bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Satirical Songs in Maine and the Maritime Provinces of Canada1
Authors: Ives Edward D.
Published: April 2006

Invective, ridicule, and insult are not uncommon ingredients in folk songs, and since songs containing these elements usually make us laugh, we speak of them as satirical. Sometimes the satire springs from a strong sense of social injustice, as it did with singers like Aunt Molly Jackson and Woody Guthrie. More commonly it arises from personal motives, such as a desire to annoy. This is a progress report on local songs—particularly those attributed to Larry Gorman—in Maine, New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island.
The Formation of Folk Modal Systems*
Authors: Belaiev Victor
Published: April 2006

Modes and modal systems (groups of related modes) are none other than generalized types of melodic movement occurring in folk music, both vocal and instrumental. Arising first in folk song, they become fixed in the scaling of folk musical instruments, in the linear measurements that determine the structure of intervals. The chief types of instruments with fixed scaling are wind instruments with finger-holes, and fretted stringed instruments of the lute family. Whereas the human voice and lutes-without-frets belong (potentially at least) to the realm of free melodic creativity, musical instruments with fixed scales preserve historical stages in the development of melody, of individual modes and of entire modal systems. The scaling of an instrument is indeed a kind of notation; its symbols are not written on paper but exist as linear proportions on the instrument itself.
Sociopolitical Implications of a New Emblem Glyph and Place Name in Classic Maya Inscriptions
Authors: Palka Joel W.
Published: April 2006

A new emblem glyph and place name, which depicts tied hair, is identified in Classic Maya hieroglyphic inscriptions from the upper Usumacinta River region of Chiapas and Guatemala. Emblem glyphs are used as titles of rulers, whereas place names indicate a person"s place of origin or where events took place. An interesting discovery from glyphic texts with this "Tied-Hair" glyph is that rulers at the large sites of Bonampak and Lacanhá, Chiapas, originated from the Tied-Hair site. Maya sites with emblem glyphs are often viewed as being politically independent polities ruled by a local patrilineage. Evidence discussed here suggests that Maya centers could have been ruled by noble males from other sites and that some polities were made up of several centers. This complex sociopolitical organization may have been created through dynastic alliances, through inheritance, or by military conquest. Classic Maya political integration then may have been similar to that of the Aztec, Mixtec, and Maya of Postclassic Mesoamerica.
Biconical God Figurines from Cholula and the Codex Borgia
Authors: Uruñuela Gabriela , Plunket Patricia , Hernández Gilda , Albaitero Juan
Published: April 2006

The origin of the Codex Borgia has been under discussion since it was first published. Although there exists a consensus that it, along with the other manuscripts of the Borgia Group, corresponds to the Mixteca-Puebla style, opinions vary as to its specific provenience within the area where this style is found. The majority of the arguments proposed involve stylistic and iconographic similarities between elements represented in the codex and those found on ceramics and Prehispanic mural paintings, particularly in the Valleys of Puebla-Tlaxcala and Tehuacán, but a direct relation with any aspect of material culture remains tenuous. Recent archaeological excavations in Cholula have provided a large collection of peculiar Postclassic figurines that appear to correspond to the ritual "jars" represented on various pages of the codex. Because the distribution of these pieces is limited to the Puebla-Tlaxcala Valley, and they have not been reported for other parts of Mesoamerica, we suggest that their repeated occurrence in the Codex Borgia provides yet more evidence to claim a Puebla-Tlaxcala origin for this document.
Archaeological Research at the Lowland Maya City of Rio Azul
Authors: Adams Richard E. W.
Published: April 2006

Five seasons of archaeological fieldwork at the Maya lowland site of Rio Azul are summarized. The site is an urban center located on the Rio Azul. The locality was occupied from at least 900 B.C. to ca. A.D. 800. Farming villages gave way ca. 150 B.C. to communities that built large platforms, and the urban center was established about A.D. 200. Rio Azul apparently was conquered by Tikal ca. A.D. 380 and became a frontier city and commercial center. Strong influence from Teotihuacan is indicated. A hiatus in the sixth century A.D. evidently represents a period of civil wars. Rio Azul was reoccupied and then overrun again in the ninth century by northern Maya groups. Once more reoccupied, it was finally abandoned ca. A.D. 880. Evidence for ancient cultural institutions also is summarized.
Lithic Workshops Revisited: Comments on Moholy-Nagy
Authors: Hester Thomas R. , Shafer Harry J.
Published: April 2006

Moholy-Nagy (1990) has argued that concentrations of chipped-stone debitage from mesoamerican sites, including Colhá, Belize, represent dumps and not workshops as we have suggested (Shafer and Hester 1983, 1986). She emphasizes microdebitage as the most reliable indicator of workshop location. Her argument is supported by the use of ethnoarchaeological accounts of debitage deposition from stone- and glass-artifact manufacture. Our alternative view is that microdebitage is only one of several criteria for identifying the loci of intensive stone-tool making. The Colhá data are also used to demonstrate variability in behaviors related to the formation of debitage deposits and the visibility of workshop activity. We contend that identifying precise manufacturing loci is less important than assessing the overall scale of production at a site and that site"s role in regional settlement systems.
Beginnings of Village Life in Eastern Mesoamerica
Authors: Joyce Rosemary A. , Henderson John S.
Published: April 2006

Excavations in northern Honduras have produced evidence of initial village life that is among the earliest cases documented in Mesoamerica. Settlement beginning prior to 1600 B. C., the production of sophisticated pottery by 1600 B. C., and integration in economic exchange networks extending into Guatemala and Mexico by 1100-900 B. C. (calendar ages), are all consistent with patterns recorded in the Gulf Coast, Central Highlands, and Pacific Coast of Mexico. Supported by a suite of 11 radiocarbon dates, these findings overturn traditional models that viewed Honduras as an underdeveloped periphery receiving delayed influences from Mexican centers.
Demographic and Architectural Retrodiction: An Ethnoarchaeological Case Study in the South American Tropical Lowlands
Authors: Siegel Peter E.
Published: April 2006

This paper focuses on the demographic and architectural organization of a South Amerindian tropical-forest community. The household, as the most important social, economic, and behavioral unit in this society, is reflected in the strong quantitative relations between the floor areas of the various structure types and the associated number of occupants. In contrast, floor area/number of occupants relations at the nuclear-family level are quantitatively weak. Since the aboriginal household was also the most important economic and demographic social unit in the South American tropics, the present study may be used to estimate prehistoric settlement population levels using excavated data. As such, this study encourages the use of the direct-historical approach by archaeologists working in the lowlands of South America.
Glimpses of the Supernatural: Altered States of Consciousness and the Graffiti of Tikal, Guatemala
Authors: Haviland William A. , Haviland Anita de Laguna
Published: April 2006

Application of a neuropsychological model, developed in the laboratory, to the graffiti of Tikal reveals that the great majority of the latter are products of altered states of consciousness, depictions of visions seen by people in states of trance in relatively private settings. Beneath this art's apparent surface disorder and haphazard arrangement lies a definite neuropsychological order. Consideration of the provenances of graffiti suggests that the practice of trancing was widespread in Classic times, at least among the elite class and upper stratum of commoners.
A Dresden Codex Mars Table?
Authors: Love Bruce
Published: April 2006

The proposal that the Prehispanic Maya recorded the revolutions of the planet Mars was made in the 1920s, and subsequently dismissed by Eric Thompson. Victoria Bricker and Harvey Bricker, followed by John Justeson, have rekindled the debate by proposing new lines of evidence supporting a “Mars Table” in the Dresden Codex. A review of the evidence does not support their contention and concludes that Thompson, following Seler, was essentially correct when he interpreted the “Sky Beast” as associated with rain and lightning. The purported Mars table is in fact a variant of the Chac almanacs that deal with weather and agriculture.
Flakes to Blades? Middle Formative Development of Obsidian Artifacts in the Upper Belize River Valley
Authors: Awe Jaime , Healy Paul F.
Published: April 2006

The recovery of obsidian artifacts in radiometrically dated cultural stratigraphic levels at the Maya site of Cahal Pech (Belize) suggests that there was a flake-to-bladelet sequence of development of obsidian technology in the Belize Valley region of the Maya lowlands. Obsidian artifacts within levels dating to the first half of the early Middle Formative period (1000-850 B.C.) at Cahal Pech consist exclusively of flakes. Prismatic blades first occur in late Middle Formative (650-450 B.C.) levels, and remain the predominant artifact type throughout the subsequent Late Formative and Classic periods. This Middle Formative transition in obsidian artifacts has been recorded elsewhere in Mesoamerica, but the Cahal Pech data represent the first explicitly documented case of the developmental sequence in the central Maya lowlands.
The Obsidian Hydration Dating Project at Copan: A Regional Approach and Why It Works
Authors: Webster David , Freter AnnCorinne , Rue David
Published: April 2006

Settlement research at Copán, Honduras, since 1984 has produced the largest set of obsidian-hydration dates from excavated contexts available for Mesoamerica (Webster and Freter 1990). Geoffrey Braswell (1992) has criticized the methodology underlying our research, specific associations of our published data, and particularly our reconstruction of a demographic and political decline at Copán that extended well beyond A.D. 900. Braswell has incorrectly characterized the Copan Obsidian Hydration Dating Project’s methodology, and makes many factual errors in assessing the Copán data. In this paper the authors correct these errors, discuss basic issues of obsidian-hydration-dating methodology, and offer new data from Copán to evaluate the efficacy of hydration dating as a method and its potential future application for Mesoamerica as a whole.
The Function of Small Rockshelters in the Magallanes IV Phase Settlement System (South Patagonia)
Authors: Otero Julieta Gómez
Published: April 2006

Though most archaeological sites studied in South Patagonia are caves and rockshelters, archaeologists have not discussed the function of these sites in the context of a regional settlement system. Research in two small rockshelters with cultural assemblages dating to the Magallanes IV phase allowed me to recognize that it was almost impossible to interpret rockshelter function by applying some settlement-system models. The models of Binford and of Borrero had failed to explain how, despite the small size of these sites and the small number of cultural materials recovered from them, there was evidence of multiple activities, well-made lithic and bone tools, and guanaco-bone specimens of different economic value. I discuss and interpret the function of small rockshelters in the settlement system of the Magallanes IV phase. I assume that Magallanes IV phase hunters developed foraging strategies and used portable tents the same as sixteenth-century southern Patagonian hunters did.
A Dresden Codex Eclipse Sequence: Projections for the Years 1970–1992
Authors: Martin Frederick
Published: April 2006

Data from the U. S. Naval Observatory annual astronomical almanacs (1970–1992) in “correlation” with the Maya Calendar Round (CR) sequence indicate that the Dresden Codex lunar table (51a-58b) very probably counted simultaneous sequences of both lunar and solar eclipses on the same set of day names. The contemporary sequence of day names in the CR and the astronomy consistent with it parallels Classic-period Maya observational experience between 9.16.0.0.0 and 9.17.0.0.0.
The Sacred Cacao Groves of the Maya
Authors: Gómez-Pompa Arturo , Flores José Salvador , Fernández Mario Aliphat
Published: April 2006

The presence of cacao has been discovered in the state of Yucatan, Mexico. Cacao in this region has been mentioned since Prehispanic times by diverse chroniclers and investigators. Nonetheless, until the present, there did not exist concrete evidence of the existence of cacao in this area. Apparently, the climate and soil of Yucatan are not adequate for the natural growth of this species, which requires great humidity throughout the year and deep soils. Cacao was found in three sinkholes (k'o'op) to the south of Valladolid. The trees found are of a rare form of cacao only known in the Lacandon region in Chiapas: Theobroma cacao L. subspecies cacao forma lacandonica Cuatrecasas. A discussion of the importance of this discovery from the perspectives of biology, ecology, and history is presented. This discovery reinforces the importance of the present-day flora for understanding the management of vegetation in the past.
The Frequency and Antiquity of Prehistoric Coca-Leaf-Chewing Practices in Northern Chile: Radioimmunoassay of a Cocaine Metabolite in Human-Mummy Hair
Authors: Cartmell Larry W. , Aufderheide Arthur C. , Springfield Angela , Weems Cheryl , Arriaza Bernardo
Published: April 2006

Coca-leaf chewing results in absorption of part of its cocaine content. Following absorption, cocaine and/or its stable metabolic product benzoylecgonine (BZE) may enter the chewer's hair follicles and subsequently be incorporated into the hair shafts. This article reports that a recently developed radioimmunoassay is capable of detecting BZE in hair samples from ancient, spontaneously mummified human remains. Results are provided from tests on hair samples of 163 individuals, representatives of populations from seven different cultures living at coastal and low valley sites in northern Chile during the past 4,000 years. These indicate that coca-leaf-chewing practices began in this area about 2,000 years ago. The practice seems to have been common in several subsequent cultural groups. In one of these—Maitas Chiribaya—the majority of both adult men and women indulged in this practice. Coca-leaf-chewing women probably transferred BZE to their fetuses and nursing infants.
New Approaches to Ceramic Use and Discard: Cooking Pottery from the Peruvian Andes in Ethnoarchaeological Perspective
Authors: Hildebrand John A. , Hagstrum Melissa B.
Published: April 2006

Ethnoarchaeological data from contemporary Wanka villages in the Mantaro Valley of the Peruvian Andes provide new perspectives on the use and discard of ceramic cooking vessels. We present a regional survey of ceramic vessel use and discard with household consumption as the focus of study. A mathematical model determines vessel uselife from the age distribution of in-use vessels. We examine the number of vessels per household, their volume, their uselife, and their reported discard. A typical Wanka household cooking vessel assemblage consists of four or five ollas, two large ollas, one chata, and one tostadera. As family members are added to a household, the number of household ollas slightly increases, as does olla volume and the overall rate of olla discard. Large families have fewer chatas, and the rate of chata discard is uncorrelated with household size. Large and small families alike have only one tostadera, but in large families, a shortened tostadera uselife increases their discard rate. Distributing the same population into small or large households will result in significantly different rates of total sherd accumulation. Bulk sherd accumulation is a better indicator of the number of households rather than of the total number of persons. Household size can be estimated from the relative proportions of discarded ollas, chatas, and tostaderas.
Is prostaglandin E2 a pathogenic factor in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis?
Authors: Almer Gabriele , Kikuchi Hitoshi , Teismann Peter , Przedborski Serge
Published: April 2006

Objective

To elucidate the role of cyclooxygenase‐1 (Cox1) and prostaglandin E2 in ALS neurodegeneration.

Methods

Mutation in superoxide dismutase‐1 is a cause of the fatal paralytic disorder amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Inhibition of cyclooxygenase‐2 (Cox‐2) in transgenic mice expressing an amyotrophic lateral sclerosis–linked superoxide dismutase‐1 mutation led to the idea that prostaglandin E2, the main synthetic product of Cox‐2, is pathogenic in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.

Results

Herein, we show by genetic intervention that prostaglandin E2 in the spinal cord is mainly produced by Cox‐1, and that ablation of Cox‐1 fails to attenuate neurodegeneration.

Interpretation

The previously documented role of Cox‐2 in ALS neurodegeneration in this particular mouse model occurs through a mechanism independent of prostaglandin E2. Furthermore, plans to use selective Cox‐1 inhibitors for neuroprotection in ALS are unlikely to be fruitful. Ann Neurol 2006
Monitoring of chemical reactions during polymer synthesis by real‐time attenuated total reflection (ATR)–FTIR spectroscopy
Authors: Sahre Karin , Schulze Ulrich , Hoffmann Thorsten , Elrehim Mona Abd , Eichhorn Klaus‐Jochen , Pospiech Doris , Fischer Dieter , Voit Brigitte
Published: April 2006

The present study demonstrates in situ real‐time attenuated total reflection (ATR)–FTIR spectroscopy as a powerful tool for monitoring and analyzing different polymerization and polymer modification reactions. Thus, a metallocene catalyzed copolymerization of propene and 10‐undecene‐1‐ol, a polycondensation reaction towards polysulfone, and a modification reaction of OH end groups of hyperbranched poly(urea‐urethane) were investigated successfully. The interpretation of the development of FTIR spectra was carried out on the basis of typical vibration bands of chemical groups of the corresponding monomers and polymers in each case, e.g. of the CC double bond of 10‐undecene‐1‐ol during the copolymerization, the new COC group of polysulfone, and the new urethane end group of poly(urea‐urethane). Kinetics prediction is also under consideration. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 101: 1374–1380, 2006
Machine learning for Arabic text categorization
Authors: Duwairi Rehab M.
Published: April 2006

In this article we propose a distance‐based classifier for categorizing Arabic text. Each category is represented as a vector of words in an m‐dimensional space, and documents are classified on the basis of their closeness to feature vectors of categories. The classifier, in its learning phase, scans the set of training documents to extract features of categories that capture inherent category‐specific properties; in its testing phase the classifier uses previously determined category‐specific features to categorize unclassified documents. Stemming was used to reduce the dimensionality of feature vectors of documents. The accuracy of the classifier was tested by carrying out several categorization tasks on an in‐house collected Arabic corpus. The results show that the proposed classifier is very accurate and robust.
Tannic acid‐stabilized pericardium tissue: IR spectroscopy, atomic force microscopy, and dielectric spectroscopy investigations
Authors: Jastrzebska M. , Zalewska‐Rejdak J. , Wrzalik R. , Kocot A. , Mroz I. , Barwinski B. , Turek A. , Cwalina B.
Published: April 2006

Infrared (IR) spectroscopy, atomic force microscopy (AFM), and dielectric spectroscopy methods were employed to study structural and dynamic changes in the tannic acid (TA)‐stabilized pericardium tissue. Chemically stabilized pericardium tissue is widely used in construction of the tissue derived bioprostheses. IR spectra recorded in the range 400–4000 cm−1 allowed us to recognize different types of TA–collagen interactions. Formation of hydrogen bonds between amine as well as amide NH groups from collagen and hydroxyl groups of TA was analyzed. The AFM imaging showed that the stabilization procedure with TA introduces considerable changes in both surface topography and thickness of collagen fibrils as well as in fibril arrangement on the tissue surface. It was found, that these structural changes have an impact on the dielectric behavior of the TA‐stabilized tissue. The dielectric spectra for the native and TA‐stabilized tissues were measured in the frequency and temperature ranges of 10−1 –107 Hz and 120–270 K, respectively. The dielectric spectra revealed the relaxation process due to orientation of bound water supplemented by the fluctuation of collagen polar side groups. At the temperatures above ∼210 K, the relaxation due to ion migration process was observed. It was found that both relaxation processes were influenced by the TA–collagen interaction. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res, 2006
Cloning and molecular dissection of the 8.8 kb pig uroplakin II promoter using transgenic mice and RT4 cells
Authors: Kwon Deug‐Nam , Choi Yun‐Jung , Park Jong‐Yi , Cho Seong‐Keun , Kim Myeong Ok , Lee Hoon Taek , Kim Jin‐Hoi
Published: April 2006

Uroplakin II (UPII) gene expression is highly tissue and cell specific, with mRNA present in the suprabasal cell layers of the bladder and urethra. Previous reports described the mouse UPII (mUPII) promoter as primarily urothelium selective. However, ectopic expression of a transgene under the 3.6 kb mUPII promoter was also detected in brain, kidney, and testis in some transgenic mouse lines. Here, we have cloned an 8.8 kb pig UPII (pUPII) promoter region and investigated which cells within the bladder and urethra express a transgene consisting of the pUPII promoter fused to human erythropoietin (hEPO) or a luciferase gene. pUPII‐luciferase expression vectors with various deletions of the promoter region were introduced into mouse fibroblast (NIH3T3), Chinese hamster ovary (CHO), and human bladder transitional carcinoma (RT4). A 2.1 kb pUPII promoter fragment displayed high levels of luciferase activity in transiently transfected RT4 cells, whereas the 8.8 kb pUPII promoter region displayed only low levels of activity. The pUPII‐hEPO expression vector was injected into the pronucleus of zygotes to make transgenic mice. To elucidate the in vivo molecular mechanisms controlling the tissue‐ and cell‐specific expression of the pUPII promoter gene, transgenic mice containing 2.1 and 8.8 kb pUPII promoter fragments linked to the genomic hEPO gene were generated. An erythropoietin (EPO) assay showed that all nine transgenic lines carrying the 8.8 kb construct expressed recombinant human erythropoietin (rhEPO) only in their urethra and bladder, whereas two transgenic lines carrying the 2.1 kb pUPII promoter displayed hEPO expression in several organs including bladder, kidney, spleen, heart, and brain. These studies demonstrate that the 2.1 kb promoter contains the DNA elements necessary for high levels of expression, but lacks critical sequences necessary for tissue‐specific expression. We compared binding sites in the 2.1 and 8.8 kb promoter sequences and found five peroxisome proliferator responsive elements (PPREs) in the 8.8 kb promoter. Our data demonstrated that proliferator‐activated receptor (PPAR)‐γ activator treatment in RT4 cells induced the elevated expression of hEPO mRNA under the control of the 8.8 kb pUPII promoter, but not the 2.1 kb promoter. Collectively, our data suggested that all the major trans‐regulatory elements required for bladder‐ and urethra‐specific transcription are located in the 8.8 kb upstream region and that it may enhance tissue‐specific protein production and be of interest to clinicians who are searching for therapeutic modalities with high efficacy and low toxicity. J. Cell. Biochem. 99: 462–477, 2006. © 2006 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Hydralazine rescues PC12 cells from acrolein‐mediated death
Authors: Liu‐Snyder Peishan , Borgens Richard Ben , Shi Riyi
Published: April 2006

Acrolein, a major lipid peroxidation product, has been associated with both CNS trauma and neurodegenerative diseases. Because of its long half‐life, acrolein is a potent endogenous toxin capable of killing healthy cells during the secondary injury process. Traditionally, attempts to intervene in the process of progressive cell death after the primary injury have included scavenging reactive oxygen species (so‐called free radicals). The animal data supporting such an approach have generally been positive, but all human clinical trials attempting a similar outcome in human CNS injury have failed. New drugs that might reduce toxicity by scavenging the products of lipid peroxidation present a promising, and little investigated, therapeutic approach. Hydralazine, a well‐known treatment for hypertension, has been reported to react with acrolein, forming hydrazone in cell‐free systems. In the companion paper, we have established an acrolein‐mediated cell injury model using PC12 cells in vitro. Here we test the hypothesis that the formation of hydrazone adducts with acrolein is able to reduce acrolein toxicity and spare a significant percentage of the population of PC12 cells from death. Concentrations of approximately 1 mM of this aldehyde scavenger can rescue over 80% of the population of PC12 cells. This study provides a basis for a new pharmacological treatment to reduce the effects of secondary injury in the damaged and/or diseased nervous system. In particular, we describe the need for new drugs that possess aldehyde scavenging properties but do not interfere with the regulation of blood pressure. © 2006 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Prognostic factors in pleuro‐pulmonary blastoma
Authors: Indolfi Paolo , Bisogno Gianni , Casale Fiorina , Cecchetto Giovanni , De Salvo Gianluca , Ferrari Andrea , Donfrancesco Alberto , Donofrio Vittoria , Martone Antonio , Di Martino Martina , Di Tullio Maria T.
Published: April 2006

Purpose

To evaluate the prognostic factors in a series of children affected by pleuropulmonary blastoma (PPB).

Patients and Methods

Clinicopathological findings, treatment, and outcome of 22 PPB cases observed in 13 Italian Associations for Pediatric Hematology and Oncology centers are reported. Clinical data, surgical notes, pathologic findings, and summaries of treatment were taken from the charts and correlated with outcome by standard statistical methods.

Results

The series included 22 patients (14 males) with a median age of 30.5 months followed up for a median of 22 months (range 2–176 months). In nine patients the PPB developed with lung involvement only. Congenital lung cysts were recorded in five cases. Nine patients had recurrences. Gender, side, tumor size, pre‐existing lung cysts, and extent of surgical resection at diagnosis did not significantly affect survival by univariate analysis. Achieving total resection of the tumor at any time of treatment resulted in a significantly better prognosis (P = 0.01), whereas extrapulmonary involvement at diagnosis resulted in a significantly worse prognosis (P = 0.01). Estimated 15‐year event‐free and overall survival rates were 44 and 49% for all patients, respectively.

Conclusions

PPB is an aggressive neoplasm. Total resection of PPB performed at any time of treatment appears to provide a better outcome, whereas extrapulmonary involvement at diagnosis worsens the prognosis. Pediatr Blood Cancer 2007;48:318–323. © 2006 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
The effect of acute pain crisis on exhaled nitric oxide levels in children with sickle cell disease
Authors: Pawar Sachin S. , Panepinto Julie A. , Brousseau David C.
Published: April 2006

Exhaled nitric oxide (FENO) has been shown to be decreased in children with sickle cell disease. We sought to evaluate the effect of sickle cell vaso‐occlusive crisis (VOC) on FENO levels. We measured FENO levels in 42 children with sickle cell disease, 29 in their baseline health and 13 during an acute VOC. There was no difference in FENO levels between children at baseline (15.12 ± 9.32 ppb) and those during an acute VOC (15.68 ± 7.26 ppb; P = 0.794). FENO is not a useful marker of acute VOC in children with sickle cell disease. Pediatr Blood Cancer 2008;50:111–113. © 2006 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Heterogeneous surface saponification of suspension‐polymerized monodisperse poly(vinyl acetate) microspheres using various ions
Authors: Lee Se Geun , Kim Jae Pil , Chan Kwon Ick , Park Ki Hong , Noh Seok Kyun , Han Sung Soo , Lyoo Won Seok
Published: April 2006

Poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA)/poly(vinyl acetate) (PVAc) microspheres with a skin/core structure were prepared through the heterogeneous surface saponification of PVAc microspheres suspension‐polymerized. The PVA skin formed through the heterogeneous saponification was hydrogel swellable in water. In addition, to obtain monodisperse PVA/PVAc microspheres having various skin/core ratios and morphologies, the ion‐specificities to the heterogeneous saponification were investigated using SO, Cl−, NO, Br−, and I− for anions and Li+, Na+, and K+ for cations, respectively. The ions were not specific significantly to the rate of the heterogeneous saponification, while were related to the degree of saponification (DS). DSs had different values between by weight loss (DSw) and by proton nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (DSNMR) measurements. The order of DSws was SO < Cl− < NO < Br− < I− for anions and K+ < Na+ < Li+ for cations, and that of DSNMRs, I− < Br− < NO < Cl− < SO for anions and Li+ < Na+ < K+ for cations. The differences in values between DSws and DSNMRs were caused by the dissolution of PVA skin and were significantly decreased for SO. The peaks at melting temperature of PVA were sharp and their areas were large for ions deswelling PVA skins.
Women, Modernism, & Performance
Authors: Savilonis Margaret F.
Published: April 2006

Penny Farfan's Women, Modernism, & Performance, six intricately woven essays about a handful of late nineteenth- and early twentieth-century female artists, is an absorbing study centered on the premise that “the feminist-modernist aesthetics of key figures in the fields of dance and literature developed in part out of their engagement with dramatic literature and theatrical practice, making their lives and work a part of theatre history” (2). Employing broad definitions of both performance and modernism, Farfan casts a wide net, adopting what she describes as a “‘maximalist’ approach” (117) to construct her arguments about these artists' contributions to “the transformation of the representation of gender in both art and life” (119). Her consideration of public performances such as courtroom trials, lectures, and “the performance of gender in the practice of everyday life” (3) informs her analysis of literary, critical, and performance texts to intriguing effect. In the process, Farfan delineates the cultural landscape out of which these women and their work emerged.
Numerical investigations on ergodicity of solute transport in heterogeneous aquifers
Authors: Suciu N. , Vamoş C. , Vanderborght J. , Hardelauf H. , Vereecken H.
Published: April 2006

Darcy velocities for lognormal hydraulic conductivity with small variance and finite correlation length were approximated by periodic random fields. Accurate simulations of two‐dimensional advection‐dispersion processes were achieved with the global random walk algorithm, using 1010 particles in every transport realization. Reliable statistical estimations were obtained by averaging over 256 realizations. The main result is a numerical evidence for the mean square convergence of the actual concentrations to the macrodispersion process predicted by a known limit theorem. For small initial plumes the ergodic behavior can be expected after thousands of advection timescales, when the deviation from the theoretical prediction of the cross‐section space‐averaged concentration monotonously decays and falls under 20%. The increase of the transverse dimension of the initial plume slows down the approach to the quasi‐ergodic state and has a nonlinear effect on the variability of the actual concentrations and dispersivities.
Nonlinear three-mode interaction and drift-wave turbulence in a tokamak edge plasma
Authors: Batista A. M. , Caldas I. L. , Lopes S. R. , Viana R. L. , Horton W. , Morrison P. J.
Published: April 2006

A three-wave interaction model with quadratic nonlinearities and linear growth/decay rates is used to investigate the occurrence of drift-wave turbulence driven by pressure gradients in the edge plasma of a tokamak. Model parameters are taken from a typical set of measurements of the floating electrostatic potential in the tokamak edge region. Some aspects of the temporal dynamics exhibited by the three-wave interaction model are investigated, with special emphasis on a chaotic regime found for a wide range of the wave decay rate. An intermittent transition from periodic to chaotic behavior is observed and some statistical properties, such as the interburst and laminar length interval durations, are explored.
Large amplitude relativistic electromagnetic solitons due to strong photon-condensation in intense laser underdense homogeneous collisionless plasma interaction
Authors: Li Baiwen , Ishiguro S. , Skorić M. M. , Sato T.
Published: April 2006

Large amplitude electromagnetic solitons due to strong photon condensation, induced by a linearly polarized intense laser interacting with an underdense uniform collisionless plasma, are studied by particle simulations. In homogeneous plasma, both standing and accelerated solitons are observed. It is found that the acceleration of the solitons depends upon not only the laser amplitude but also the plasma length. The electromagnetic frequency of the solitons is between half and one time of the unperturbed electron plasma frequency. The electrostatic field inside the soliton has a one-cycle structure in space, while the transverse electric and the magnetic fields have half- and one-cycle structures, respectively. The acceleration of the solitons is briefly discussed.
Physical origin of threshold voltage problems in polycrystalline silicon/HfO2 gate stacks
Authors: Kim Dae Yeon , Kang Joongoo , Chang K. J.
Published: April 2006

Based on theoretical calculations, we find that at p+ polycrystalline silicon (poly-Si)∕HfO2 gates, Si interstitials are easily migrated from the electrode, forming Hf–Si bonds with a charge transfer to the electrode, and the resulting interface dipole raises the Fermi level of poly-Si toward the pinning level, causing high flat band voltage shifts. In O-rich grown HfO2 on Si substrates, the Si atoms substitute for the Hf sites, leading to the formation of Hf-silicate layers, while under O-poor conditions, they remain as interstitial defects, binding with the Hf atoms, and behave as a negative-U trap, which causes the threshold voltage instability.
Large amplitude dust acoustic solitary wave with positively charged dust grain
Authors: Ghosh Samiran , Gupta M. R.
Published: April 2006

Large amplitude solitary waves are investigated in a dusty plasma containing electrons, positive ions, negative ions, and positively charged dust grains [N. D'Angelo, J. Phys. D 37, 860 (2004)] by the Sagdeev potential. Numerical investigations related to Q machine dusty plasma with a positive charge reveal that the nonlinear dust acoustic wave possesses only a supersonic compressive soliton. The range of Mach numbers where such solitary waves exist is also investigated.
Low-density tin targets for efficient extreme ultraviolet light emission from laser-produced plasmas
Authors: Okuno Tomoharu , Fujioka Shinsuke , Nishimura Hiroaki , Tao Yezheng , Nagai Keiji , Gu Qincui , Ueda Nobuyoshi , Ando Tsuyoshi , Nishihara Katsunobu , Norimatsu Takayoshi , Miyanaga Noriaki , Izawa Yasukazu , Mima Kunioki , Sunahara Atsushi , Furukawa Hiroyuki , Sasaki Akira
Published: April 2006

Influence of initial density of tin (Sn) targets has been quantitatively investigated for efficient extreme ultraviolet light emission from laser-produced plasmas. With a decrease in the initial density, conversion efficiency (CE) from incident laser energy to output 13.5nm light energy in a 2% bandwidth increases; 2.2% of the peak CE was attained with use of 7% low-density SnO2 targets (0.49g∕cm3) irradiated with a Nd:YAG laser, of which wavelength, pulse duration, and intensity are, respectively, 1.064μm, 10ns, and 5×1010W∕cm2. The peak CE is 1.7 times higher than that obtained with the use of solid density Sn targets. Experimental results may be attributed to the influence of the initial density and/or microstructure of the targets on expansion dynamics of the plasmas.
Structure and optical properties of periodically twinned ZnS nanowires
Authors: Geng B. Y. , Liu X. W. , Du Q. B. , Wei X. W. , Zhang L. D.
Published: April 2006

ZnS nanowires with periodically alternating twins along the growth direction of wires have been synthesized via a thermal evaporation method. Structural characterizations reveal that both sphalerite (cubic) and wurtzite (hexagonal) phases coexist in the synthesized nanowires. The periodically twinned ZnS nanowires are formed through the vapor-solid mechanism. High quality of the nanowires is confirmed by the optical absorption and the photoluminescence observations combined with large ratio surface and interfaces induced by the twin modulations. The perfect crystal structure indicates their potential applications in nanoscience and nanotechnology.
Importance of Control Group Selection for Evaluating Antimicrobial Use as a Risk Factor for Methicillin-ResistantStaphylococcus AureusBacteremia
Authors: Ernst Erika J. , Raley George , Herwaldt Loreen A. , Diekema Daniel J.
Published: April 2006

Objective:

We investigated the importance of control group selection during an evaluation of antimicrobial use as a risk factor for methicillin-resistantStaphylococcus aureus(MRSA) bacteremia at our institution.

Methods:

We performed a case-control study. A case was defined as any patient admitted between January 1997 and May 2001 who developed nosocomial MRSA bacteremia. We used two control groups; control group I consisted of patients with nosocomial methicillin-susceptibleS. aureus(MSSA) bacteremia and control group II included only patients without bacteremia. We matched control-patients to case-patients using age, gender, time at risk, and hospital ward. Data collected on all patients included demographics, comorbidities, antibiotic use, time at risk, length of stay, severity of illness, and outcome.

Results:

We evaluated 63 patients (21 in each group). The three groups were well matched regarding age, gender, underlying diseases, and severity of illness. Patients in the MRSA group were more likely to have received a fluoroquinolone and had a higher mean number of days of fluoroquinolone use than did patients in the MSSA group (P= .027 andP= .015, respectively). However, all measures of fluoroquinolone use were similar for case-patients and for control-patients who did not have nosocomial bloodstream infection.

Conclusions:

Control group selection is important in evaluating antimicrobial use as a risk factor for MRSA bacteremia. Using control-patients infected with MSSA, rather than uninfected control-patients, may overestimate the association between antimicrobial use and MRSA infection. (Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol 2005;26:634-637)
In vivo β1 integrin function requires phosphorylation-independent regulation by cytoplasmic tyrosines
Authors: Chen Hong , Zou Zhiying , Sarratt Kendra L. , Zhou Diane , Zhang MaoZhen , Sebzda Eric , Hammer Daniel A. , Kahn Mark L.
Published: April 2006

Integrins are heterodimeric adhesion receptors associated with bidirectional signaling. In vitro studies support a role for the binding of evolutionarily conserved tyrosine motifs (NPxY) in the β integrin cytoplasmic tail to phosphotyrosine-binding (PTB) domain-containing proteins, an interaction proposed to be dynamically regulated by tyrosine phosphorylation. Here we show that replacement of both β1 integrin cytoplasmic tyrosines with alanines, resulting in the loss of all PTB domain interaction, causes complete loss of β1 integrin function in vivo. In contrast, replacement of β1 integrin cytoplasmic tyrosines with phenylalanines, a mutation that prevents tyrosine phosphorylation, conserves in vivo integrin function. These results have important implications for the molecular mechanism and regulation of integrin function.
CLIFFORD CLASSES OF PRIMITIVE CENTRAL SIMPLE G-ALGEBRAS
Authors: HERMAN ALLEN
Published: April 2006

The problem of determining a complete set of invariants for characterizing the Clifford class of a central simple G-algebra over a field K is studied under the assumption that the algebra is simple ring. This is successful in the case of interior central simple G-algebras over K, and also when the inertia subgroup of the G-algebra is a direct factor of G. As an application of the latter, it is shown that if G is a finite abelian group, L is a Galois extension of K with Galois group G, and E is a G-algebra isomorphic to EndKV for some KG-module V, then the skew group ring of G over L ⊗K E is a split matrix algebra over K.
A NON-ORTHOGONAL CAYLEY–DICKSON DOUBLING
Authors: PUMPLÜN S.
Published: April 2006

Let R be an integral domain in which 2 is not an invertible element, with quotient field K of characteristic not 2. A construction method for octonion algebras over Ris presented for which the resulting algebra does not necessarily contain a composition subalgebra.
Crosstalk between Extrinsic and Intrinsic Cell Death Pathways in Pancreatic Cancer: Synergistic Action of Estrogen Metabolite and Ligands of Death Receptor Family
Authors: Basu Aruna , Castle Valerie P. , Bouziane Mohammed , Bhalla Kapil , Haldar Subrata
Published: April 2006

2-Methoxyestradiol is a physiologic metabolite of 17β-estradiol. This orally active compound can inhibit tumor growth or metastasis in tumor models without inducing any clinical sign of toxicity. Our previous studies indicated that 2-methoxyestradiol-mediated apoptosis involves the disappearance of intact 21-kDa Bid protein, cytochrome c release, and predominant procaspase-3 cleavage. Here, using MIA PaCa-2 cells as a model, we investigated whether this estrogen metabolite induces apoptosis by converging two major pathways: the death receptor–mediated extrinsic and the mitochondrial intrinsic pathway. Exogenous expression of dominant-negative caspase-8 or dominant-negative FADD reverts the effect of 2-methoxyestradiol-mediated cell death. In parallel with this observation, Z-IETD-FMK, a cell permeable irreversible inhibitor of caspase-8, can render significant protection against 2-methoxyestradiol-induced apoptosis. RNase protection assay and cell surface receptor analysis by flow cytometry show the up-regulation of members of death receptor family in 2-methoxyestradiol-exposed pancreatic cancer cells. Our mechanistic studies also implicate that oxidative stress precedes 2-methoxyestradiol-mediated c-Jun NH2-terminal kinase activation, leading to elevated Fas level. Because 2-methoxyestradiol is able to trigger death receptor signaling, we were interested in examining the effects of 2-methoxyestradiol and Fas ligand (FasL)/tumor necrosis factor–related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL) together on pancreatic cancer cell death. Interestingly, the endogenous angiogenesis inhibitor 2-methoxyestradiol augments FasL/TRAIL–induced apoptosis in these cells. Moreover, the combination of 2-methoxyestradiol and TRAIL reduces the tumor burden in vivo in MIA PaCa-2 tumor xenograft model by caspase-3 activation. (Cancer Res 2006; 66(8): 4309-18)
Reciprocal Relationships Between Insulin Resistance and Endothelial Dysfunction
Authors: Kim Jeong-a , Montagnani Monica , Koh Kwang Kon , Quon Michael J.
Published: April 2006

Endothelial dysfunction contributes to cardiovascular diseases, including hypertension, atherosclerosis, and coronary artery disease, which are also characterized by insulin resistance. Insulin resistance is a hallmark of metabolic disorders, including type 2 diabetes mellitus and obesity, which are also characterized by endothelial dysfunction. Metabolic actions of insulin to promote glucose disposal are augmented by vascular actions of insulin in endothelium to stimulate production of the vasodilator nitric oxide (NO). Indeed, NO-dependent increases in blood flow to skeletal muscle account for 25% to 40% of the increase in glucose uptake in response to insulin stimulation. Phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase–dependent insulin-signaling pathways in endothelium related to production of NO share striking similarities with metabolic pathways in skeletal muscle that promote glucose uptake. Other distinct nonmetabolic branches of insulin-signaling pathways regulate secretion of the vasoconstrictor endothelin-1 in endothelium. Metabolic insulin resistance is characterized by pathway-specific impairment in phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase–dependent signaling, which in endothelium may cause imbalance between production of NO and secretion of endothelin-1, leading to decreased blood flow, which worsens insulin resistance. Therapeutic interventions in animal models and human studies have demonstrated that improving endothelial function ameliorates insulin resistance, whereas improving insulin sensitivity ameliorates endothelial dysfunction. Taken together, cellular, physiological, clinical, and epidemiological studies strongly support a reciprocal relationship between endothelial dysfunction and insulin resistance that helps to link cardiovascular and metabolic diseases. In the present review, we discuss pathophysiological mechanisms, including inflammatory processes, that couple endothelial dysfunction with insulin resistance and emphasize important therapeutic implications.
Comment: "Professional Team Sports Are Only a Game: The Walrasian Fixed-Supply Conjecture Model, Contest-Nash Equilibrium, and the Invariance Principle"
Authors: Eckard E. Woodrow
Published: April 2006

In a recent article in this journal, Stefan Szymanski develops a generalized version of the two-team diminishing marginal revenue model of win percentage determination and talent allocation. The standard version of this model assumes a fixed supply of talent for a given season, focusing on the allocation of players among teams. Szymanski claims that this assumption is inappropriate and offers his generalized model as a solution. This comment argues, on the contrary, that the fixed supply assumption underlying the standard model is appropriate for its usual applications, given the “peculiar economics” of sports labor markets.
“Syn-Effect” in Nucleophilic Addition of Amines to 1,3-Dienylsulfone
Authors: Yamazaki Masao , Guha Samar Kumar , Ukaji Yutaka , Inomata Katsuhiko
Published: April 2006

The stereochemistry of the nucleophilic addition of amines to 1,3-dienylsulfone was investigated. The Z/E ratios of the resulting allylic sulfones varied with amines, solvents, temperature, and concentrations. The predominant formation of (Z)-isomer was rationalized by a “syn-effect,” which could be mainly elucidated by n/σ → π* interaction.
Anion-controlled Preparation of Chiral S-Bridged CoIIIPtII2 and CoIII2PtII2 Complexes Consisting of [Co(d-penicillaminato-N,O,S)2]− and [Pt(CH3NH2)2]2+ Units
Authors: Igashira-Kamiyama Asako , Fujioka Junji , Kodama Tomoki , Kawamoto Tatsuya , Konno Takumi
Published: April 2006

Treatment of trans(N)-[Co(d-pen-N,O,S)2]− with trans-[PtCl2(CH3NH2)2] in water, followed by the addition of NaCl and NaClO4, gave chiral S-bridged CoIIIPtII2 and CoIII2PtII2 complexes with trans(O)-[Co(d-pen-N,O,S)2]− units, respectively. The CoIIIPtII2 complex reacted with the racemic fac(S)-[Co(aet)3] to form a chiral CoIII2PtII2 complex with trans(O)-[Co(d-pen-N,O,S)2]− and Δ-fac(S)-[Co(aet)3] units.