bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Three calpains and ecdysone receptor in the land crabGecarcinus lateralis: sequences, expression and effects of elevated ecdysteroid induced by eyestalk ablation
Authors: Kim H.-W. , Chang E. S. , Mykles D. L.
Published: August 2005

Crustacean muscle has four calpain-like proteinase activities (CDP I, IIa,IIb and III) that are involved in molt-induced claw muscle atrophy, as they degrade myofibrillar proteins in vitro and in situ. Using PCR cloning techniques, three full-length calpain cDNAs (Gl-CalpB, Gl-CalpM and Gl-CalpT) were isolated from limb regenerates of the tropical land crab Gecarcinus lateralis. All three had highly conserved catalytic (dII)and C2-like (dIII) domains. Gl-CalpB was classified as a typical,or EF-hand, calpain, as the deduced amino acid sequence had a calmodulin-like domain IV in the C-terminus and was most similar to Drosophilacalpains A and B. Based on its estimated mass (∼88.9 kDa) and cross-immunoreactivity with a polyclonal antibody raised against Dm-CalpA,Gl-CalpB may encode CDP IIb, which is a homodimer of a 95-kDa subunit. It was expressed in all tissues examined, including skeletal muscle, heart,integument, gill, digestive gland, hindgut, nerve ganglia, gonads and Y-organ(molting gland). Both Gl-CalpM and Gl-CalpT were classified as atypical, or non-EF-hand, calpains, as they lacked a domain IV sequence. Gl-CalpM was a homolog of Ha-CalpM from lobster, based on similarities in deduced amino acid sequence, estimated mass (∼65.2 kDa) and structural organization (both were truncated at the C-terminal end of dIII). It was expressed at varying levels in most tissues, except Y-organ. Gl-CalpT (∼74.6 kDa) was similar to TRA-3 in the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans; domain IV was replaced by a unique `T domain' sequence. It was expressed in most tissues,except eyestalk ganglia and Y-organ. The effects of elevated ecdysteroid,induced by eyestalk ablation, on calpain and ecdysone receptor (Gl-EcR) mRNA levels in skeletal muscles were quantified by real-time PCR. At 1 day after eyestalk ablation, Gl-EcR and Gl-CalpT mRNA levels increased 15- and 19.3-fold, respectively, in claw muscle but not in thoracic muscle. At 3 days after eyestalk ablation, Gl-EcR and Gl-CalpT mRNA levels in claw muscle had decreased to 2.8-fold and 4.3-fold higher than those in intact controls,respectively, suggesting a feedback inhibition by ecdysteroid. There was no significant effect of eyestalk ablation on Gl-CalpB and Gl-CalpM mRNA levels. Gl-CalpT and Gl-EcR mRNA levels were significantly correlated in both claw and thoracic muscles from intact and eyestalk-ablated animals. The data suggest that Gl-CalpT is involved in initiation of claw muscle atrophy by ecdysteroids. Premolt reduction in claw muscle mass and concomitant remodeling of the sarcomere probably result from post-transcriptional regulation of calpains.
A chemotactic response facilitates mosquito salivary gland infection by malaria sporozoites
Authors: Akaki Mayumi , Dvorak James A.
Published: August 2005

Sporozoite invasion of mosquito salivary glands is critical for malaria transmission to vertebrate hosts. After release into the mosquito hemocoel,the means by which malaria sporozoites locate the salivary glands is unknown. We developed a Matrigel-based in vitro system to observe and analyze the motility of GFP-expressing Plasmodium berghei sporozoites in the presence of salivary gland products of Anopheles stephensi mosquitoes using temperature-controlled, low-light-level video microscopy. Sporozoites moved toward unheated salivary gland homogenate (SGH) but not to SGH that had been heated at 56°C for 30 min. We also investigated the origin of the attracted population. Attraction to SGH was restricted to hemolymph- and oocyst-derived sporozoites; salivary gland-derived sporozoites were not attracted to SGH. These data imply that sporozoites employ a chemotactic response to high molecular mass proteins or carbohydrate-binding proteins to locate salivary glands. This raises the possibility of utilizing anti-chemotactic factors for the development of mosquito transmission blocking agents.
Raman Study of Pressure and Temperature Effects on the Conformational Equilibrium of Diethyl Disulfide in Solutions
Authors: Kato Minoru , Tsuchiya Hidetoshi , Taniguchi Yoshihiro
Published: August 2005

The effects of pressure and temperature on the conformational equilibrium of diethyl disulfide in various organic solvents were studied by Raman spectroscopy. From the pressure and temperature dependences of the intensities of S–S and C–S stretching bands, the volume and enthalpy differences between the trans-gauche-gauche and gauche-gauche-gauche conformers in organic solvents were determined. The volume differences of −1.1 – −1.3 cm3/mol are close to the values reported previously for liquid alkanes, which are explained by the packing effect of liquid. The solvent effect on the enthalpy difference also shows that the repulsive intermolecular interaction is a crucial factor in the conformational equilibrium of diethyl disulfide in the solutions. Based on the present results, the conformational change of the disulfide bridge in protein is discussed from the viewpoint of solution chemistry.
Shape-Selective Adsorption of Substituted Benzaldehyde Isomers by a Molecular Sieving Silica Overlayer Prepared by the Chemical Vapor Deposition Method Using Organic Template on Tin Oxide
Authors: Yamakita Shohei , Katada Naonobu , Niwa Miki
Published: August 2005

The chemical vapor deposition of a silica overlayer in the presence of template molecules was examined on tin oxide in order to construct surface cavities with a molecular sieving property. On a SiO2/SnO2 sample prepared using a benzaldehyde template, 4-chlorobenzaldehyde and 4-methylbenzaldehyde were adsorbed, while 2-chlorobenzaldehyde and 2-methylbenzaldehyde were not adsorbed. The adsorption of 3-chlorobenzaldehyde was controlled by the thickness of the layer, i.e., the depth of the cavity. It was adsorbed by a shallow cavity, but not by a deep cavity. Thus the shape selectivity due to the shapes of the adsorbate molecule and the cavity was obtained.
A New Type of Uniformly Stacked Phase in Tetrathiapentalene-Based Organic Metals
Authors: Bando Yoshimasa , Matsuzawa Takahiro , Takashita Norihiro , Kawamoto Tadashi , Mori Takehiko , Yamada Jun-ichi
Published: August 2005

Two new organic electron donor molecules are synthesized on the basis of the ethylthio-substituted tetrathiapentalenes with a methylenedithio or a 1,3-dithiane unit. These donors provide four isostructural radical-cation salts, which belong to a new crystal type with uniform stacks of the donor molecules. These salts show metallic conductivity down to low temperatures, linear temperature dependence of the thermoelectric power, and asymmetrical ESR lineshapes. The obtained uniform structure is compared with the previous uniform structure from the viewpoint of crystal packing.
Spin Crossover of a Hydrogen-Bonded Dimeric FeIII Complex with an Unequivalent Tetradentate Schiff Base Ligand and Two Imidazoles
Authors: Fukukai Tokimitsu , Yabe Kazuya , Ogawa Yoshihiro , Matsumoto Naohide , Mrozinski Jerzy
Published: August 2005

A spin crossover FeIII complex, [FeHim2L]BPh4·2MeOH, was synthesized and studied, where Him = imidazole, H2L = N2O2 Schiff base ligand of the 1 : 1 : 1 condensation product of acetylacetone, ethylenediamine, and o-hydroxyacetophenone, and BPh4− = tetraphenylborate. The complex consists of a cyclic dimeric structure, {···[FeHim2L]···(MeOH)···(MeOH)···}2, constructed by the hydrogen bonds. Magnetic measurements revealed that a rather steep spin transition from the LS to HS FeIII states occurs above 300 K, and the elimination of the methanol molecules changes the spin transition from steep to gradual due to destruction of the cyclic dimeric structure.
Conformation Changes in S-100 Proteins Caused by K+-Binding
Authors: Matsuda Sadayuki
Published: August 2005

The conformation changes in S-100a.a′ and S-100b caused by K+-binding were determined by several methods in the apo-state and in the Ca2+-bound state. The reactivities of the cysteine (Cys) residues in S-100a.a′ and S-100b to a thiol-specific reagent, 2,2′-dinitro-5,5′-dithiodibenzoic acid (DTNB), were not affected by the K+-binding. On the contrary, the reactivities of those in Ca2+/S-100a.a′ and Ca2+/S-100b toward DTNB were enhanced or decreased, respectively, by the K+-binding. The conformation changes in S-100b, Ca2+/S-100a.a′, and Ca2+/S-100b caused by the K+-binding were also detected using a fluorescence environmental probe, 2-p-toluidinonaphthalene-6-sulfonate (TNS). A clear difference in the decrease of the TNS fluorescence intensity obtained by the K+-binding between S-100a.a′ and S-100b was demonstrated in the Ca2+-bound state. The measurements of the difference absorption spectrum of S-100a.a′ obtained by the K+-binding showed a positive spectrum, while those of S-100b showed a negative spectrum, regardless of the Ca2+-binding.
Diphenyl Diselenide as a Useful Reagent for Intermolecular Domino Reactions of Various Unsaturated Compounds under Photoirradiation Conditions
Authors: Tsuchii Kaname , Doi Mikio , Ogawa Ikuko , Einaga Yoshiyuki , Ogawa Akiya
Published: August 2005

This paper describes full details of a series of intermolecular domino reactions mediated by diphenyl diselenide (PhSeSePh). Diphenyl diselenide, which has just the right strength of carbon radical capturing ability, can be employed as a useful mediator for intermolecular domino reactions of unsaturated compounds. Upon irradiation through Pyrex with a tungsten lamp (hv > 300 nm), a sequential addition of diphenyl diselenide to alkynes bearing an electron-withdrawing group and alkenes bearing an electron-donating group proceeds successfully to provide the corresponding intermolecular three-component coupling products in high yields. In place of alkenes, the use of isocyanides leads to the formation of the corresponding three-component coupling products of alkynes, isocyanides, and (PhSe)2, selectively. Moreover, when two kinds of alkenes (i.e., electron-rich alkenes and electron-poor alkenes) are used in this photoinduced alkyne-(PhSe)2 reaction system, a novel domino reaction of diphenyl diselenide with an alkyne and two kinds of alkenes, followed by 5-exo radical cyclization, takes place sequentially to provide the corresponding cyclic four-component coupling products in good yields.
Reversal of Regioselectivity in Wacker-Type Oxidation of Simple Terminal Alkenes and Its Paired Interacting Orbitals (PIO) Analysis
Authors: Ogura Toshihiko , Kamimura Ryuichiro , Shiga Akinobu , Hosokawa Takahiro
Published: August 2005

The trend of aldehyde selectivity observed in the oxidation of 1-decene with PdCl2(CH3CN)2/CuCl2 in alcohol (ROH) under O2 can be evaluated by the overlap populations for Pd–C and C–OR bonds in the oxypalladation step with paired interacting orbitals (PIO) analysis. The use of t-BuOH affords decanal in 84% regioselectivity.
Interdependent Preferences and Reciprocity
Authors: Sobel Joel
Published: August 2005

Experiments, ethnography, and introspection provide evidence economic agents do not act to maximize their narrowly defined self interest. Expanding the domain of preferences to include the utility of others provides a coherent way to extend rational choice theory.

There are two approaches for including extended or social preferences in strategic models. One posits that agents have extended preferences, but maintains the conventional assumption that these preferences are stable. Prominent examples of this approach permit agents to exhibit concern for status, inequality, and social welfare. The other approach permits the strategic context to determine the nature of individual preferences. Context-dependent preferences can capture the possibility that agents are motivated in part by reciprocity. They may sacrifice personal consumption in order to lower the utility of unkind agents or to raise the utility of kind agents.

This paper surveys the evidence in favor of social preferences and describes the implications of the leading theoretical models of extended preferences. It presents behavioral assumptions that characterize different types of social preferences. It investigates the extent to which social preferences may arise as the limit of evolutionary processes. It discusses the relationship between norms of reciprocity and social preferences in repeated interactions.
Complementarities and Games: New Developments
Authors: Vives Xavier
Published: August 2005

The theory of monotone comparative statics and supermodular games is presented as the appropriate tool to model complementarities. The approach, which has not yet been fully incorporated into the standard toolbox of researchers, makes the analysis intuitive and simple, helps in deriving new results and in casting new light on old ones. The paper takes stock of recent contributions and develops applications to industrial organization (oligopoly, R&D, and dynamics), finance (currency and banking crisis) and macroeconomics (adjustment and menu costs). Particular attention is devoted to Markov games and to games of incomplete information (including global games).
Spectroscopic Characterization of Wilkinson's Catalyst Using X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (ESCA)
Authors: Carvalho Manuel , Wieserman Larry F. , Hercules David M.
Published: August 2005

Wilkinson's catalyst, RhCl(PPh3)3 is a well known and widely used homogeneous hydrogenation catalyst. This catalyst was analyzed by ESCA which revealed that two rhodium species [Rh(I) and Rh(III)] were present, both for commercial preparations and for catalysts prepared in this laboratory. The ratio of Rh(I) to Rh(III) was 3:2 regardless of the source. A different method of synthesizing RhCl(PPh3)3 was used and produced a compound having only Rh(I) species. Additional analytical techniques such as elemental analysis, FT-IR, liquid chromatography, and 31P NMR were used to determine the origin of the higher binding energy peaks when Wilkinson's procedure was used to prepare RhCl(PPh3)3. Hydrogenation of cyclohexene was also performed to determine the effect of the higher binding energy species on catalytic activity.
Expression Quantitative Trait Loci Analysis of 13 Genes in the Rat Prostate
Authors: Yamashita Satoshi , Wakazono Kuniko , Nomoto Tomoko , Tsujino Yoshimi , Kuramoto Takashi , Ushijima Toshikazu
Published: August 2005

Differential expression of mRNA among animal strains is one of the mechanisms for their diversity. cDNA microarray analysis of the prostates of BUF/Nac (BUF) and ACI/N (ACI) rats, which show different susceptibility to prostate cancers, found 195 differentially expressed genes. To identify loci that control differential expression of 13 genes with diverse expression levels, their expression levels were measured by quantitative RT-PCR in 89 backcross rats, and expression quantitative trait locus (eQTL) analysis was performed. Nine genes [Aldh1a1, Aldr1, Bmp6, Cdkn1a (p21), Cntn6, Ghr, Jund, Nupr1, and RT1-M3] were controlled by cis-acting loci. Cdkn1a, a cell cycle regulator and a candidate for a prostate cancer susceptibility gene, was mapped to its own locus and had polymorphisms, including a 119-bp insertion in the 5′ upstream region in BUF rats. Four genes (Kclr, Pbsn, Psat1, and Ptn) were controlled by trans-acting loci. Pbsn, a prostate-specific gene on chromosome X, was controlled by a QTL on chromosome 8. Depending upon which gene that we selected from the genes widely used for normalization (Actb, Gapd, or Ppia), different QTL were mapped for Kclr, Psat1, and Ptn. Normalization using Actb most appropriately explained the expression levels in a congenic strain for chromosome 3. eQTL analysis with precise measurement of expression levels and appropriate normalization was shown to be effective for mapping loci that control gene expression in vivo.
The Drosophila Dosage Compensation Complex Binds to Polytene Chromosomes Independently of Developmental Changes in Transcription
Authors: Kotlikova I V , Demakova O V , Semeshin V F , Shloma V V , Boldyreva L V , Kuroda M I , Zhimulev I F
Published: August 2005

In Drosophila, the dosage compensation complex (DCC) mediates upregulation of transcription from the single male X chromosome. Despite coating the polytene male X, the DCC pattern looks discontinuous and probably reflects DCC dynamic associations with genes active at a given moment of development in a salivary gland. To test this hypothesis, we compared binding patterns of the DCC and of the elongating form of RNA polymerase II (PolIIo). We found that, unlike PolIIo, the DCC demonstrates a stable banded pattern throughout larval development and escapes binding to a subset of transcriptionally active areas, including developmental puffs. Moreover, these proteins are not completely colocalized at the electron microscopy level. These data combined imply that simple recognition of PolII machinery or of general features of active chromatin is either insufficient or not involved in DCC recruitment to its targets. We propose that DCC-mediated site-specific upregulation of transcription is not the fate of all active X-linked genes in males. Additionally, we found that DCC subunit MLE associates dynamically with developmental and heat-shock-induced puffs and, surprisingly, with those developing within DCC-devoid regions of the male X, thus resembling the PolIIo pattern. These data imply that, independently of other MSL proteins, the RNA-helicase MLE might participate in general transcriptional regulation or RNA processing.
A Comprehensive Expressed Sequence Tag Linkage Map for Tiger Salamander and Mexican Axolotl: Enabling Gene Mapping and Comparative Genomics in Ambystoma
Authors: Smith J J , Kump D K , Walker J A , Parichy D M , Voss S R
Published: August 2005

Expressed sequence tag (EST) markers were developed for Ambystoma tigrinum tigrinum (Eastern tiger salamander) and for A. mexicanum (Mexican axolotl) to generate the first comprehensive linkage map for these model amphibians. We identified 14 large linkage groups (125.5–836.7 cM) that presumably correspond to the 14 haploid chromosomes in the Ambystoma genome. The extent of genome coverage for these linkage groups is apparently high because the total map size (5251 cM) falls within the range of theoretical estimates and is consistent with independent empirical estimates. Unlike most vertebrate species, linkage map size in Ambystoma is not strongly correlated with chromosome arm number. Presumably, the large physical genome size (∼30 Gbp) is a major determinant of map size in Ambystoma. To demonstrate the utility of this resource, we mapped the position of two historically significant A. mexicanum mutants, white and melanoid, and also met, a quantitative trait locus (QTL) that contributes to variation in metamorphic timing. This new collection of EST-based PCR markers will better enable the Ambystoma system by facilitating development of new molecular probes, and the linkage map will allow comparative studies of this important vertebrate group.
Genetic and Genomic Analysis of the AT-Rich Centromere DNA Element II of Saccharomyces cerevisiae
Authors: Baker Richard E , Rogers Kelly
Published: August 2005

Centromere DNA element II (CDEII) of budding yeast centromeres is an AT-rich sequence essential for centromere (CEN) function. Sequence analysis of Saccharomyces cerevisiae CDEIIs revealed that A5–7/T5–7 tracts are statistically overrepresented at the expense of AA/TT and alternating AT. To test the hypothesis that this nonrandom sequence organization is functionally important, a CEN library in which the CDEII sequences were randomized was generated. The library was screened for functional and nonfunctional members following centromere replacement in vivo. Functional CENs contained CDEIIs with the highly biased An/Tn run distribution of native centromeres, while nonfunctional CDEIIs resembled those picked from the library at random. Run content, defined as the fraction of residues present in runs of four or more nucleotides, of the functional and nonfunctional CDEII populations differed significantly (P < 0.001). Computer searches of the genome for regions with an A + T content comparable to CDEIIs revealed that such loci are not unique to centromeres, but for 14 of the 16 chromosomes the AT-rich locus with the highest An≥4 + Tn≥4 run content was the centromere. Thus, the distinctive and nonrandom sequence organization of CDEII is important for centromere function and possesses informational content that could contribute to the determination of centromere identity.
Mutations of a Drosophila NPC1 Gene Confer Sterol and Ecdysone Metabolic Defects
Authors: Fluegel Megan L , Parker Tracey J , Pallanck Leo J
Published: August 2005

The molecular mechanisms by which dietary cholesterol is trafficked within cells are poorly understood. Previous work indicates that the NPC1 family of proteins plays an important role in this process, although the precise functions performed by this protein family remain elusive. We have taken a genetic approach to further explore the NPC1 family in the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster. The Drosophila genome encodes two NPC1 homologs, designated NPC1a and NPC1b, that exhibit 42% and 35% identity to the human NPC1 protein, respectively. Here we describe the results of mutational analysis of the NPC1a gene. The NPC1a gene is ubiquitously expressed, and a null allele of NPC1a confers early larval lethality. The recessive lethal phenotype of NPC1a mutants can be partially rescued on a diet of high cholesterol or one that includes the insect steroid hormone 20-hydroxyecdysone. We also find that expression of NPC1a in the ring gland is sufficient to rescue the lethality associated with the loss of NPC1a and that cholesterol levels in NPC1a mutant larvae are unchanged relative to controls. Our results suggest that NPC1a promotes efficient intracellular trafficking of sterols in many Drosophila tissues including the ring gland where sterols must be delivered to sites of ecdysone synthesis.
Multiple Bromodomain Genes Are Involved in Restricting the Spread of Heterochromatic Silencing at theSaccharomyces cerevisiae HMR-tRNA Boundary
Authors: Jambunathan Nithya , Martinez Adam W , Robert Elizabeth C , Agochukwu Nneamaka B , Ibos Megan E , Dugas Sandra L , Donze David
Published: August 2005

The transfer RNA gene downstream from the HMR locus in S. cerevisiae functions as part of a boundary (barrier) element that restricts the spread of heterochromatic gene silencing into the downstream region of chromosome III. A genetic screen for identifying additional genes that, when mutated, allow inappropriate spreading of silencing from HMR through the tRNA gene was performed. YTA7, a gene containing bromodomain and ATPase homologies, was identified multiple times. Previously, others had shown that the bromodomain protein Bdf1p functions to restrict silencing at yeast euchromatin-heterochromatin boundaries; therefore we deleted nonessential bromodomain-containing genes to test their effects on heterochromatin spreading. Deletion of RSC2, coding for a component of the RSC chromatin-remodeling complex, resulted in a significant spread of silencing at HMR. Since the bromodomain of YTA7 lacks a key tyrosine residue shown to be important for acetyllysine binding in other bromodomains, we confirmed that a GST-Yta7p bromodomain fusion was capable of binding to histones in vitro. Epistasis analysis suggests that YTA7 and the HMR-tRNA function independently to restrict the spread of silencing, while RSC2 may function through the tRNA element. Our results suggest that multiple bromodomain proteins are involved in restricting the propagation of heterochromatin at HMR.
Update of the Preclinical Situation of Anticancer Platinum Complexes: Novel Design Strategies and Innovative Analytical Approaches
Authors: Galanski Mathea Sophia , Jakupec Michael A. , Keppler Bernhard K.
Published: August 2005

Research in the field of bioinorganic chemistry has been stimulated by the worldwide success of the anticancer drug cisplatin. 40 years after the first report about its biological activity, carboplatin and oxaliplatin are in routine clinical use today, whereas nedaplatin, lobaplatin, and heptaplatin (SKI2053R) are only approved in Japan, China, and South Korea, respectively. Up to now, about 35 platinum complexes entered clinical trials in order to circumvent the side-effects and the problem of tumor resistance to cisplatin. Additionally, improvement of tumor selectivity as well as the need for a broader spectrum of indications are the motivations for tremendous efforts in the development of novel anticancer platinum-based drugs. New synthetic strategies and innovative analytical approaches provide a basis for a deeper understanding of the pharmacological profile of cisplatin and analogues (biodistribution, clearance, detoxification, sideeffects, tumor specificity, cellular uptake, acquired or intrinsic resistance, platinum-DNA adduct removal by the cellular machinery) and give rise to a rational design of promising anticancer platinum coordination compounds. This article reviews the recent development of preclinical platinum complexes with interesting in vitro and in vivo tumor inhibiting properties. It focuses also on innovative synthetic strategies leading to novel classes of platinum complexes. A small part of the review is dedicated to new analytical approaches which have been supplied to or emerged in this field of research.
Belgica in the Arctic
Authors: Kjær Kjell-G.
Published: August 2005

Belgica, which Adrien de Gerlache used on the first expedition to winter in the Antarctic, was originally a bottlenose whaler named Patria, built in Norway in 1884. She was designed and constructed by Johan Chr. Jakobsen, renowned for his design of polar ships. Patria was sold to Adrien de Gerlache and renamed Belgica in 1896. In 1896–97 she was refitted and equipped in Sandefjord, Norway, for an Antarctic expedition. Nansen and Amundsen met for the first time on Belgica's deck. Late in 1899 Belgica returned to Antwerp after more than two years on an Antarctic expedition. From 1901 to 1904 Belgica returned to bottlenose whaling and, in addition, made a voyage to northeast Greenland to establish depots and build houses for the Baldwin-Ziegler Polar Expedition. In 1905 the Duc d'Orléans chartered her to survey the coast of northeast Greenland, and on her return he bought her. In 1907 and 1909 she sailed on Arctic expeditions led by the Duc d'Orléans and captained by de Gerlache. In 1916 she was sold to Det Norske Kulsyndikat and renamed Isfjord. She became a freighter carrying coal from Longyearbyen to ports in northern Norway. In 1918 she was sold and her new owner converted her into a floating cod-liver oil refinery and fish-processing plant. In 1940 she was impounded by British forces and used as a floating ammunition depot. On 19 May 1940 she was sunk during a German air raid. Her wreck was re-discovered in 1990.
An ethnographer's early years: Boris Dolgikh as enumerator for the 1926/27 polar census
Authors: Savolskul Sergei S. , Anderson David G.
Published: August 2005

To celebrate the centenary of the birth of Boris Osipovich Dolgikh, the great Russian ethnographer of Siberia, this article gives an account of his first field expedition to the Kets, Evenkis, Nganasans, and Dolgans of central Siberia. The author, himself a former student of Dolgikh, argues that Dolgikh's work as an enumerator for the 1926/27 census forged his identity as an ethnographer. He also implies that the expedition for the 1926/27 census was a cradle for the careers of many other scientists. The article is framed by a history of Soviet science by the editor. It also serves as an introduction to the unique polar census expedition, which the editor argues is better understood as ‘an inscription’ of Siberian aboriginal peoples than as a statistical census in the traditional sense.
Internal source monitoring and communication disturbance in patients with schizophrenia
Authors: NIENOW TASHA M. , DOCHERTY NANCY M.
Published: August 2005

Background. This study examined the relationship between internal source monitoring and disordered speech in patients with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder. It was predicted that internal source monitoring would relate specifically to one type of communication disturbance, the missing information reference.

Method. Immediate, working, and internal source memory were assessed in 47 out-patients diagnosed with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder. Speech samples were also collected from this sample and coded for six types of communication disturbance.

Results. Of the six types of communication disturbance coded in this study, internal source monitoring indices were uniquely related to the frequency of the missing information reference. Furthermore, internal source monitoring was the only type of short-term memory process assessed in this study that was related to the missing information reference. Neither immediate nor working-memory capacity was related significantly to the frequency of this type of communication disturbance.

Conclusions. This study adds to our knowledge of the neurocognitive processes that underlie communication disturbance in the speech of patients with schizophrenia.
Prevalence, service use, and demographic correlates of 12-month DSM-IV psychiatric disorders in Mexico: results from the Mexican National Comorbidity Survey
Authors: MEDINA-MORA M. ELENA , BORGES GUILHERME , LARA CARMEN , BENJET CORINA , BLANCO JERÓNIMO , FLEIZ CLARA , VILLATORO JORGE , ROJAS ESTELA , ZAMBRANO JOAQUÍN
Published: August 2005

Background. This paper describes the 12-month prevalence, severity and demographic correlates of 16 DSM-IV psychiatric disorders and service utilization in the Mexican urban population aged 18–65 years of age. This is representative of 75% of the national adult population.

Method. The sample design was a strict probability selection scheme. The response rate was 76·6%. The World Mental Health Survey version of the Composite International Diagnostic Interview was installed on laptops and administered by lay interviewers. An international WHO task force carried out its translation into Spanish.

Results. The 12-month prevalence of any disorder was 12·1%. The most common disorders were specific phobia (4·0%), major depressive disorder (3·7%) and alcohol abuse or dependence (2·2%). The 12-month prevalence of very severe disorders was 3·7% of which only 24% used any services. Age was the only variable associated with any 12-month disorder, with the younger more likely to report any disorder. Income was associated with severity, with low and low–average incomes more likely to report a 12-month disorder. Females were more likely to report a mood and anxiety disorder, but less likely to report a substance disorder. The group of separated/widowed/divorced was more likely to report a mood and an impulse-control disorder.

Conclusions. The results show that while psychiatric disorders are common in the Mexican population, very severe mental disorders are less common and there is extreme under-utilization of mental health services.
Age at onset and familial risk for major depression in a Swedish national twin sample
Authors: KENDLER KENNETH S. , GATZ MARGARET , GARDNER CHARLES O. , PEDERSEN NANCY L.
Published: August 2005

Background. In many biomedical disorders, early age at onset (AAO) is an index of high liability to illness which is manifest by an increased risk of illness in relatives. Most but not all prior studies report such a pattern for major depression (MD).

Method. Lifetime MD and AAO were assessed at personal interview using modified DSM-III-R criteria in 13864 twin pairs, including 4229 onsets of MD, from the Swedish National Twin Registry. Analyses were conducted using Cox proportional hazards models.

Results. Controlling for year of birth, gender, zygosity, co-twin history of MD and the interaction of zygosity and co-twin history, the best-fit model showed a significant main effect and a quadratic effect of AAO of MD in the co-twin on the log hazard ratio for MD in the index twin. When examined together, these effects predicted that from the ages of 15 to ~35 years, AAO of MD is moderately negatively related to risk of illness in relatives. However, past age 35, the function flattens out, with little change of risk in relatives with further increases of AAO. Even when the co-twin had a late AAO, the risk in the index twin substantially exceeded that seen when the co-twin had no history of MD.

Conclusion. In this large sample, AAO is a meaningful, albeit modest, index of familial liability to MD. The relationship is nonlinear and results largely from an increased liability in individuals with an early AAO. These results should be interpreted in the context of the limitations of long-term recall.
Effect of olvanil and anandamide on vagal C‐fiber subtypes in guinea pig lung
Authors: Lee Min‐Goo , Weinreich Daniel , Undem Bradley J
Published: August 2005

Certain fatty acid amides such as anandamide (AEA) and olvanil are agonists for the transient receptor potential, vanilloid‐1 (TRPV1) receptor, but have been found to activate TRPV1‐containing C‐fibers in some tissues but not others. We used extracellular recording and whole‐cell patch clamp techniques to investigate the effect of olvanil and AEA on different types of vagal C‐fibers innervating the same tissue, namely jugular and nodose vagal C‐fibers in guinea pig lungs.

A 30 s exposure to AEA and olvanil caused action potential discharge in all nodose C‐fiber innervating lung but failed to activate jugular C‐fibers innervating lung and airways. The activation of nodose C‐fibers was blocked by the TRPV1 antagonist iodo‐resiniferatoxin.

In whole‐cell patch clamp recordings of dissociated nodose and jugular capsaicin‐sensitive neurons labeled from lungs and airways, olvanil induced large TRPV1‐dependent inward currents in cell bodies of both nodose and jugular ganglion neurons.

Prolonged exposure (up to 5 min) to olvanil caused action potential discharge in jugular C‐fiber innervating lung but the onset latency was four times longer in jugular than in nodose C‐fibers. The onsets of capsaicin response in nodose and jugular C‐fibers were not different.

Decreasing the tissue temperature to 25°C increased the onset latency of olvanil‐induced activation of nodose C‐fibers 2–3‐fold, but did not effect the latency of the capsaicin response.

Capsaicin, olvanil, and AEA stimulate jugular C‐fibers leading to tachykinergic contractions of isolated bronchi. The time to reach half‐maximum is more than four times longer for olvanil and AEA, as compared to capsaicin in evoking contractions.

We conclude that brief exposure to certain fatty acid amides, such as AEA and olvanil activate nodose but not jugular C‐fiber terminals in the lungs. We hypothesize that this is because the nodose C‐fiber terminals are equipped with a temperature‐dependent mechanism for effectively and rapidly transporting the TRPV1 agonists so that they gain access to the intracellular binding sites on TRPV1. This transport mechanism may be differently expressed in two distinct subtypes of pulmonary C‐fiber terminals innervating the same tissue.

British Journal of Pharmacology (2005) 146, 596–603. doi:10.1038/sj.bjp.0706339
Electrophysiological and functional effects of the KCNQ channel blocker XE991 on murine portal vein smooth muscle cells
Authors: Yeung Shuk Yin M , Greenwood Iain A
Published: August 2005

The effect of the KCNQ channel blockers XE991, chromanol 293B and linopirdine, was studied on voltage‐dependent K+currents in smooth muscle cells dissociated freshly from mouse portal vein (mPV) and isometric tension recordings from whole mPV.

Voltage clamp experiments showed XE991 inhibited an outward current in a concentration‐dependent manner with an IC50of 5.8 μM. Block was voltage independent. Chromanol 293B and linopirdine also blocked the voltage‐dependent K+current but were less potent than XE991.

At least two components – a linear (Ilinear) and an outward relaxation (Iout) – contributed to the XE991‐sensitive conductance.

XE991‐sensitive currents were sustained at all test potentials and XE991 inhibited the enhanced holding current at −60 mV produced by bathing cells in an external solution containing 36 mMKCl.

Current clamp experiments in the perforated‐patch configuration showed XE991 and linopirdine depolarised the resting membrane potential and augmented the evoked response in a concentration‐dependent manner.

In functional experiments the spontaneous contractile activity of the mPV was increased significantly by XE991 and linopirdine. The stimulatory effect of XE991 was not affected by the presence of 4‐AP, glibenclamide nor paxilline.

These data provide evidence for an important role for KCNQ channels in governing cellular excitability in mPV smooth muscle cells.

British Journal of Pharmacology(2005)146, 585–595. doi:10.1038/sj.bjp.0706342
Enhancement of trypsin‐induced contraction by in vivo treatment with 17β‐estradiol and progesterone in rat myometrium
Authors: Aman Murasaki , Hirano Katsuya , Nishimura Junji , Nakano Hitoo , Kanaide Hideo
Published: August 2005

We have previously reported that the contractile response to thrombin and trypsin was enhanced in the pregnant rat myometrium. We herein determined whether or not sex hormones contribute to this enhancement and the expression of protease‐activated receptors (PARs).

The nonpregnant rats received daily injections of either 17β‐estradiol or progesterone, and then the contractile response of the myometrium was examined ex vivo. Treatment with either 17β‐estradiol or progesterone had almost no significant enhancing effect on the high K+‐ or oxytocin‐induced contraction. On the other hand, both 17β‐estradiol and progesterone dose‐dependently enhanced the contractile response to trypsin. A maximal enhancement was obtained at 25 and 40 mg kg weight−1 day−1 for 17β‐estradiol and progesterone, respectively. The extent of the enhancement of the trypsin‐induced contraction seen in the sex hormone‐treated rats in the present study was comparable to that reported in the pregnant rats.

However, the contractile response to thrombin and PAR1/PAR2‐AP, SFLLRNP was not enhanced either by progesterone or 17β‐estradiol. PAR2‐AP and PAR4‐AP failed to induce contraction under any conditions.

PAR1 mRNA was scarcely detected in the control myometrium by an RT–PCR analysis, while it slightly increased only in the progesterone‐treated rats. Neither PAR2 nor PAR4 mRNA was detected.

We thus conclude that the responsiveness to trypsin, but not thrombin, is controlled by sex hormones. A novel type of receptor, other than PAR1, PAR2 or PAR4, is suggested to mediate the trypsin‐induced contraction as in the case of the pregnant rat myometrium.

British Journal of Pharmacology (2005) 146, 425–434. doi:10.1038/sj.bjp.0706345
Use‐dependent inhibition of the skeletal muscle ryanodine receptor by the suramin analogue NF676
Authors: Wolner Ilse , Kassack Matthias U , Ullmann Heiko , Karel Anton , Hohenegger Martin
Published: August 2005

The skeletal muscle Ca2+release channel, the ryanodine receptor, is activated by the trypanocidal drug suraminviathe calmodulin‐binding site. As calmodulin activates and inhibits the ryanodine receptor depending on whether Ca2+is absent or present, suramin analogues were screened for inhibition of the ryanodine receptor.

Up to 300 μM, the novel suramin analogue, 4,4′‐(carbonyl‐bis(imino‐4,1‐phenylene‐(2,5‐benzimidazolylene)carbonylimino))‐bis‐benzenesulfonic acid disodium salt (NF676) was not able to significantly inhibit the basal [3H]ryanodine binding. However, kinetic analysis of the high affinity [3H]ryanodine binding elucidates a time‐dependent increment of inhibition by NF676, which is indicative for an open channel blocker.

Moreover, the ryanodine receptor was much more sensitive towards inhibition by NF676 when preactivated with caffeine or the nonhydrolysable ATP analogue, adenylyl‐imidodiphosphate. Nonetheless, the suramin activated ryanodine receptor was not susceptible towards high‐affinity NF676 inhibition, indicating an allosteric hindrance between the binding sites of suramin and NF676.

In the line of this finding, NF676per sewas not capable to elute the purified ryanodine receptor from a calmodulin‐Sepharose, but it prevented the elution by suramin.

Other than suramin, NF676 did not inhibit the Ca2+ATPase of the sarcoplasmic reticulum. However, suramin‐induced Ca2+release from sarcoplasmic reticulum was completely abrogated by preincubation with NF676.

Taken together, we conclude from these data that NF676 represents a novel lead compound as a potent use‐dependent blocker of the skeletal muscle ryanodine receptorviaan allosteric interaction with the suramin‐binding site.

British Journal of Pharmacology(2005)146, 525–533. doi:10.1038/sj.bjp.0706359
Reduced vascular reactivity after chronic nitroglycerine administration: EDHF mechanism is also downregulated
Authors: Von Der Weid Pierre‐Yves , Coleman Harold A
Published: August 2005

British Journal of Pharmacology (2005) 146, 479–480. doi:10.1038/sj.bjp.0706364
DC-STAMP is essential for cell–cell fusion in osteoclasts and foreign body giant cells
Authors: Yagi Mitsuru , Miyamoto Takeshi , Sawatani Yumi , Iwamoto Katsuya , Hosogane Naobumi , Fujita Nobuyuki , Morita Kozo , Ninomiya Ken , Suzuki Toru , Miyamoto Kana , Oike Yuichi , Takeya Motohiro , Toyama Yoshiaki , Suda Toshio
Published: August 2005

Osteoclasts are bone-resorbing cells that play a pivotal role in bone remodeling. Osteoclasts form large multinuclear giant cells by fusion of mononuclear osteoclasts. How cell fusion is mediated, however, is unclear. We identify the dendritic cell–specific transmembrane protein (DC-STAMP), a putative seven-transmembrane protein, by a DNA subtraction screen between multinuclear osteoclasts and mononuclear macrophages. DC-STAMP is highly expressed in osteoclasts but not in macrophages. DC-STAMP–deficient mice were generated, and osteoclast cell fusion was completely abrogated in homozygotes despite normal expression of osteoclast markers and cytoskeletal structure. As osteoclast multinucleation was restored by retroviral introduction of DC-STAMP, loss of cell fusion was directly attributable to a lack of DC-STAMP. Defects in osteoclast multinucleation reduce bone-resorbing activity, leading to osteopetrosis. Similar to osteoclasts, foreign body giant cell formation by macrophage cell fusion was also completely abrogated in DC-STAMP–deficient mice. We have thus identified an essential regulator of osteoclast and macrophage cell fusion, DC-STAMP, and an essential role of osteoclast multinucleation in bone homeostasis.
Selective targeting of regulatory T cells with CD28 superagonists allows effective therapy of experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis
Authors: Beyersdorf Niklas , Gaupp Stefanie , Balbach Karen , Schmidt Jens , Toyka Klaus V. , Lin Chia-Huey , Hanke Thomas , Hünig Thomas , Kerkau Thomas , Gold Ralf
Published: August 2005

CD4+CD25+ regulatory T cells (T reg cells) play a key role in controlling autoimmunity and inflammation. Therefore, therapeutic agents that are capable of elevating numbers or increasing effector functions of this T cell subset are highly desirable. In a previous report we showed that a superagonistic monoclonal antibody specific for rat CD28 (JJ316) expands and activates T reg cells in vivo and upon short-term in vitro culture. Here we demonstrate that application of very low dosages of the CD28 superagonist into normal Lewis rats is sufficient to induce T reg cell expansion in vivo without the generalized lymphocytosis observed with high dosages of JJ316. Single i.v. administration of a low dose of the CD28 superagonist into Dark Agouti (DA) rats or Lewis rats that suffered from experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) proved to be highly and equally efficacious as high-dose treatment. Finally, we show that T reg cells that were isolated from CD28-treated animals displayed enhanced suppressive activity toward myelin basic protein–specific T cells in vitro, and, upon adoptive transfer, protected recipients from EAE. Our data indicate that this class of CD28-specific monoclonal antibodies targets CD4+CD25+ T reg cells and provides a novel means for the effective treatment of multiple sclerosis and other autoimmune diseases.
Macrophage fusion
Authors: Vignery Agnès
Published: August 2005

The fusion of cells is a fundamental biological event that is essential for a variety of developmental and homeostatic processes. Fusion is required for the formation of multinucleated osteoclasts and giant cells, although the mechanisms that govern these processes are poorly understood. A new study now reveals an unexpected role for the receptor, dendritic cell–specific transmembrane protein (DC-STAMP), in this process. The potential mechanism by which DC-STAMP governs fusion and the implications of this finding will be discussed.
Jurisdiction Over Cross-Border Wrongs On The Internet
Authors: Bigos Oren
Published: August 2005

The internet presents challenges for private international law. One challenge relates to jurisdiction, which is traditionally based on territory. Transactions on the internet span many borders. When cross-border wrongs are committed they may lead to transnational litigation. This article examines the circumstances in which a court can exercise jurisdiction over a foreign defendant alleged to have committed a civil wrong over the internet. Section I examines the background to jurisdiction and the internet and sets the scope of the topic. Section n gives a brief summary of the internet and its applications. Section HI examines jurisdictional rules in civil wrongs cases.The focus is on two sets of rules commonly applied around the globe: the service abroad provisions and the special jurisdiction provisions. Section IV aims to apply those jurisdictional rules to cases of wrongs committed on the internet. It advances general principles, applicable in cases of cross-border wrongs committed on the internet, relating to the place where a wrong is committed and the place where damage is suffered. Defamation has its own peculiarities and is discussed separately. The issue of whether a court can grant an injunction against a foreign defendant in respect of foreign conduct is explored. The article concludes (in Section V) that existing jurisdictional rules need not be amended in light of the internet, and offers general statements about how jurisdictional rules apply to wrongs committed on the internet.
Reforming The Laws On Public Procurement In The Developing World: The Example Of Kenya
Authors: Mosoti Victor
Published: August 2005

Kenya is one of the countries that are currently in the process of preparing a new law on government procurement as part of the anti-corruption efforts of a new democratically elected government which came into power in December 2002. Whereas it may be too early to judge the commitment of the new government to meaningful and consistent anti-corruption initiatives, one may already discern either a definite unwillingness to move forward with serious reforms or an implicit acquiescence towards corrupt practices, particularly in the government procurement process. In this paper, we shall examine Kenya's government procurement laws, and their practical application. We focus on two recent examples of the procurement process, one by a government ministry and the other by a parastatal body. The first example of application we shall look at is the controversy over the procurement of HIV-Aids testing equipment by the Ministry of Health, and the second is the procurement of cranes by the Kenya Ports Authority. We shall end with a brief examination of the proposed Public Procurement and Disposal Bill (2003)l which is currently before the Kenyan parliament and how it may revolutionalize the government procurement process in Kenya. This Bill has already received the approval of the Cabinet of Ministers and is due for the second reading in Parliament.2 Despite the Government having stated its commitment to have the bill enacted, the bill has not been passed yet.3 In the last substantive part of the paper, we assess the relevant international agreements and standards such as the UNCITRAL Model Law on Public Procurement and the WTO's Agreement on Government Procurement, and also highlight the regional procurement law.