bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Leading edge noise from thick foils in turbulent flows
Authors: Gershfeld Jonathan
Published: September 2004

The prediction of dipole sound from the diffraction of turbulence by the leading edge of a rigid foil is made using acoustic analogies for homogeneous flows with and without mean shear. The Green’s function accounts for the foil thickness and leading edge shape. A comparison between the theory and published measurements suggests that the foil thickness exponentially attenuates the dipole sound pressure power spectrum by the product of the convection wavenumber and half the maximum section thickness. The ratio of the predicted dipole sound from the mean shear source to the source without mean shear is determined to be proportional to the ratio of the mean shear to the frequency of the sources.
Subjective response of people to simulated sonic booms in their homes
Authors: McCurdy David A. , Brown Sherilyn A. , Hilliard R. David
Published: September 2004

In order to determine the effect of the number of sonic boom occurrences on annoyance, a computer-based system was developed for studying the subjective response of people to the occurrence of simulated sonic booms in their homes. The system provided a degree of control over the noise exposure not found in community surveys and a degree of situational realism not available in the laboratory. A system was deployed for eight weeks in each of 33 homes. Each day from 4 to 63 sonic booms were played as the test subject went about his or her normal activities. At the end of the day, the test subjects rated their annoyance to the sonic booms heard during the day. The sonic booms consisted of different combinations of waveforms, levels, and occurrence rates. The experiment confirmed that the increase in annoyance resulting from multiple occurrences can be modeled by the addition of the term “10  *  log(number of occurrences)” to the sonic boom level. Of several noise metrics considered, perceived level was the best annoyance predictor. Comparisons of the subjective responses to the different sonic boom waveforms found no differences that were not accounted for by the noise metrics.
Plane wave reflection coefficient from near field measurements
Authors: Harrison Chris H. , Nielsen Peter L.
Published: September 2004

The plane wave reflection coefficient for all angles and frequencies is a unique descriptor of the acoustic properties of a seabed, but it is difficult to measure directly in shallow water. However, one can calculate the point receiver result by a plane wave expansion given the plane wave reflection coefficient. In this paper it is shown that it is also possible to perform the more useful inverse operation of calculating the plane wave reflection coefficient given point source and receiver measurements. This means that it is possible to make propagation predictions in the presence of complex bottom structure using short range reflection measurements but without ever determining the detailed geoacoustic parameters. Simulations show that the method works for multiple isospeed layers and also continuously varying sediment sound speed profiles. The feasibility of experimental determination of the plane wave reflection coefficient is addressed.
Relative importance of temporal information in various frequency regions for consonant identification in quiet and in noise
Authors: Apoux Frédéric , Bacon Sid P.
Published: September 2004

The relative importance of temporal information in broad spectral regions for consonant identification was assessed in normal-hearing listeners. For the purpose of forcing listeners to use primarily temporal-envelope cues, speech sounds were spectrally degraded using four-noise-band vocoder processing. Frequency-weighting functions were determined using two methods. The first method consisted of measuring the intelligibility of speech with a hole in the spectrum either in quiet or in noise. The second method consisted of correlating performance with the randomly and independently varied signal-to-noise ratio within each band. Results demonstrated that all bands contributed equally to consonant identification when presented in quiet. In noise, however, both methods indicated that listeners consistently placed relatively more weight upon the highest frequency band. It is proposed that the explanation for the difference in results between quiet and noise relates to the shape of the modulation spectra in adjacent frequency bands. Overall, the results suggest that normal-hearing listeners use a common listening strategy in a given condition. However, this strategy may be influenced by the competing sounds, and thus may vary according to the context. Some implications of the results for cochlear implantees and hearing-impaired listeners are discussed.
Evaluation of formant-like features on an automatic vowel classification task
Authors: de Wet Febe , Weber Katrin , Boves Louis , Cranen Bert , Bengio Samy , Bourlard Hervé
Published: September 2004

Numerous attempts have been made to find low-dimensional, formant-related representations of speech signals that are suitable for automatic speech recognition. However, it is often not known how these features behave in comparison with true formants. The purpose of this study was to compare two sets of automatically extracted formant-like features, i.e., robust formants and HMM2 features, to hand-labeled formants. The robust formant features were derived by means of the split Levinson algorithm while the HMM2 features correspond to the frequency segmentation of speech signals obtained by two-dimensional hidden Markov models. Mel-frequency cepstral coefficients (MFCCs) were also included in the investigation as an example of state-of-the-art automatic speech recognition features. The feature sets were compared in terms of their performance on a vowel classification task. The speech data and hand-labeled formants that were used in this study are a subset of the American English vowels database presented in Hillenbrand et al. [J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 97, 3099–3111 (1995)]. Classification performance was measured on the original, clean data and in noisy acoustic conditions. When using clean data, the classification performance of the formant-like features compared very well to the performance of the hand-labeled formants in a gender-dependent experiment, but was inferior to the hand-labeled formants in a gender-independent experiment. The results that were obtained in noisy acoustic conditions indicated that the formant-like features used in this study are not inherently noise robust. For clean and noisy data as well as for the gender-dependent and gender-independent experiments the MFCCs achieved the same or superior results as the formant features, but at the price of a much higher feature dimensionality.
Study of acoustic nonlinearity parameter imaging methods in reflection mode for biological tissues
Authors: Gong Xiufen , Zhang Dong , Liu Jiehui , Wang Huanlei , Yan Yongsheng , Xu Xiaochen
Published: September 2004

Three novel methods for acoustic nonlinearity parameter B/A imaging in reflection mode are developed in this paper. They are: (1) the acoustic nonlinearity parameter B/A tomography by detecting reflective second harmonic wave, (2) the B/A tomography in reflection mode via the measurement of the difference frequency wave generated by a parametric array, and (3) the C-scan imaging of B/A via the measurement of the echo second-harmonic signal. A theoretical analysis and the experimental imaging of normal and pathological biological tissues by using these methods are also present and discussed. Results show that using the acoustic nonlinearity parameter imaging we can more easily distinguish the diseased tissue from the normal one than using the linear acoustic parameters.
Focused array transducer for two-dimensional optoacoustic tomography
Authors: Kozhushko Victor , Khokhlova Tanya , Zharinov Alexei , Pelivanov Ivan , Solomatin Vladimir , Karabutov Alexander
Published: September 2004

Optoacoustic (OA) imaging utilizes short laser pulses to create acoustic sources in tissue and time resolved detection of generated pressure profiles for image reconstruction. The ultrasonic transients provide information on the distribution of optical absorption coefficient that can be useful for early cancer diagnostics. In this work a new design of wide-band array transducer is developed and tested. The array consists of 32 focused piezo-elements made of PVDF slabs imposed on a cylindrical surface. A single array element response to an OA signal coming from arbitrarily located point source is investigated theoretically and experimentally. The measured signals correspond well to numerically calculated ones. Focal zone maps of the elements with aperture angles 30° and 60° are presented and discussed; the resolution in direction perpendicular to the imaging plane is determined. Point spread function of the whole array is calculated using experimentally obtained signals from the sources located at different distances from the array. Backprojection algorithm is employed for reconstruction of the optoacoustic images. It is shown that the spatial resolution of the images yielded by the proposed array increases significantly compared to previous transducer designs.
Erratum: 5aMU1. Movement amplitude and tempo change in piano performance [J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 115, 2590 (2004)]
Authors: Palmer Caroline , Dalla Bella Simone
Published: September 2004

The correct authors and affiliations for this manuscript are Caroline Palmer, Dept. of Psychology, McGill Univ., 1205 Dr. Penfield Ave., Montreal, QC H3A 1B1, Canada, Caroline.palmer@mcgill.ca and Simone Dalla Bella, Kazimierz Wielki Univ., Bydgoszcz, 85-867 Poland.
Binary Bacterial Toxins: Biochemistry, Biology, and Applications of CommonClostridiumandBacillusProteins
Authors: Barth Holger , Aktories Klaus , Popoff Michel R. , Stiles Bradley G.
Published: September 2004

Certain pathogenic species of Bacillus and Clostridium have developed unique methods for intoxicating cells that employ the classic enzymatic “A-B” paradigm for protein toxins. The binary toxins produced by B. anthracis, B. cereus, C. botulinum, C. difficile, C. perfringens, and C. spiroforme consist of components not physically associated in solution that are linked to various diseases in humans, animals, or insects. The “B” components are synthesized as precursors that are subsequently activated by serine-type proteases on the targeted cell surface and/or in solution. Following release of a 20-kDa N-terminal peptide, the activated “B” components form homoheptameric rings that subsequently dock with an “A” component(s) on the cell surface. By following an acidified endosomal route and translocation into the cytosol, “A” molecules disable a cell (and host organism) via disruption of the actin cytoskeleton, increasing intracellular levels of cyclic AMP, or inactivation of signaling pathways linked to mitogen-activated protein kinase kinases. Recently, B. anthracis has gleaned much notoriety as a biowarfare/bioterrorism agent, and of primary interest has been the edema and lethal toxins, their role in anthrax, as well as the development of efficacious vaccines and therapeutics targeting these virulence factors and ultimately B. anthracis. This review comprehensively surveys the literature and discusses the similarities, as well as distinct differences, between each Clostridium and Bacillus binary toxin in terms of their biochemistry, biology, genetics, structure, and applications in science and medicine. The information may foster future studies that aid novel vaccine and drug development, as well as a better understanding of a conserved intoxication process utilized by various gram-positive, spore-forming bacteria.
Biodiversity of Vibrios
Authors: Thompson Fabiano L. , Iida Tetsuya , Swings Jean
Published: September 2004

Vibrios are ubiquitous and abundant in the aquatic environment. A high abundance of vibrios is also detected in tissues and/or organs of various marine algae and animals, e.g., abalones, bivalves, corals, fish, shrimp, sponges, squid, and zooplankton. Vibrios harbour a wealth of diverse genomes as revealed by different genomic techniques including amplified fragment length polymorphism, multilocus sequence typing, repetetive extragenic palindrome PCR, ribotyping, and whole-genome sequencing. The 74 species of this group are distributed among four different families, i.e.,Enterovibrionaceae,Photobacteriaceae,Salinivibrionaceae, andVibrionaceae. Two new genera, i.e.,Enterovibrio norvegicusandGrimontia hollisae, and 20 novel species, i.e.,Enterovibrio coralii,Photobacterium eurosenbergii,V. brasiliensis,V. chagasii,V. coralliillyticus,V. crassostreae,V. fortis,V. gallicus,V. hepatarius,V. hispanicus,V. kanaloaei,V. neonatus,V. neptunius,V. pomeroyi,V. pacinii,V. rotiferianus,V. superstes,V. tasmaniensis,V. ezurae, andV. xuii, have been described in the last few years. Comparative genome analyses have already revealed a variety of genomic events, including mutations, chromosomal rearrangements, loss of genes by decay or deletion, and gene acquisitions through duplication or horizontal transfer (e.g., in the acquisition of bacteriophages, pathogenicity islands, and super-integrons), that are probably important driving forces in the evolution and speciation of vibrios. Whole-genome sequencing and comparative genomics through the application of, e.g., microarrays will facilitate the investigation of the gene repertoire at the species level. Based on such new genomic information, the taxonomy and the species concept for vibrios will be reviewed in the next years.
Effects of Length and Location on the Cellular Response to Double-Stranded RNA
Authors: Wang Qiaoqiao , Carmichael Gordon G.
Published: September 2004

Since double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) has not until recently generally been thought to be deliberately expressed in cells, it has commonly been assumed that the major source of cellular dsRNA is viral infections. In this view, the cellular responses to dsRNA would be natural and perhaps ancient antiviral responses. While the cell may certainly react to some dsRNAs as an antiviral response, this does not represent the only response or even, perhaps, the major one. A number of recent observations have pointed to the possibility that dsRNA molecules are not seen only as evidence of viral infection or recognized for degradation because they cannot be translated. In some instances they may also play important roles in normal cell growth and function. The purpose of this review is to outline our current understanding of the fate of dsRNA in cells, with a focus on the apparent fact that their fates and functions appear to depend critically not only on where in the cell dsRNA molecules are found, but also on how long they are and perhaps on how abundant they are.
Bacterial Transcriptional Regulators for Degradation Pathways of Aromatic Compounds
Authors: Tropel David , van der Meer Jan Roelof
Published: September 2004

Human activities have resulted in the release and introduction into the environment of a plethora of aromatic chemicals. The interest in discovering how bacteria are dealing with hazardous environmental pollutants has driven a large research community and has resulted in important biochemical, genetic, and physiological knowledge about the degradation capacities of microorganisms and their application in bioremediation, green chemistry, or production of pharmacy synthons. In addition, regulation of catabolic pathway expression has attracted the interest of numerous different groups, and several catabolic pathway regulators have been exemplary for understanding transcription control mechanisms. More recently, information about regulatory systems has been used to construct whole-cell living bioreporters that are used to measure the quality of the aqueous, soil, and air environment. The topic of biodegradation is relatively coherent, and this review presents a coherent overview of the regulatory systems involved in the transcriptional control of catabolic pathways. This review summarizes the different regulatory systems involved in biodegradation pathways of aromatic compounds linking them to other known protein families. Specific attention has been paid to describing the genetic organization of the regulatory genes, promoters, and target operon(s) and to discussing present knowledge about signaling molecules, DNA binding properties, and operator characteristics, and evidence from regulatory mutants. For each regulator family, this information is combined with recently obtained protein structural information to arrive at a possible mechanism of transcription activation. This demonstrates the diversity of control mechanisms existing in catabolic pathways.
Single-Cell Microbiology: Tools, Technologies, and Applications
Authors: Brehm-Stecher Byron F. , Johnson Eric A.
Published: September 2004

The field of microbiology has traditionally been concerned with and focused on studies at the population level. Information on how cells respond to their environment, interact with each other, or undergo complex processes such as cellular differentiation or gene expression has been obtained mostly by inference from population-level data. Individual microorganisms, even those in supposedly “clonal” populations, may differ widely from each other in terms of their genetic composition, physiology, biochemistry, or behavior. This genetic and phenotypic heterogeneity has important practical consequences for a number of human interests, including antibiotic or biocide resistance, the productivity and stability of industrial fermentations, the efficacy of food preservatives, and the potential of pathogens to cause disease. New appreciation of the importance of cellular heterogeneity, coupled with recent advances in technology, has driven the development of new tools and techniques for the study of individual microbial cells. Because observations made at the single-cell level are not subject to the “averaging” effects characteristic of bulk-phase, population-level methods, they offer the unique capacity to observe discrete microbiological phenomena unavailable using traditional approaches. As a result, scientists have been able to characterize microorganisms, their activities, and their interactions at unprecedented levels of detail.
Bridging Methoxy Groups in NaY, NaX and NaLSX Zeolites
Authors: Bosáček Vladimír , Vratislav Stanislav , Dlouhá Mája
Published: September 2004

Distribution of chemisorbed methyl groups and sodium cations in the structure of NaY, NaX and NaLSX zeolites was estimated by neutron diffraction. Chemisorbed methyl groups were prepared in the structure by reaction of methyl iodide with reactive sodium cations available in SII and SIII positions of faujasites. Methyl cations CH3+, formed in the reaction, react immediately with the lattice oxygen forming surface bonded methyl groups in bridging configuration. 13C NMR signals of chemisorbed surface species and their linear dependence on the intermediate electronegativity of the zeolite lie in the interval from 53 ppm for most basic CsLSX to 58 ppm TMS for stabilized and acid leached sample of H,NaY-St. Changes in the distribution of structural sodium cations in the lattice after chemisorption of methyl cations have been detected. C-O distances in surface methoxy groups in void cavities were longer than in ordinary crystalline organometallic compounds with bridging methoxy groups. The location of chemisorbed methyl groups at the O1 lattice oxygen type was most probable for NaY. Nuclear densities of chemisorbed methyl groups were detected in NaX at O1 and at O4 lattice oxygens. The origin of the split signal at 58 ppm on NaX and NaLSX samples has been discussed.
Modeling Substituent-Dependence of the Twist and Shielding in a Series of 4-Substituted N-(4-Nitrobenzylidene)anilines
Authors: Proks Vladimír , Holík Miroslav
Published: September 2004

A series of 15 4-substituted N-(4-nitrobenzylidene)anilines was synthesized and studied by 1H NMR spectroscopy. Their ab initio calculated geometries and the shielding as expressed by aromatic ring currents were used in correlation analysis. The geometries were fully optimized using density functional theory B3LYP/6-311G** approaches. For the determination of the ring current contribution to the shielding of azomethine hydrogens Hα was used direct ab initio calculation of the chemical shielding in a model system. Experimental chemical shift values free of these contributions were successfully correlated with increments ap of chemical shift for monosubstituted benzenes. In the same manner, the contribution of the anisotropy of C=N double bond to Hm hydrogen were calculated and values of the Hm chemical shift free of this contribution were successfully correlated with increments of chemical shift am.
Square Wave Voltammetric Determination of Trace Amounts of Europium(III) at Montmorillonite-Modified Carbon Paste Electrodes
Authors: Ji Xiaobo , hu Shengshui
Published: September 2004

A carbon paste electrode modified with montmorillonite for the determination of Eu(III) was developed. This chemically modified electrode exhibits strong and stable electroactivity for Eu(III). Square wave voltammetry (SWV) of Eu(III) was evaluated with respect to the quantity of modifier, pH of electrolyte solution, accumulation potential and time. The stripping peak currents increase linearly with concentrations of Eu(III) from 1.0 × 10-7 to 2.0 × 10-5 mol l-1. The detection limit is estimated to be 4 × 10-8 mol l-1 (S/N = 3). The recommended method has been applied to the quantitation of Eu(III) in stream sediment samples; the results obtained by the SWV approach are in good agreement with reference values.
Catalytic Cathodic Stripping Voltammetry of 5-Phenyl-1,3,4-oxadiazole-2-thiol in the Presence of Nickel(II) and Cobalt(II) Ions
Authors: Skrzypek Sławomira , Michałek Agata , Ciesielski Witold , Kasprzak Michał
Published: September 2004

5-Phenyl-1,3,4-oxadiazole-2-thiol (POT) and the systems Ni(II)-POT-acetate buffer, Co(II)-POT-acetate buffer were investigated by differential-pulse cathodic stripping voltammetry (DPCSV). The results of the voltammetric measurements show that POT gives a DPCSV signal at about -0.2 V vs Ag|AgCl. The presence of both POT and nickel(II) ions gives rise to a new peak at about -0.6 V; in the presence of cobalt(II) ions a new peak appears at -1.1 V. Based on published results obtained for other sulfur compounds in the presence of Ni(II) or Co(II) ions, the peak at -0.6 V is ascribed to catalytic reduction of Ni(II), and the peak at -1.1 V to hydrogen catalytic discharge. Optimum conditions have been found for the determination of POT by DPCSV. A linear dependence has been found only for the catalytic Ni(II) peak in the region 10-8-10-7 M POT. The calculated limit of detection and limit of quantification are 3.4 × 10-9 and 1.1 × 10-8 mol l-1, respectively.
Administration of Ginseng radix Decreases Nitric Oxide Synthase Expression in the Hippocampus of Streptozotocin-Induced Diabetic Rats
Authors: Chang Hyun-Kyung , Jang Mi-Hyeon , Lim Baek-Vin , Lee Taeck-Hyun , Shin Min-Chul , Shin Mal-Soon , Kim Hong , Kim Young-Pyo , Kim Ee-Hwa , Kim Chang-Ju
Published: September 2004

Nitric oxide (NO) is synthesized from L-arginine by nitric oxide synthase (NOS). Alternation of NOS expression is implicated in the pathogenesis of numerous secondary complications of diabetes. Aqueous extract of Ginseng radix has traditionally been used for the various disorders including diabetes. In this study, the effect of Ginseng radix on the NOS expression in the hippocampus of streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic rats was investigated via nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate-diaphorase (NADPH-d) histochemistry. Enhanced NOS expression was detected in the hippocampus of diabetic rats and administration of Ginseng radix suppressed NOS expression. Ginseng radix may aid the treatment of central nervous system complications in diabetes.
Mechanisms of Hepatoprotection ofTerminalia catappaL. Extract on D-Galactosamine-Induced Liver Damage
Authors: Tang Xin-Hui , Gao Ling , Gao Jing , Fan Yi-Mei , Xu Li-Zhi , Zhao Xiao-Ning , Xu Qiang
Published: September 2004

The hepatoprotective effects of the extract of Terminalia catappa L. leaves (TCE) against D-Galactosamine (D-GalN)-induced liver injury and the mechanisms underlying its protection were studied. In acute hepatic injury test, it was found that serum ALT activity was remarkably increased (3.35-fold) after injection of D-GalN in mice. But with oral pretreatment of TCE (20, 50 and 100 mg/kg/d) for 7 days, change in serum ALT was notably reversed. In primary cultured hepatocytes from fetal mice, it was found that cell viability was decreased by 45.0% after addition of D-GalN, while incubation with TCE (0.1, 0.5 and 1.0 mg/ml) for 36 hours could prevent the decrease in a dose-dependent manner. Meanwhile, D-GalN-induced both the increase of AST level (1.9-fold) and the decrease of SOD activity (48.0%) in supernatant of primary cultured hepatocytes could also be inhibited by pretreatment with TCE. In order to study the possible mechanisms underlying its hepatoprotective effects, one effective component separated from TCE, 2α, 3β,23-trihydroxyursane-12-en-28-oic acid (DHUA), was used to determine anti-mitochondrial swelling activity and superoxide radicals scavenging activity in vitro. It was found that at the concentration range of 50–500 μmol/L DHUA, Ca2+-induced mitochondrial swelling was dose-dependently inhibited, and superoxide radicals scavenging activity was also shown in a dose-dependent manner. It was concluded that TCE has hepatoprotective activity and the mechanisms underlying its protective effects may be related to the direct mitochondrion protection and strong scavenging activity on reactive oxygen species (ROS).
The Effects of α-Viniferin on Adjuvant-Induced Arthritis in Rats
Authors: Lee Jae Yeong , Kim Joong-Hyun , Kang Seong Soo , Bae Chun Sik , Choi Seok Hwa
Published: September 2004

This study was performed to assess the efficacy of α-viniferin (Carex humilis Leyss) on adjuvant-induced arthritis in rats. Adjuvant arthritis was induced by a single subcutaneous injection of 0.1 ml complete Freund's adjuvant (CFA) containing 7.5 mg Mycobacterium butyricum suspended in 1 ml sterile paraffin oil into the right hind paw. Forty female Sprague-Dawley rats were injected. Righting reflex was uniformly lost and considered to be the initial point of arthritis development on day 7 after CFA injection. Rats were divided into four groups, and upon development of arthritis, tested groups were orally administered 3 or 10 mg/kg α-viniferin or 10 mg/kg ketoprofen every day for 14 days. The control group was orally administered 2 ml of physiological saline solution. Bone mineral density (BMD), radiological changes and edematous volumes were measured for 35 days. α-viniferin suppressed the development of inflammatory edema, and inhibited the bone destruction, noted with a decrease in BMD ( p <0.05). Hind paw edema volume, BMD and radiological changes did not differ significantly in the ketoprofen and α-viniferin groups during the entire study period. In conclusion, α-viniferin suppressed arthritic inflammation and bony change in rats.
Effects of Traditional Chinese Medicines on Serum Lipid Profiles and Homocysteine in the Ovariectomized Rats
Authors: Lee Su-Chen , Chang Shun-Jen , Tsai Li-Yu
Published: September 2004

To investigate the effects of the traditional Chinese medicines, Kuei-lu-erh-hsien-chiao and Chia-wei-hsiao-yao-san, on the cardiovascular systems of mimic menopausal rats, five groups were formed: group 1 (the control group) was given a sham operation and received distilled water, while groups 2, 3, 4 and 5 were ovariectomized and received distilled water, Kuei-lu-erh-hsien-chiao, Chia-wei-hsiao-yao-san and 17-β-estradiol, respectively, for 4 months. Our results demonstrated that the mean differences of the estrogen levels in groups 3 or 5 were significantly higher than those of group 2. These data suggest that there might be some estrogen-like substances in Kuei-lu-erh-hsien-chiao. However, the function of these estrogen-like substances was unknown. The mean differences of the triglyceride (TG) levels, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) levels, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) levels, and the ratios of TC/HDL-C and LDL-C/HDL-C in groups 1, 3, 4 and 5 were not significantly different from those in group 2. The mean differences of the total cholesterol (TC) levels in group 5 were significantly higher than those in group 2 (p<0.05), but no obvious difference of the TC levels was found between groups 2 and 4. Nevertheless, the mean differences of the homocysteine (Hcy) levels in groups 4 and 5 were statistically lower than those of group 2. Therefore, administration of Chia-wei-hsiao-yao-san declines the Hcy levels in OVX rats and does not affect the TC levels in these animals. In conclusion, our results indicate that Chia-wei-hsiao-yao-san shows a more profound effect than 17-β-estradiol in the prevention of atherosclerosis in these OVX rats.
In vitro Stimulation of Granulosa Cells by a Combination of Different Active Ingredients of Unkei-to
Authors: Sun Wen-Shu , Imai Atsushi , Tagami Keiko , Sugiyama Michiyo , Furui Tatsuro , Tamaya Teruhiko
Published: September 2004

Unkei-to is widely used in traditional Japanese herbal medicine for its ovulation-inducing effect. In the present study, we investigated the in vivo effects of Unkei-to and its compounds on the steroidogenesis and cytokine secretion in human granulosa cells. Unkei-to stimulated the secretions of 17β-estradiol and progesterone from highly luteinized granulosa cells obtained from in vitro fertilization patients; the stimulated effect on estradiol secretion occurred with 0.3 μg/ml, while a significant effect on progesterone secretion was obtained at 10 μg/ml. The Unkei-to stimulation of estradiol secretion could be accounted for by the effects of its ingredients, Shakuyaku (paeoniae radix, Paeonia lactiflora Pallas) and Keihi (cinnamomi cortex, Cinnamomum cassia Blume); while dose response curves for Unkei-to and Keihi to induce progesterone production were superimposable. Exposure of the cells to Unkei-to caused dose-dependent increases in the concentrations of interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-6 and IL-8 in the culture medium. Similar results were obtained when cells were incubated with the ingredient Ninjin (ginseng radix, Panax ginseng C.A. Meyer), but not Shakuyaku and Keihi. These results indicate that Unkei-to has direct stimulatory effects on human granulosa cells to stimulate the steroidogenesis and secretion of cytokines (IL-1β, IL-6 and IL-8). The various beneficial actions of Unkei-to on the ovary may result from a combination of different ingredient herbs with different stimulatory effects on both steroidogenesis and the ovulatory process within the ovary, as well as stimulatory effect on the hypothalamus-pituitary axis.
Regression of Hepatocellular Carcinoma Spontaneous or Herbal Medicine Related?
Authors: Cheng Hon Mei , Tsai Ming Che
Published: September 2004

Hepatocellular carcinoma is one of the most common causes of death from cancer in Taiwan. Treatments for this disease include surgical resection, transcatheter arterial embolization, chemoembolization and systemic chemotherapy. Without treatment, the prognosis of hepatocellular carcinoma is poor, and mortality continues to be significant even in patients with small tumors detected during follow-up. For patients in Taiwan with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma, traditional herbal medicine is frequently used. However, neither the overall prevalence of this therapy nor its efficacy has been studied systematically. Spontaneous regression of cancer, although rare, may occur, but the mechanism leading to regression is still far from understood. Here, we report a case of hepatocellular carcinoma with complete regression after taking herbal medicine. We cannot be certain how significant the herbal preparation was in the regression of the hepatocellular carcinoma, but the regression of the tumor provides us a reason and hope for further research.
Lindera strychnifolia is Protective Against Post-ischemic Myocardial Dysfunction Through Scavenging Hydroxyl Radicals and Opening the Mitochondrial KATP Channels in Isolated Rat Hearts
Authors: Wang Ningyuan , Minatoguchi Shinya , Arai Masazumi , Uno Yoshihiro , Hashimoto Kazuaki , Chen Xue-Hai , Fukuda Kazunori , Akao Seigo , Takemura Genzou , Fujiwara Hisayoshi
Published: September 2004

Lindera strychnifolia (Tendai-Uyaku), a medicinal plant, has long been used for the treatment of cardiac, renal and rheumatic diseases in Japan. We aim to clarify (1) whether L. strychnifolia is protective against post-ischemic myocardial dysfunction, and (2) whether its effect is related to scavenging hydroxyl radicals and opening the mitochondrial K ATP channels in isolated rat hearts. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were orally given 1 ml/day of L. strychnifolia, which was extracted from 0.75 and 1.5 g/kg of roots of L. strychnifolia for 4 days. The rat hearts were excised and perfused on a Langendorff apparatus with Krebs-Henseleit solution with a gas mixture of 95% O 2 and 5% CO 2. The hearts were paced at 320 beats/min except during ischemia. Left ventricular developed pressure (LVDP, mmHg), ± dP/dt (mmHg/sec) and coronary flow (ml/min) were continuously monitored. All hearts were perfused for a total of 120 minutes consisting of a 30-minute pre-ischemic period followed by 30 minutes of global ischemia and 60 minutes of reperfusion with or without 5-HD, a mitochondrial K ATP channel blocker. The levels of lactate, LDH and 2,5-DHBA, an indicator of hydroxyl radicals, in the perfusate during reperfusion period were also measured. Treatment with L. strychnifolia significantly improved LVDP and ± dP/dt without altering coronary flow during reperfusion. The 100 μM of 5-HD in Krebs-Henseleit solution was perfused during the 10 minutes of pre-ischemic periods. Pretreatment with 5-HD abolished the improvement of LVDP and ± dP/dt by L. strychnifolia. L. strychnifolia significantly attenuated the levels of lactate, LDH and 2,5-DHBA during reperfusion, and which were restored by pretreatment with 5-HD. In conclusion, L. strychnifolia is protective against post-ischemic left ventricular dysfunction through scavenging hydroxyl radicals and opening the K ATP channels in the isolated rat heart.
Polygalae Radix Extract Protects Cultured Rat Granule Cells Against Damage Induced by NMDA
Authors: Lee Hyun Joo , Ban Ju Yeon , Koh Sang Bum , Seong Nak Sul , Song Kyung Sik , Bae Ki Whan , Seong Yeon Hee
Published: September 2004

Polygalae Radix (PR) from Polygala tenuifolia (Polygalaceae) is traditionally used in China and Korea, as this herb has a sedative, anti-inflammatory and antibacterial agent. To extend our understanding of the pharmacological actions of PR in the CNS on the basis of its CNS inhibitory effect, the present study examined whether PR has the neuroprotective action against N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA)-induced cell death in primarily cultured rat cerebellar granule neurons. PR, over a concentration range of 0.05 to 5 μg/ml, inhibited NMDA (1 mM)-induced neuronal cell death, which was measured by a trypan blue exclusion test and a 3-[4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl]-2,5-diphenyl-tetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay. PR (0.5 μg/ml) inhibited glutamate release into medium induced by NMDA (1 mM), which was measured by HPLC. Pre-treatment of PR (0.5 μg/ml) inhibited NMDA (1 mM)-induced elevation of intracellular Ca2+concentration ([ Ca2+]i), which was measured by a fluorescent dye, Fura 2-AM, and generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS). These results suggest that PR prevents NMDA-induced neuronal cell damage in vitro.
Effect of Reflexology on EEG – A Nonlinear Approach
Authors: Kannathal N. , Paul Joseph K. , Lim C.M. , Chua K.P. , Sadasivan P.K.
Published: September 2004

Reflexology is a 4000-year-old art of healing practiced in ancient India, China and Egypt. In the beginning of the 20th century, it spread to the Western world. Reflexologic clinics and massage centers can be found all around the world. In spite of the widespread popularity, to the best of our knowledge, no serious research work has been done in this area, although much scientific research work has been carried out in other Eastern techniques like meditation and yoga. This is why a humble attempt is done in this work to quantitatively assess the effect of reflexological stimulation from a systems point of view. In this work, nonlinear techniques have been used to assess the complexity of EEG with and without reflexological stimulation. We prefer the nonlinear approach, as we believe that the effects are taking place in a subtle way, since there is no direct correlation between reflexological points and modern neuroanatomy.
EIGENFUNCTIONS OF THE TWO-DIMENSIONAL MOSHINSKY–SZCZEPANIAK OSCILLATOR
Authors: RAO NAGALAKSHMI A. , KAGALI B. A.
Published: September 2004

While the usual harmonic oscillator potential gives discrete energies in the nonrelativistic case, it does not however give genuine bound states in the relativistic case if the potential is treated in the usual way. In the present article, we have obtained the eigenfunctions of the Dirac oscillator in two spatial dimensions, adapting the prescription of Moshinsky.
QED ⊗ QCD THRESHOLD CORRECTIONS AT THE LHC
Authors: GLOSSER C. , JADACH S. , WARD B. F. L. , YOST S. A.
Published: September 2004

We use the theory of YFS resummation to compute the size of the expected resummed soft radiative threshold effects in precision studies of heavy particle production at the LHC, where accuracies of 1% are desired in some processes. We find that the soft QED threshold effects are at the level of 0.3% whereas the soft QCD threshold effects enter at the level of 20% and hence both must be controlled to be on the conservative side to achieve such goals.
SYMMETRIC TRIPLE WELL WITH NON-EQUIVALENT VACUA: INSTANTONIC APPROACH
Authors: ALHENDI H. A. , LASHIN E. I.
Published: September 2004

We show that for the triple well potential with non-equivalent vacua, instantons generate for the low lying energy states a singlet and a doublet of states rather than a triplet of equal energy spacing. Our energy splitting formulas are also confirmed numerically. This splitting property is due to the presence of non-equivalent vacua. A comment on its generality to multi-well is presented.
DIRAC ELECTRON IN AHARONOV–BOHM AND PLANAR COULOMB POTENTIALS
Authors: KHALILOV V. R.
Published: September 2004

Exact analytic solutions are found to the Dirac equation in (2+1) dimensions for a combination of Aharonov–Bohm and Lorentz 3-vector Coulomb potentials. By means of solutions obtained the relativistic Aharonov–Bohm effect is studied for free and bound electron states.
OPTIMAL LOG-SOBOLEV INEQUALITY AND HYPERCONTRACTIVITY FOR POSITIVE SEMIGROUPS ON $M_2({\mathbb C})$
Authors: CARBONE RAFFAELLA
Published: September 2004

We study positivity and contractivity properties for semigroups on [Formula: see text], compute the optimal log-Sobolev constant and prove hypercontractivity for the class of positive semigroups leaving invariant both subspaces generated by the Pauli matrices σ0, σ3 and σ1, σ2. The optimal log-Sobolev constant turns out to be bigger than the usual one arising in several commutative and noncommutative contexts when the semigroup acts on the off-diagonal matrices faster than on diagonal matrices. These results are applied to the semigroup of the Wigner–Weisskopf atom.
HILLE–YOSIDA ESTIMATE AND NONCONSERVATIVITY CRITERIA FOR QUANTUM DYNAMICAL SEMIGROUPS
Authors: GARCÍA JULIO C. , QUEZADA ROBERTO
Published: September 2004

We provide simple criteria for nonconservativity of a minimal quantum dynamical semigroup.
ON EXPLICIT STRONG SOLUTION OF ITÔ–SDE'S AND THE DONSKER DELTA FUNCTION OF A DIFFUSION
Authors: LANCONELLI ALBERTO , PROSKE FRANK
Published: September 2004

We determine a new explicit representation of strong solutions of Itô-diffusions and elicit its correspondence to the general stochastic transport equation. We apply this formula to deduce an explicit Donsker delta function of a diffusion.
THE SMOLYANOV SURFACE MEASURE ON TRAJECTORIES IN A RIEMANNIAN MANIFOLD
Authors: SIDOROVA NADEZDA A.
Published: September 2004

It has been shown in Refs. 2–6 that two natural definitions of surface measures, on the space of continuous paths in a compact Riemannian manifold embedded into ℝn, introduced in the paper by Smolyanov1 are equivalent; this means that there exists a natural object — the surface measure, which we call the Smolyanov surface measure. Moreover, it has been shown2–6 that this surface measure is equivalent to the Wiener measure and the corresponding density has been found. But the known proof of the equivalence of the two definitions of the surface measure is rather nonexplicit; in fact the densities of the measures corresponding to the two different definitions were found independently and only a posteriori it was discovered that those densities coincided.

Our aim is to give a direct proof of this fact. We introduce a more restrictive definition of the surface measure as the weak limit of a standard Brownian motion in ℝn conditioned to be in the tubular ε-neighborhood of the manifold at times 0=t0<t1<⋯<tn-1<tn= 1 as both ε and the diameter of the partition tend to zero. Letting ε and then the diameter of the partition tend to zero and vice versa, we arrive at the two definitions above. We prove the existence of the Smolyanov surface measure using our definition, show that this measure is equivalent to the law of a Brownian motion on the manifold, and compute the corresponding density in terms of the curvature of the manifold. As a special case of this, we again obtain the results of Refs. 2–6.
LIMIT THEOREMS IN Λ-BOOLEAN PROBABILITY
Authors: MŁOTKOWSKI WOJCIECH
Published: September 2004

We introduce a notion of "Λ-boolean independence", which interpolates between the tensor and the boolean one. The central and the Poisson limit theorem are given in terms of the related orthogonal polynomials.
Endothelial alterations during inhaled NO in lambs with pulmonary hypertension: implications for rebound hypertension
Authors: Ross Gregory A. , Oishi Peter , Azakie Anthony , Fratz Sohrab , Fitzgerald Robert K. , Johengen Michael J. , Harmon Cynthia , Hendricks-Munoz Karen , Xu Jie , Black Stephen M. , Fineman Jeffrey R.
Published: September 2004

Clinically significant increases in pulmonary vascular resistance (PVR) have been noted upon acute withdrawal of inhaled nitric oxide (iNO). Previous studies in the normal pulmonary circulation demonstrate that iNO increases endothelin-1 (ET-1) levels and decreases endogenous nitric oxide synthase (NOS) activity, implicating an endothelial etiology for the increase in resistance upon iNO withdrawal. However, the effect of iNO on endogenous endothelial function in the clinically relevant pulmonary hypertensive circulation is unknown. The objective of this study was to determine the effects of iNO on endogenous NO-cGMP and ET-1 signaling in lambs with preexisting pulmonary hypertension secondary to increased pulmonary blood flow. Eight fetal lambs underwent in utero placement of an aortopulmonary vascular graft (shunt lambs). After delivery (4 wk), the shunt lambs were mechanically ventilated with iNO (40 ppm) for 24 h. After 24 h of inhaled NO, plasma ET-1 levels increased by 34.8% independently of changes in protein levels ( P < 0.05). Contrary to findings in normal lambs, total NOS activity did not decrease during iNO. In fact, Western blot analysis demonstrated that tissue endothelial NOS protein levels decreased by 43% such that NOS activity relative to protein levels actually increased during iNO ( P < 0.05). In addition, the β-subunit of soluble guanylate cyclase decreased by 70%, whereas phosphodiesterase 5 levels were unchanged ( P < 0.05). Withdrawal of iNO was associated with an acute increase in PVR, which exceeded baseline PVR by 45%, and a decrease in cGMP concentrations to levels that were below baseline. These data suggest that the endothelial response to iNO and the potential mechanisms of rebound pulmonary hypertension are dependent upon the underlying pulmonary vasculature.
Tumor necrosis factor-α-induced TRPC1 expression amplifies store-operated Ca2+influx and endothelial permeability
Authors: Paria Biman C. , Vogel Stephen M. , Ahmmed Gias U. , Alamgir Setara , Shroff Jennifer , Malik Asrar B. , Tiruppathi Chinnaswamy
Published: September 2004

We determined the effects of TNF-α on the expression of transient receptor potential channel (TRPC) homologues in human vascular endothelial cells and the consequences of TRPC expression on the endothelial permeability response. We observed that TNF-α exposure increased TRPC1 expression without significantly altering expression of other TRPC isoforms in human pulmonary artery endothelial cells (HPAEC). Because TRPC1 belongs to the store-operated cation channel family, we measured the Ca2+store depletion-mediated Ca2+influx in response to thrombin exposure. We observed that thrombin-induced Ca2+influx in TNF-α-stimulated HPAEC was twofold greater than in control cells. To address the relationship between store-operated Ca2+influx and TRPC1 expression, we overexpressed TRPC1 by three- to fourfold in the human dermal microvascular endothelial cell line (HMEC) using the TRPC1 cDNA. Thrombin-induced store Ca2+depletion in these cells caused approximately twofold greater increase in Ca2+influx than in control cells. Furthermore, the inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate-sensitive store-operated cationic current was increased greater than twofold in TRPC1-transfected cells compared with control. To address the role of Ca2+influx via TRPC1 in signaling endothelial permeability, we measured actin-stress fiber formation and transendothelial monolayer electrical resistance (TER) in the TRPC1 cDNA-transfected HMEC and TNF-α-challenged HPAEC. Both thrombin-induced actin-stress fiber formation and a decrease in TER were augmented in TRPC1-overexpressing HMEC compared with control cells. TNF-α-induced increased TRPC1 expression in HPAEC also resulted in marked endothelial barrier dysfunction in response to thrombin. These findings indicate the expression level of TRPC1 in endothelial cells is a critical determinant of Ca2+influx and signaling of the increase in endothelial permeability.
Surfactant phospholipid changes after antigen challenge: a role for phosphatidylglycerol in dysfunction
Authors: Hite R. Duncan , Seeds Michael C. , Bowton David L. , Grier Bonnie L. , Safta Anca M. , Balkrishnan Rajesh , Waite B. Moseley , Bass David A.
Published: September 2004

In asthma, inflammation-mediated surfactant dysfunction contributes to increased airway resistance, but the mechanisms for dysfunction are not understood. To test mechanisms that alter surfactant function, atopic asthmatics underwent endobronchial antigen challenge and bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL). BAL fluids were sequentially separated into cells, surfactant, and supernatant, and multiple end points were analyzed. Each end point's unique relationship to surfactant dysfunction was determined. Our results demonstrate that minimum surface tension (γmin) of surfactant after antigen challenge was significantly increased with a spectrum of responses that included dysfunction in 6 of 13 asthmatics. Antigen challenge significantly altered the partitioning of surfactant phospholipid measured as a decreased ratio of large surfactant aggregates (LA) to small surfactant aggregates (SA), LA/SA ratio. Phosphatidylglycerol (PG) was significantly reduced in the LA of the dysfunctional asthmatic BALs. There was a corresponding significant increase in the ratio of phosphatidylcholine to PG, which strongly correlated with both increased γminand decreased LA/SA. Altered surfactant phospholipid properties correlated with surfactant dysfunction as well or better than either increased eosinophils or protein. Secretory phospholipase activity, measured in vitro, increased after antigen challenge and may explain the decrease in surfactant PG. In summary, alteration of phospholipids, particularly depletion of PG, in the LA of surfactant may be an important mechanism in asthma-associated surfactant dysfunction.