentially relevant to the induction of lymphoid malignancy.
The Ubiquitin-Proteasome System Facilitates the Transfer of Murine Coronavirus from Endosome to Cytoplasm during Virus Entry
Authors: Yu Guann-Yi , Lai Michael M. C.
Published: December 2004

The ubiquitin-proteasome system is involved in cellular endocytosis and maturation of some viruses. In this study, we found that proteasome inhibitors blocked mouse hepatitis virus replication at an early step in the viral life cycle. In the presence of MG132, the entering viruses accumulated in both the endosome and denser lysosome, suggesting that the ubiquitin-proteasome system is involved in the release of virus from the endosome to the cytosol during the virus entry step.
Induction of the RelB NF-κB Subunit by the Cytomegalovirus IE1 Protein Is Mediated via Jun Kinase and c-Jun/Fra-2 AP-1 Complexes
Authors: Wang Xiaobo , Sonenshein Gail E.
Published: December 2004

We recently demonstrated that the cytomegalovirus (CMV) immediate-early 1 (IE1) protein induces transcription of the gene encoding the RelB NF-κB subunit. The mechanism of this activation has been explored here. We report that the induction of therelBpromoter by IE1 protein is mediated via activation of JNK and AP-1. The region controllingrelBpromoter induction was mapped to the upstream ∼600-bp region between −1694 and −1096 bp. IE1 stimulated AP-1 activity in NIH 3T3 cells. Competition electrophoretic mobility shift assay (EMSA) confirmed the presence of one bona fide AP-1 element centered at −1503 bp. Introduction of a G-to-C mutation in the AP-1 binding site within the distal region of therelBpromoter eliminated its activation by IE1 in both NIH 3T3 fibroblasts and vascular smooth muscle cells (SMCs). Supershift EMSA identified c-Jun, Fra-2, and c-Fos in AP-1 binding complexes in IE1 transfected NIH 3T3 cells. IE1 induced c-Jun phosphorylation, and treatment with SP600125, a selective JNK inhibitor, as well as overexpression of JNK-binding domain of JIP1, blocked IE1-mediated induction of AP-1 andrelBpromoter activity in NIH 3T3 cells and SMCs. Ectopic expression of c-Jun plus Fra-2, but not c-Fos, inducedrelBpromoter activity. TherelBpromoter has two proximal NF-κB elements, and c-Jun/Fra-2 worked in synergy with p50/p65 NF-κB complexes. Overall, these findings demonstrate for the first time the role of AP-1 in transcriptional regulation of a gene encoding an NF-κB subunit, and its involvement in induction of RelB activity by the CMV IE1 protein.
ADDITIVITY CONJECTURE AND COVARIANT CHANNELS
Authors: HOLEVO A. S.
Published: December 2004

In this survey paper we discuss the relation between the minimal output entropy and the χ-capacity for irreducibly covariant quantum channels implying equivalence of the additivity property for both quantities for such channels. The structure of the Weyl-covariant channels is described in detail.
HOLOGRAPHY AND SHANNON'S FIRST THEOREM
Authors: CORREA-BORBONET L. ALEJANDRO
Published: December 2004

A possible link between holography and information theory is presented. Using the relation between the Shannon and Boltzmann formulas, holography can be seen as the best encoding scheme.
QUANTUM ZERO-ERROR CAPACITY
Authors: MEDEIROS REX A. C. , DE ASSIS FRANCISCO M.
Published: December 2004

We define a new kind of quantum channel capacity by extending the concept of zero-error capacity for a noisy quantum channel. The necessary requirement for which a quantum channel has zero-error capacity greater than zero is given. Finally, we point out some directions on how to calculate the zero-error capacity of such channels.
CORRELATED EQUILIBRIA OF CLASSICAL STRATEGIC GAMES WITH QUANTUM SIGNALS
Authors: LA MURA PIERFRANCESCO
Published: December 2004

Correlated equilibria are sometimes more efficient than the Nash equilibria of a game without signals. We investigate whether the availability of quantum signals in the context of a classical strategic game may allow the players to achieve even greater efficiency than in any correlated equilibrium with classical signals, and find the answer to be positive.
DYNAMICAL AND STEADY-STATE REQUIREMENTS FOR EFFECTIVE ENTANGLEMENT TRANSFER
Authors: PATERNOSTRO M. , KIM M. S. , SON W.
Published: December 2004

Entanglement transfer processes from a continuous-variable (CV) to a qubit system have primary importance in quantum information processing due to some practical implications in the realization of a quantum network. A CV system can propagate entanglement while a qubit system is easy to manipulate. We study conditions to entangle two atomic qubits with a two-mode squeezed field driving two cavities containing the atoms.
PARAMAGNETIC MATERIALS AND PRACTICAL ALGORITHMIC COOLING FOR NMR QUANTUM COMPUTING
Authors: FERNANDEZ JOSÉ M. , MOR TAL , WEINSTEIN YOSSI
Published: December 2004

Algorithmic cooling is a method that uses novel data compression techniques and simple quantum computing devices to improve NMR spectroscopy, and to offer scalable NMR quantum computers. The algorithm recursively employs two steps. A reversible entropy compression of computation quantum-bits (qubits) of the system and an irreversible heat transfer from the system to the environment through a set of reset qubits that reach thermal relaxation rapidly. Is it possible to experimentally demonstrate algorithmic cooling using existing technology? To allow experimental algorithmic cooling, the thermalization time of the reset qubits must be much shorter than the thermalization time of the computation qubits. However, such high thermalization-times ratios have yet to be reported. We investigate here the effect of a paramagnetic salt on the thermalization-times ratio of computation qubits (carbons) and a reset qubit (hydrogen). We show that the thermalization-times ratio is improved by approximately three-fold. Based on this result, an experimental demonstration of algorithmic cooling by thermalization and magnetic ions has been performed by the authors and collaborators.
3D FRACTURE MECHANICS FOR A MODE I CRACK IN PIEZOELECTRIC MEDIA
Authors: CHEN MENG-CHENG
Published: December 2004

This paper deals with mode I fracture problems for a planar crack in an infinite piezoelectric solid subjected to electric and tension loading. The finite-part integral concept is used to prove rigidly hypersingular integral equations for the crack by using three-dimensional linear piezoelectricity theory. Investigations on the singularities and the singular stress and electric displacement fields in the vicinity of the crack are made by the dominant-part analysis of the two-dimensional hypersingular integrals. Thereafter the stress and electric displacement intensity factor K-fields and the energy release rate G are exactly obtained by the definitions similar to those of elasticity. Then, a numerical method for the solution of the hypersingular integral equations is developed, in which the displacement and electric potential differences across the crack surfaces are approximated with a product of basic density functions and polynomials. Numerical solutions of several typical planar cracks are obtained with high accuracy.
Id2 and p53 participate in apoptosis during unloading-induced muscle atrophy
Authors: Siu Parco M. , Alway Stephen E.
Published: December 2004

Apoptotic signaling was examined in the patagialis (PAT) muscles of young adult and old quail. One wing was loaded for 14 days to induce hypertrophy and then unloaded for 7 or 14 days to induce muscle atrophy. Although the nuclear Id2 protein content was not different between unloaded and control muscles in either age group, cytoplasmic Id2 protein content of unloaded muscles was higher than that in contralateral control muscles after 7 days of unloading in young quails. Nuclear and cytoplasmic p53 contents and the p53 nuclear index of the unloaded muscles were higher than those in control muscles after 7 days of unloading in young quails, whereas in aged quails, the p53 and Id2 contents and p53 nuclear index of the unloaded muscles were not altered by unloading. Immunofluorescent staining indicated that myonuclei and activated satellite cell nuclei contributed to the increased number of p53-positive nuclei. Conversely, unloading in either young adult or aged PAT muscles did not alter c-Myc protein content. Although Cu-Zn-SOD content was not different in unloaded and control muscles, Mn-SOD content increased in PAT muscles after 7 days of unloading in young quails, suggesting that unloading induced an oxidative disturbance in these muscles. Moderate correlational relationships existed among Id2, p53, c-Myc, SOD, apoptosis-regulatory factors, and TdT-mediated dUTP nick end labeling index. These data indicate that Id2 and p53 are involved in the apoptotic responses during unloading-induced muscle atrophy after hypertrophy in young adult birds. Furthermore, our data suggest that there is an aging-dependent regulation of Id2 and p53 during unloading of previously hypertrophied muscles.
Absence of a deglutitive inhibition equivalent with secondary peristalsis
Authors: Pandolfino John E. , Shi Guoxiang , Zhang Qing , Kahrilas Peter J.
Published: December 2004

This study aimed to determine the interactions between closely paired swallow-induced primary peristalsis (PP) and air injection-induced secondary peristalsis (SP). Ten subjects (7 men, 18–42 yr) were studied using a catheter, including two sleeves (upper and lower esophageal sphincters), a midesophageal infusion port, and seven esophageal and two pharyngeal recording sites. Ten iterations of PP and SP were induced by 5-ml water swallows and 20-ml intraesophageal air injections, respectively. Thereafter, the interactions between PP and SP, separated by 1- to 12-s intervals, were studied in all four possible sequences: paired swallows, swallow preceded by air injection, air injection preceded by swallow, and paired air injections. Tracings were analyzed for lower esophageal sphincter relaxation, presence and integrity of peristalsis, and event interaction. Eight subjects with success rates of both ≥90% PP and ≥80% SP were analyzed (PP 97 ± 2%, SP 90 ± 3%). During paired PP interactions and SP followed by PP, the first sequence was inhibited by the second with intervals < 4–6 s. However, no inhibition of the first peristaltic sequence was found in either PP followed by SP trials or SP followed by air injection. In contrast to swallowing or proximal esophageal distention, air injection into the lumen of the midesophagus does not inhibit an ongoing peristaltic event. Being that the elicitation of SP in the smooth muscle esophagus is intramurally mediated, this suggests that deglutitive inhibition is a centrally mediated phenomenon rather than an intrinsic property of peristalsis.
Echocardiographic assessment of aortic elastic properties with automated border detection in an ICU: in vivo application of the arctangent Langewouters model
Authors: Heerman Jan R. , Segers Patrick , Roosens Carl D. , Gasthuys Frank , Verdonck Pascal R. , Poelaert Jan I.
Published: December 2004

We studied whether combined pressure and transesophageal ultrasound monitoring is feasible in the intensive care unit (ICU) setting for global cardiovascular hemodynamic monitoring [systemic vascular resistance (SVR) and total arterial compliance (CPPM)] and direct estimation of local ascending and descending aortic mechanical properties, i.e., distensibility and compliance coefficients (DC and CC). Pressure-area data were fitted to the arctangent Langewouters model, with aortic cross-sectional area obtained via automated border detection. Data were measured in 19 subjects at baseline, during infusion of sodium nitroprusside (SNP), and after washout. SNP infusion lowered SVR from 1.15 ± 0.40 to 0.80 ± 0.32 mmHg·ml−1·s ( P < 0.05), whereas CPPM increased from 0.87 ± 0.46 to 1.02 ± 0.42 ml/mmHg ( P < 0.05). DC and CC increased from 0.0018 ± 0.0007 to 0.0025 ± 0.0009 l/mmHg ( P < 0.05) and from 0.0066 ± 0.0028 to 0.0083 ± 0.0026 cm2/mmHg ( P < 0.05), respectively, at the descending, but not ascending, aorta. The Langewouters model fitted the descending aorta data reasonably well. Assessment of local mechanical properties of the human ascending aorta in a clinical setting by automated border detection remains technically challenging.
Effect of Amiloride on Gustatory Responses in the Ventroposteromedial Nucleus of the Thalamus in Rats
Authors: Verhagen Justus V. , Giza Barbara K. , Scott Thomas R.
Published: December 2004

The existence of gustatory neuron types has been demonstrated in the chorda tympani nerve and the nucleus of the solitary tract (NTS) of rats and hamsters through the oral application of amiloride, a sodium channel blocker. At these lower-order levels, amiloride was shown to reduce the response to sodium and lithium salts in sodium- and sugar-oriented cells, while leaving those of acid- and quinine-oriented neurons unmodified. We extended this investigation to higher-order levels by determining whether amiloride suppressed the responses of cells at the 4th-order gustatory relay in the thalamus, which neurons were affected, the degree of suppression, and whether the subsequent neural code for sodium was altered. We stimulated the whole oral cavity of anesthetized rats with a variety of tastants while recording the responses of 42 single thalamic neurons before and after the application of amiloride. The results revealed a similar pattern to that reported in the NTS. Amiloride inhibited only sodium- and sugar-oriented neurons, and specifically their responses to sodium- or lithium-containing stimuli. Moreover, there was a significant relationship between the degree of sodium specificity of a neuron and its sensitivity to inhibition by amiloride. These results demonstrate a relationship between a cell's response profile and its susceptibility to amiloride, and so offer evidence that gustatory neuron types exist through the level of the thalamus in rats. Thus membership in a neuronal group retains functional significance based on a receptor event 4 synapses away.
Organization of Interlaminar Interactions in the Rat Superior Colliculus
Authors: Saito Yasuhiko , Isa Tadashi
Published: December 2004

Our previous studies have shown that when slices of the rat superior colliculus (SC) are exposed to a solution containing 10 μM bicuculline and a low concentration of Mg2+ (0.1 mM), most neurons in the intermediate gray layer (stratum griseum intermediale; SGI), wide-field vertical (WFV) cells in the optic layer (stratum opticum; SO), and a minor population of neurons in the superficial gray layer (stratum griseum superficiale; SGS) exhibit spontaneous depolarization and burst firing, which are synchronous among adjacent neurons. These spontaneous and synchronous depolarizations were thought to share common mechanisms with presaccadic burst activity in SGI neurons. In the present study, we explored the site responsible for generation of synchronous depolarization of SGI neurons by performing dual whole cell recordings under different slice conditions. A pair of SGI neurons recorded in a small rectangular piece of the SGI punched out from the SC slice showed synchronous depolarization but far less frequently than those recorded in a small rectangular piece including SGS and SO. This suggests that the superficial layers are needed for triggering synchronous depolarization in the SGI. Furthermore, we recorded spontaneous depolarizations in pairs of neurons belonging to the different layers. Analysis of their synchronicity revealed that WFV cells in the SO exhibit synchronous depolarizations with both SGS and SGI neurons, and the onset of spontaneous depolarization in WFV cells precedes those of neurons in other layers. Further, when SGS and SGI neurons exhibit synchronous depolarizations, SGI neurons usually precede the SGS neurons. These observations give further evidence to the existence of interlaminar interaction between superficial and deeper layers of the SC. In addition, it is suggested that WFV cells can trigger burst activity in other layers of the SC and that there is an excitatory signal transmission from the deeper layers to the superficial layers.
A Test of Turk’s Theory of Norm Resistance Using Observational Data on Police-Suspect Encounters
Authors: Weidner Robert R. , Terrill William
Published: December 2004

Turk’s theory of norm resistance explains how authority-subject relations can be structured in manners that have different probabilities of overt conflict (norm resistance). Building on previous research by Lanza-Kaduce and Greenleaf, this study uses data collected as part of an observational study of the police in Indianapolis, Indiana, and St. Petersburg, Florida, to examine Turk’s theory as it relates to conflict in police-suspect encounters. It examines three hypotheses derived from the theory of norm resistance, using multivariate statistical techniques to control for several factors either posited or empirically shown in previous research to influence overt conflict. Two of the three hypotheses are supported. Consistent with prior research, organization and sophistication of police and suspects are significant predictors of overt conflict. However, the hypothesis that conflict will be less likely when officers’ positional authority is reinforced by race, age, sex, and wealth deference norms is not supported.
Testing Moffitt’s Account of Delinquency Abstention
Authors: Piquero Alex R. , Brezina Timothy , Turner Michael G.
Published: December 2004

An established finding in criminology is that most adolescents engage in delinquency. Still, studies continue to identify a small group of individuals who refrain from delinquency even when it is normative for their same-age peers. Moffitt’s developmental taxonomy provides some reasons for delinquency abstention, but research has been slow to assess these hypotheses. Herein, the authors use data from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1997 to examine one of Moffitt’s unexplored abstention hypotheses: that some individuals abstain because individual characteristics block their access to delinquent peer networks and, hence, opportunities to mimic antisocial behavior. In addition, the authors also present the first empirical examination of gender differences in abstention. The results support some aspects of Moffitt’s hypotheses concerning the importance of peer networks, but provide mixed evidence regarding the personal characteristics associated with delinquency abstention and involvement in deviant peer networks. Directions for future research and theorizing are discussed.
Cartoons as information
Authors: Ginman Mariam , von Ungern-Sternberg Sara
Published: December 2004

Today the impact of cartoons has a new status in social communication research. Animation has gained a new and wider use, especially in situations where it is important to get the message through and have it internalized, e.g. in marketing and learning. The present study examined whether internal messages presented with humour and in the form of cartoons have a greater impact power than traditional messages among the employees in an organization. The object was to study whether the messages in the form of comic cartoons were better noticed by the employees, whether they were received to a higher degree and whether they more efficiently achieved the desired effect among the employees.
Transformation of nitrogen during vermicomposting of fly ash
Authors: Bhattacharya Satya S. , Chattopadhyay Gunindra N.
Published: December 2004

In view of environmental problems generated by large-scale production of fly ash, increasing attention is now being paid to the recycling fly ash as a source of plant nutrients in agriculture. However, the low amount of nitrogen in such materials forms a major constraint for such application. In the present study, the possibility of improving the N status in mixtures of fly ash and organic matter was investigated by adopting vermicomposting technology. Different combinations of fly ash and cow ( Bos taurus) dung; namely fly ash alone, cow dung alone and fly ash + cow dung at 1: 1, 1: 3 and 3: 1 ratios were incubated with and without epigeic earthworms ( Eisenia fetida) for 50 days. The occurrence of N in different bio-available forms; namely easily mineralizable, NH4+and NO3- tended to increase considerably in the series treated with earthworms. This behaviour was attributed primarily to increased microbiological activity in the vermicom-posted samples and also to a considerable rise in the concentration of nitrogen-fixing bacteria in this series. Among the three combinations of vermicomposted fly ash and cow dung, the 1: 1 mixture appeared to exhibit the highest availability of nitrogen.
Marketization and the Recasting of the Professional Self
Authors: Lair Daniel J. , Sullivan Katie , Cheney George
Published: December 2004

Within the personal branding movement, people and their careers are marketed as brands complete with promises of performance, specialized designs, and tag lines for success. Because personal branding offers such a startlingly overt invitation to self-commodification, the phenomenon invites a careful and searching analysis. This essay begins by examining parallel developments in contemporary communication and employment climates and exploring how personal branding arises as (perhaps) an extreme form of a market-appropriate response. The contours of the personal branding movement are then traced, emphasizing the rhetorical tactics with which it responds to increasingly complex communication and employment environments. Next, personal branding is examined with a critical eye to both its effects on individuals and the power relations it instantiates on the basis of social categories such as gender, age, race, and class. Finally, the article concludes by reflecting on the broader ethical implications of personal branding as a communication strategy.
Color Categories Are Not Arbitrary
Authors: Kay Paul
Published: December 2004

Recent, well-controlled studies in cross-language color naming and cross-language tests of color memory and learning have made important contributions to our understanding of which aspects of cross-language color naming and nonverbal response to colors may and may not be attributed to pan-human properties of color appearance. Valuable as these results are, some studies have led to more relativistic conclusions than their results justify. In particular, these conclusions ignore the issue of whether there exists across languages a statistical tendency toward basing color terminology systems on black, white, and the four Hering opponent hues.
Concentrated Disadvantage and Youth-On-Youth Homicide
Authors: MacDonald John M. , Gover Angela R.
Published: December 2004

Between the mid-1980s and early 1990s, there was an unprecedented growth in youth homicides. Numerous studies note the importance of measures of concentrated disadvantage in the social production of adult homicide. However, few studies have examined the relationship between these social ecological factors and homicides in which youth are both the perpetrators and victims. This research examines the impact of structural indicators of concentrated disadvantage on city-level rates of youth-on-youth homicide. Results indicate that concentrated disadvantage is associated with youth-on-youth homicide rates in large U.S. cities over time. The rise in these structural indicators of disadvantage is also associated with the increase in youth-on-youth homicide rates in U.S. cities in the early 1990s. The theoretical significance of these findings for substantive theories of youth violence and their social policy ramifications are discussed.
The dendritic cell-derived protein DC-STAMP is highly conserved and localizes to the endoplasmic reticulum
Authors: Eleveld-Trancikova Dagmar , Triantis Vassilis , Moulin Veronique , Looman Maaike W G , Wijers Mietske , Fransen Jack A M , Lemckert Angelique A C , Havenga Menzo J E , Figdor Carl G , Janssen Richard A J , Adema Gosse J
Published: December 2004

Recently, we described the molecular identification of dendritic cell-specific TrAnsMembrane protein (DC-STAMP), a multimembrane-spanning protein preferentially expressed by human DC (hDC). In this report, we describe the identification and expression profile of the murine homologue of DC-STAMP (mDC-STAMP) as well as the characterization of the DC-STAMP protein. The results demonstrate that mDC-STAMP is over 90% homologous to hDC-STAMP and is also preferentially expressed by DC in vitro and ex vivo. mDC-STAMP expression is enhanced by interleukin-4 and down-regulated upon DC maturation. Analysis of differently tagged DC-STAMP proteins further demonstrates that hDC-STAMP and mDC-STAMP are glycosylated and primarily localize to an intracellular compartment. Applying confocal microscopy and electron microscopy, we demonstrate that hDC-STAMP localizes to the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) in human embryonic kidney 293 cells as well as hDC transduced with an adenovirus encoding hDC-STAMP-green fluorescent protein fusion protein. These data imply that DC-STAMP may exert its effect in the ER.
Effect of cisplatin on renal brush border membrane enzymes and phosphate transport
Authors: Fatima Sabiha , Yusufi Ahad Noor Khan , Mahmood Riaz
Published: December 2004

Cisplatin (CDDP) is widely used in the treatment of various cancers but its clinical use is associated with dose limiting nephrotoxicity. The present work was carried out to study the effect of administration of CDDP on rat renal brush border membrane (BBM) marker enzymes and inorganic phosphate (Pi) transport across BBM vesicles (BBMV). Animals were administered a single intraperitoneal dose of CDDP (6 mg/kg body weight) or normal saline and then sacrificed 2, 4, 8 and 16 days after this treatment. The administration of CDDP resulted in increased serum creatinine and blood urea nitrogen levels and decreased activity of BBM marker enzymes in the BBM as well as in the homogenates of cortex and medulla. Kinetic studies showed that the Vmaxof the enzymes was decreased in BBM from CDDP treated rats while the Kmremained unchanged. The Na+-gradient dependent transport of Pi across BBMV was also significantly reduced after CDDP treatment. These results strongly suggest that the administration of a single nephrotoxic dose of CDDP results in impairment of the functions of renal BBM.
Emergency Prevention System (EMPRES) for Transboundary Animal and Plant Pests and Diseases. The EMPRES‐Livestock: An FAO Initiative
Authors: WELTE VALDIR ROBERTO , TERÁN MOISÉS VARGAS
Published: December 2004

Abstract: The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) decided that the Organization should be focusing on the goal of enhancing world food security and the fight against transboundary animal diseases and plant pests. A mandate was obtained from the Governing Council and Conference to establish two new Special Programmes to address these fundamental issues. The first is the Special Programme on Food Security and the second is the Emergency Prevention System against transboundary animal and plant pests and diseases (EMPRES). EMPRES has two components, created after 1994 by a new policy of the Director‐General of the FAO to better direct the FAO: the plant pest component focuses on the desert locust, whereas the animal diseases component focuses primarily on rinderpest but also on other epidemic diseases (e.g., contagious bovine pleuropneumonia, foot‐and‐mouth disease, peste de petit ruminants). For the program as a whole, a high‐level EMPRES Steering Committee was established. This is chaired by the FAO Director‐General and consists of the heads of key departments (Assistant Directors‐General) and Divisional Directors. For the animal diseases component (hereafter referred to as EMPRES‐Livestock Programme), FAO established a management unit within its Animal Health Service (AGAH), that is, the Infectious Diseases‐EMPRES Group, to be responsible for implementation, including liaison with the Joint FAO‐International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Division in Vienna for some of the functions suballocated there. This paper briefly describes FAO EMPRES Livestock, its vision, its mission, and its activities to assist FAO developing member countries and regions in improving the ability of veterinary services to reduce the risks of introduction and/or dissemination of transboundary animal disease, by preventing, controlling, and eradicating those diseases, assisting countries in building their own surveillance/early warning systems, establishing contingency plans, and establishing a global information system for disease monitoring.
Identification of a Coronin‐Like Protein in Babesia Species
Authors: FIGUEROA JULIO V. , PRECIGOUT ERIC , CARCY BERNARD , GORENFLOT ANDRÉ
Published: December 2004

Abstract: The present study was designed to immunochemically identify a coronin‐like protein in Babesia bovis, B. bigemina, B. divergens, and B. canis. A 2‐kbp cDNA insert of B. bovis carried by plasmid BvN9 was sequenced by the dideoxichain‐termination method on both strands. The cDNA insert contained a 1719‐bp long open reading frame coding for a deduced protein sequence of 61.7 kDa. Sequence analysis using the PSI‐BLAST program revealed about 30% protein sequence identity with a coronin‐like protein of Plasmodium falciparum. The encoding sequence of the cDNA insert lacking 70 amino acids at the N‐terminal was subcloned in frame into pGEX 4T‐3 to produce a recombinant glutathione S‐transferase (GST)‐pBv fusion protein. Polyclonal antibodies prepared in rabbits immunized with the purified GST‐fusion protein recognized a Babesia‐specific component of approximately 60 kDa by immunoprecipitation with [35S]methionine‐labeled parasites. However, two molecules with relative sizes of 60 and 70 kDa were recognized in Babesia‐infected erythrocyte extracts by immunobloting analysis. The 70‐kDa component was apparently of host erythrocyte origin. In an indirect fluorescent antibody test, the rabbit serum strongly reacted with the merozoite stage of the four Babesia species, but also, although weakly, with the host erythrocyte. A cosedimentation assay performed with GST‐pBv fusion protein and exogenous actin from rabbit liver showed that the GST‐pBv fusion protein, but not the GST protein, was associated to actin. From these results, we conclude that the protein present in the four Babesia species analyzed here may be considered as a novel coronin‐like, actin‐binding protein.
Use of the Serial Analysis of Gene Expression (SAGE) Method in Veterinary Research: A Concrete Application in the Study of the Bovine Trypanotolerance Genetic Control
Authors: MAILLARD JEAN‐CHARLES , BERTHIER DAVID , THEVENON SOPHIE , QUÉRÉ RONAN , PIQUEMAL DAVID , MANCHON LAURENT , MARTI JACQUES
Published: December 2004

Abstract: New postgenomic biotechnologies, such as transcriptome analyses, are now able to characterize the full complement of genes involved in the expression of specific biological functions. One of these is the Serial Analysis of Gene Expression (SAGE) technique, which consists of the construction of transcripts libraries for a quantitative analysis of the entire gene(s) expressed or inactivated at a particular step of cellular activation. Bioinformatic comparisons in the bovine genomic databases allow the identification of several up‐ and downregulated genes, expressed sequence tags, and unknown functional genes directly involved in the genetic control of the studied biological mechanism. We present and discuss the preliminary results in comparing the expressed genes in two total mRNA transcripts libraries obtained during an experimental Trypanosoma congolense infection in one trypanotolerant N'Dama animal cow. Knowing all the functional genes involved in the trypanotolerance control will permit validation of some results obtained with the quantitative trait locus approach, to set up specific microarrays sets for further metabolic and pharmacological studies, and to design field marker‐assisted selection by introgression programs.