bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Sp1 and NF‐κB Transcription Factor Activity in the Regulation of the p21 and FasL Promoters during Promyelocytic Leukemia Cell Monocytic Differentiation and Its Associated Apoptosis
Authors: SAVICKIENE JURATE , TREIGYTE GRAZINA , PIVORIUNAS AUGUSTAS , NAVAKAUSKIENE RUTA , MAGNUSSON KARL‐ERIC
Published: January 2005

Abstract: Treatment of human acute promyelocytic leukemia cells with phorbol 12‐myristate 13‐acetate (PMA) results in growth arrest and differentiation toward monocytes, which subsequently die by apoptosis. However, the relationship between terminal differentiation and apoptosis remains unclear. Here we have studied Sp1 and nuclear factor κB (NF‐κB) transcription factor activity in controlling promoters of cell cycle‐regulating (p21/WAF1/CIP1) and cell death (FasL) genes during monocytic differentiation and apoptosis of the human acute promyelocytic leukemia cell lines NB4 and HL‐60. Using the electrophoretic mobility shift assay, we observed that PMA treatment of NB4 cells caused an early response in Sp1 binding to the p21 and FasL promoters at 8 h. The firmly adherent cell phenotype, characteristic of differentiated cells, retained Sp1‐binding activity to either promoter, but it was often lost completely in detached, apoptotic cells. The association of Sp1 with the p21 promoter during monocytic differentiation correlated with the levels of expressed p21 in the cytoplasmic fraction, as detected by immunoblotting. In HL‐60 cells, very weak or no Sp1 binding to either promoter was observed. Low NF‐κB affinity for its consensus sites and to the FasL promoter was characteristic of apoptotic cells. The results of this study suggest a positive role of Sp1 and NF‐κB, as regulators of p21 and FasL genes, in leukemic cell survival and monocytic differentiation and a negative role in apoptotic cell death.
From Electrophysiology to Chromatin: A Bottom‐Up Approach to Angelman Syndrome
Authors: DAN BERNARD , SERVAIS LAURENT , BOYD STEWART G. , WAGSTAFF JOSEPH , CHERON GUY
Published: January 2005

Abstract: Angelman syndrome is one of the most studied human diseases related to a gene that is expressed on the maternal chromosome only in at least some brain cells. It is caused by inactivation of the UBE3A gene in the brain due to various abnormalities of the 15q11‐q13 chromosome inherited from the mother. It is characterized by severe developmental delay, seizures, virtual absence of speech, motor impairment, and a particular behavioral phenotype. Studies of cortical, electromyographic and cerebellar electrophysiology in patients with Angelman syndrome and a mouse model revealed unique rhythmic neurophysiological activities in the cerebral cortex, cerebellar cortex, and muscles. The oscillatory patterns may be linked to molecular pathophysiology of the syndrome involving dysregulation of synaptic neurotransmission through UBE3A‐related modulation of functional GABAA receptor complexes.
Histone Structures: Targets for Modifications by Molecular Assemblies
Authors: NICHOLSON JAMES M. , WOOD CHRISTOPHER M. , REYNOLDS COLIN D. , BROWN ALAN , LAMBERT STANLEY J. , CHANTALAT LAURENT , BALDWIN JOHN P.
Published: January 2005

Abstract: The core histone proteins contain modification sites that are key elements in the regulation of the cell cycle, DNA replication and repair with histone assembly, control of gene expression, and transcriptional elongation. Much work has been done on the various molecular assemblies that remodel nucleosomes, methylate, ubiquitinate, and cause ADP‐ribosylation of histones, and acetylate and phosphorylate core histone tails. The core histones are the final targets of the enzymes in the molecular assemblies. What structural changes in the histones are correlated with these modifications? This paper considers the high‐resolution structure of the histone octamer and stresses the importance of histone docking sequences in the binding of the two (H2A‐H2B) dimers to the (H3‐H4)2 tetramer. There is an extensive acid‐base area of interaction between histone octamers in crystals at high salt, which may have implications for nucleosome remodeling. We show that there are regions of high α‐helix probability in all core histone N‐terminal tails in regions where lysine acetylation occurs. There are also consensus sequences spanning up to eight amino acid residues between some histone tail regions. Circular dichroism studies using synchrotron radiation at wavelengths as low as 130 nm are promising for the accurate measurement of changes of histone secondary structure related to function.
Rituximab Therapy for Patients With Newly Diagnosed, Advanced-Stage, Follicular Grade I Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma: A Phase II Trial in the North Central Cancer Treatment Group
Authors: Witzig Thomas E. , Vukov Allen M. , Habermann Thomas M. , Geyer Susan , Kurtin Paul J. , Friedenberg William R. , White William L. , Chalchal Haji I. , Flynn Patrick J. , Fitch Thomas R. , Welker Debra A.
Published: January 2005

Purpose

Patients with newly diagnosed, advanced-stage, follicular grade 1 non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) are often asymptomatic and can be observed without immediate chemotherapy. The goals of this study were to assess the overall response rate (ORR) to rituximab in this patient population and to determine the time-to-progression (TTP) and time-to-subsequent-chemotherapy (TTSC).

Patients and Methods

Eligible patients had untreated follicular grade 1 NHL, and measurable stage III/IV disease. Patients received rituximab 375 mg/m2 intravenous weekly × 4 doses and were then followed for response and progression; no maintenance therapy was provided.

Results

Thirty-seven patients were accrued; one patient was ineligible. The median age was 59 years (range, 29 to 83 years). Six patients (18%) had elevated lactate dehydrogenase levels. The ORR was 72%, with 36% complete remissions. Fourteen (39%) of 36 patients remain in unmaintained remission, two died without disease progression, and three died with disease progression. Twenty (56%) of 36 patients have disease progression. The median TTP was 2.2 years (95% CI, 1.3 to not yet reached). Eighteen patients have subsequently been treated with chemotherapy, with a median TTSC of 2.3 years (95% CI, 1.6 to not yet reached). Patients with a high lactate dehydrogenase level had a lower ORR of 33% and a short TTP of only 6 months.

Conclusion

Rituximab can be safely administered to patients with advanced-stage follicular grade 1 NHL with efficacy and minimal toxicity. This therapy is highly active and offers an acceptable alternative to observation in this patient population. Patients with high LDH should not be considered for rituximab monotherapy.
Papillote and Piopio:DrosophilaZP-domain proteins required for cell adhesion to the apical extracellular matrix and microtubule organization
Authors: Bökel Christian , Prokop Andreas , Brown Nicholas H.
Published: January 2005

Adhesion between epithelial cells and extracellular substrates is normally mediated through basal adhesion complexes. However, some cells also possess comparable junctions on their apical surface. Here, we describe two new Drosophila proteins, Piopio and Papillote, that are required for the link between the apical epithelial surface and the overlying apical extracellular matrix (aECM). The two proteins share a zona pellucida (ZP) domain with mammalian aECM components, including the tectorins found in the vertebrate inner ear. Tagged versions of both proteins localized to the apical epithelial surface. Mutations in piopio, papillote and dumpy (another gene encoding a ZP-domain protein) cause defects in the innermost layer of the aECM and its detachment from the epidermis. Loss of Piopio, but not Papillote or Dumpy, causes the absence of specialized microtubule bundles from pupal wings, suggesting that Piopio plays a role in microtubule organization. Thus, ZP domain-containing proteins may have shared functions within the aECM, while also exhibiting specific interactions with the cytoskeleton.
Dissection of brefeldin A-sensitive and -insensitive steps in apicoplast protein targeting
Authors: DeRocher Amy , Gilbert Brian , Feagin Jean E. , Parsons Marilyn
Published: January 2005

The apicoplast is a relict plastid found in many apicomplexans, including the pathogens Toxoplasma gondii and Plasmodium falciparum. Nucleus-encoded apicoplast proteins enter the ER, and after cleavage of the signal sequence, are routed to the apicoplast by virtue of a transit peptide, which is subsequently removed. To assess the mechanisms of localization we examined stable transfectants of T. gondii for the localization and processing of various GFP fusion proteins. GFP fusions bearing apicoplast targeting sequences targeted efficiently to the plastid, with no retention in the ER, even when an ER retention/retrieval sequence was added. Incubation with brefeldin A, which blocks ER-to-Golgi trafficking by inhibiting a GTP exchange factor required for retrograde trafficking, blocked the processing of the protein. Surprisingly, it did not affect the immunofluorescence pattern. To avoid the potentially misleading presence of pre-existing GFP fusion protein in the apicoplast, we used a ligand-regulated aggregation system to arrest the GFP fusion protein in the ER prior to trafficking. Upon addition of ligand to promote disaggregation, the fusion protein targeted to the plastid, even in the presence of brefeldin A. Ligand release at 15°C, which blocks trafficking of Golgirouted proteins, also allowed significant localization to the plastid. Our data indicate that apicoplast proteins can localize to the region of the plastid when Golgi trafficking is inhibited, but suggest that some steps in import or maturation of the proteins may require a brefeldin A-sensitive GTP exchange factor.
Endofin recruits clathrin to early endosomes via TOM1
Authors: Seet Li-Fong , Hong Wanjin
Published: January 2005

TOM1 and its related proteins, TOM1-like1 (TOM1-L1) and TOM1-like2 (TOM1-L2), constitute a subfamily of the VHS domain protein family. We have recently shown that endofin, a FYVE domain protein associated with the early endosome, is able to recruit cytosolic TOM1 onto endosomal membranes. To reveal the biological consequence of endofin-mediated endosomal recruitment of TOM1, we have identified the clathrin heavy chain as a major interacting protein for TOM1. Optimal clathrin binding by TOM1 involves three sites: residues 300-321, 321-326 and a putative clathrin-binding box at residues 362-366 (362LEDEF366). Although residues 321-326 could function independently as a weak clathrin-binding motif, deletion of amino acids 300-321 or mutation of 362Leu and 364Asp to Ala residues reduced the binding of clathrin to TOM1. A fragment lacking amino acids 300-322 and containing 362Leu and 364Asp to Ala mutations lost the ability to interact with clathrin. Remarkably, overexpression of endofin led to a massive and specific recruitment of clathrin [but not dynamin, or the adaptor protein (AP) complexes, AP1, AP2 or AP3] onto endofin-positive endosomes. Although SARA is homologous to endofin, it did not interact with the C-terminal region of TOM1. Examination of chimeric proteins of endofin and SARA suggests that the C-terminal half of endofin is responsible for interaction with the C-terminal region of TOM1 and for recruitment of TOM1 and clathrin to endosomes. The correlation between the ability of endofin to interact with the C-terminal domain of TOM1 and clathrin recruitment suggests that endofin may recruit clathrin via TOM1. Indeed, a chimeric protein consisting of TOM1 fused to two FYVE domains derived from endofin has the ability to recruit clathrin onto endosomal structures. Moreover, we show that affinity-purified TOM1 antibody can abolish binding of clathrin to the C-terminal region of TOM1. Upon microinjection into cells, this antibody reduced the membrane association of clathrin. These results, taken together, suggest that TOM1 is an important molecule for membrane recruitment of clathrin, and that endofin is able to exploit this recruitment at the endosome.
Bicistronic and fused monocistronic transcripts are derived from adjacent loci in the Arabidopsis genome
Authors: THIMMAPURAM JYOTHI , DUAN HUI , LIU LEI , SCHULER MARY A.
Published: January 2005

Comparisons of full-length cDNAs and genomic DNAs available for Arabidopsis thaliana described here indicate that some adjacent loci are transcribed into extremely long RNAs spanning two annotated genes. Once expressed, some of these transcripts are post-transcriptionally spliced within their coding and intergenic sequences to generate bicistronic transcripts containing two complete open reading frames. Others are spliced to generate monocistronic transcripts coding for fusion proteins with sequences derived from both loci. RT-PCR of several P450 transcripts in this collection indicates that these extended transcripts exist side by side with shorter monocistronic transcripts derived from the individual loci in each pair. The existence of these unusual transcripts highlights variations in the processes of transcription and splicing that could not possibly have been predicted in the algorithms used for genome annotation and splice site predictions.
Cost-Effectiveness of Adherence-Enhancing Interventions: A Quality Assessment of the Evidence
Authors: Elliott Rachel A , Barber Nick , Horne Rob
Published: January 2005

OBJECTIVE:

To determine whether the current cost-effectiveness evidence on adherence-enhancing interventions (AEIs) was of sufficient quality to aid in decision-making regarding medication adherence policies.

DATA SOURCES:

A computerized search of Embase, MEDLINE, Cinahl, Econlit, NHSEED, Psychlit, EPIC, and Cochrane databases (1980–April 2004) was performed. English-language human subject articles were identified using the key words compliance, adherence, concordance, patient assistance, therapeutic alliance, costs, economics, efficiency, resource use/utilization, cost-of illness, cost-effectiveness, cost-minimization, cost-utility, and cost-benefit.

STUDY SELECTION AND DATA EXTRACTION:

Studies that appeared to assess the cost-effectiveness of medication AEIs were included. Methodologic rigor was assessed using 15 minimum quality criteria.

DATA SYNTHESIS:

We found 45 comparative studies in 43 publications. Asthma (14 studies) and psychiatric illness (12 studies) were most commonly investigated. In 33 studies, interventions were educational, 18 had multiple components, and 23 did not appear to be linked to proven reasons for nonadherence. Reporting of adherence and outcome results was often unclear. Cost data were poorer quality than outcome data, using average or estimated costs and omitting some cost elements. Nine studies carried out incremental economic analysis. No study met all quality criteria.

CONCLUSIONS:

We were not able to make definitive conclusions about the cost-effectiveness of AEIs due to the heterogeneity of the studies found and incomplete reporting of results. Important policy decisions need to be made about nonadherence; however, they are currently being made in a vacuum of adequate information. AEIs must be based on reasons for nonadherence and be evaluated using accepted clinical and economic quality criteria.
Membrane Receptors Involved in Modulation of Responses of Spinal Dorsal Horn Interneurons Evoked by Feline Group II Muscle Afferents
Authors: Dougherty Kimberly J. , Bannatyne B. Anne , Jankowska Elzbieta , Krutki Piotr , Maxwell David J.
Published: January 2005

Modulatory actions of a metabotropic 5-HT1A&7membrane receptor agonist and antagonist [(+/-)-8-hydroxy-2-(di-n-propylamino)-tetralin;N-[2-[4-(2-methoxyphenyl)-1-piperazinyl]ethyl]-N-(2-pyridinyl) cyclohexane-carboxamide] and an ionotropic 5-HT3membrane receptor agonist and antagonist [2-methyl-serotonin (2-Me 5-HT);N-(1-azabicyclo[2.2.2]oct-3-yl)-6-chloro-4-methyl-3-oxo-3,4-dihydro-2H-1,4-benzoxazine-8-carboxamide hydrochloride] were investigated on dorsal horn interneurons mediating reflex actions of group II muscle afferents. All drugs were applied ionophoretically in deeply anesthetized cats. Effects of agonists were tested on extracellularly recorded responses of individual interneurons evoked by electrical stimulation of group II afferents in a muscle nerve. Effects of antagonists were tested against the depression of these responses after stimulation of raphe nuclei. The results show that both 5-HT1A&7and 5-HT3membrane receptors are involved in counteracting the activation of dorsal horn interneurons by group II afferents. Because only quantitative differences were found within the sample of the tested neurons, these results suggest that modulatory actions of 5-HT on excitatory and inhibitory interneurons might be similar. The relationship between 5-HT axons and axons immunoreactive for the 5-HT3Areceptor subunit, which contact dorsal horn interneurons, was analyzed using immunofluorescence and confocal microscopy. Contacts from both types of axons were found on all interneurons, but their distribution and density varied, and there was no obvious relationship between them. In two of six interneurons, 5-HT3A-immunoreactive axons formed ring-like arrangements around the cell bodies. In previous studies, axons possessing 5-HT3receptors were found to be excitatory, and as 2-Me 5-HT depressed transmission to dorsal horn interneurons, the results indicate that 5-HT operates at 5-HT3receptors presynaptic to these neurons to depress excitatory transmission.
Neurotrophin-3 Suppresses Thermal Hyperalgesia Associated with Neuropathic Pain and Attenuates Transient Receptor Potential Vanilloid Receptor-1 Expression in Adult Sensory Neurons
Authors: Wilson-Gerwing Tracy D. , Dmyterko Myles V. , Zochodne Douglas W. , Johnston Jayne M. , Verge Valerie M. K.
Published: January 2005

Neurotrophin-3 (NT-3) negatively modulates nerve growth factor (NGF) receptor expression and associated nociceptive phenotype in intact neurons, suggesting a beneficial role in treating aspects of neuropathic pain mediated by NGF. We report that NT-3 is effective at suppressing thermal hyperalgesia associated with chronic constriction injury (CCI); however, NT-3 does not alter the mechanical hypersensitivity that also develops with CCI. Thermal hyperalgesia is critically linked to expression and activation of the capsaicin receptor, transient receptor potential vanilloid receptor-1 (TRPV1). Thus, its modulation by NT-3 after CCI was examined. CCI results in elevated TRPV1 expression at both the mRNA and protein levels in predominantly small-to-medium neurons, with the percentage of neurons expressing TRPV1 remaining unchanged at ∼56%. Attenuation of thermal hyperalgesia mediated by NT-3 correlates with decreased TRPV1 expression such that only ∼26% of neurons ipsilateral to CCI expressed detectable TRPV1 mRNA. NT-3 effected a decrease in expression of the activated component of the signaling pathway linked to regulation of TRPV1 expression, phospho-p38 MAPK (Ji et al., 2002), in neurons ipsilateral to CCI. Exogenous NT-3 could both prevent the onset of thermal hyperalgesia and reverse established thermal hyperalgesia and elevated TRPV1 expression 1 week after CCI. Continuous infusion is required for suppression of both thermal hyperalgesia and TRPV1 expression, because removal of NT-3 resulted in a prompt reestablishment of the hyperalgesic state and corresponding CCI-associated TRPV1 phenotype. In conclusion, although NGF drives inflammation-associated thermal hyperalgesia via its regulation of TRPV1 expression, NT-3 is now identified as a potent negative modulator of this state.
Expression of Stathmin, a Developmentally Controlled Cytoskeleton-Regulating Molecule, in Demyelinating Disorders
Authors: Liu Aixiao , Stadelmann Christine , Moscarello Mario , Bruck Wolfgang , Sobel Andre' , Mastronardi Fabrizio G. , Casaccia-Bonnefil Patrizia
Published: January 2005

Understanding the biological relevance of reexpression of developmental molecules in pathological conditions is crucial for the development of new therapies. In this study, we report the increased expression of stathmin, a developmentally regulated tubulin-binding protein, in the brains of patients with multiple sclerosis (MS). In physiological conditions, stathmin immunoreactivity was observed in polysialic acid-neural cell adhesion molecule-positive migratory progenitors in the subventricular zone, and its expression progressively decreased as the cells matured into oligodendrocytes (OLs). In MS patients, however, stathmin levels were elevated in 2′,3′-cyclic nucleotide 3′-phosphodiesterase-positive OLs, in 10 of 10 bioptic samples analyzed. Increased levels of stathmin were confirmed by Western blot analysis of normal-appearing white matter samples from MS brains. In addition, using mass spectrometry, stathmin was identified as the main component of a specific myelin protein fraction consistently increased in MS preparations compared with controls.

To test the biological relevance of increased stathmin levels, primary OL progenitors were transfected using a myc-tagged stathmin cDNA and were allowed to differentiate. Consistent with a distinct role played by this molecule in cells of the OL lineage at different developmental stages, transient transfection in progenitors favored the bipolar migratory phenotype but did not affect survival. However, sustained stathmin levels in differentiating OLs, because of overexpression, resulted in enhanced apoptotic susceptibility.

We conclude that stathmin expression in demyelinating disorders could have a dual role. On one hand, by favoring the migratory phenotype of progenitors, it may promote myelin repair. On the other hand, stathmin in mature OLs may indicate cell stress and possibly affect survival.
Altered Neuronal Mitochondrial Coenzyme A Synthesis in Neurodegeneration with Brain Iron Accumulation Caused by Abnormal Processing, Stability, and Catalytic Activity of Mutant Pantothenate Kinase 2
Authors: Kotzbauer Paul T. , Truax Adam C. , Trojanowski John Q. , Lee Virginia M.-Y.
Published: January 2005

Mutations in the pantothenate kinase 2 (PANK2) gene have been identified in patients with neurodegeneration with brain iron accumulation (NBIA; formerly Hallervorden-Spatz disease). However, the mechanisms by which these mutations cause neurodegeneration are unclear, especially given the existence of multiple pantothenate kinase genes in humans and multiple PanK2 transcripts with potentially different subcellular localizations. We demonstrate that PanK2 protein is localized to mitochondria of neurons in human brain, distinguishing it from other pantothenate kinases that do not possess mitochondrial-targeting sequences. PanK2 protein translated from the most 5′ start site is sequentially cleaved at two sites by the mitochondrial processing peptidase, generating a long-lived 48 kDa mature protein identical to that found in human brain extracts. The mature protein catalyzes the initial step in coenzyme A (CoA) synthesis but displays feedback inhibition in response to species of acyl CoA rather than CoA itself. Some, but not all disease-associated point mutations result in significantly reduced catalytic activity. The most common mutation, G521R, results in marked instability of the intermediate PanK2 isoform and reduced production of the mature isoform. These results suggest that NBIA is caused by altered neuronal mitochondrial lipid metabolism caused by mutations disrupting PanK2 protein levels and catalytic activity.
Copper-Dependent Inhibition of Human CytochromecOxidase by a Dimeric Conformer of Amyloid-β1-42
Authors: Crouch Peter J. , Blake Rachel , Duce James A. , Ciccotosto Giuseppe D. , Li Qiao-Xin , Barnham Kevin J. , Curtain Cyril C. , Cherny Robert A. , Cappai Roberto , Dyrks Thomas , Masters Colin L. , Trounce Ian A.
Published: January 2005

In studies of Alzheimer's disease pathogenesis there is an increasing focus on mechanisms of intracellular amyloid-β (Aβ) generation and toxicity. Here we investigated the inhibitory potential of the 42 amino acid Aβ peptide (Aβ1-42) on activity of electron transport chain enzyme complexes in human mitochondria. We found that synthetic Aβ1-42specifically inhibited the terminal complex cytochromecoxidase (COX) in a dose-dependent manner that was dependent on the presence of Cu2+and specific “aging” of the Aβ1-42solution. Maximal COX inhibition occurred when using Aβ1-42solutions aged for 3-6 h at 30°C. The level of Aβ1-42-mediated COX inhibition increased with aging time up to ∼6 h and then declined progressively with continued aging to 48 h. Photo-induced cross-linking of unmodified proteins followed by SDS-PAGE analysis revealed dimeric Aβ as the only Aβ species to provide significant temporal correlation with the observed COX inhibition. Analysis of brain and liver from an Alzheimer's model mouse (Tg2576) revealed abundant Aβ immunoreactivity within the brain mitochondria fraction. Our data indicate that endogenous Aβ is associated with brain mitochondria and that Aβ1-42, possibly in its dimeric conformation, is a potent inhibitor of COX, but only when in the presence of Cu2+. We conclude that Cu2+-dependent Aβ-mediated inhibition of COX may be an important contributor to the neurodegeneration process in Alzheimer's disease.
Exacerbation of Cerebral Amyloid Angiopathy-Associated Microhemorrhage in Amyloid Precursor Protein Transgenic Mice by Immunotherapy Is Dependent on Antibody Recognition of Deposited Forms of Amyloid β
Authors: Racke Margaret M. , Boone Laura I. , Hepburn Deena L. , Parsadainian Maia , Bryan Matthew T. , Ness Daniel K. , Piroozi Kathy S. , Jordan William H. , Brown Donna D. , Hoffman Wherly P. , Holtzman David M. , Bales Kelly R. , Gitter Bruce D. , May Patrick C. , Paul Steven M. , DeMattos Ronald B.
Published: January 2005

Passive immunization with an antibody directed against the N terminus of amyloid β (Aβ) has recently been reported to exacerbate cerebral amyloid angiopathy (CAA)-related microhemorrhage in a transgenic animal model. Although the mechanism responsible for the deleterious interaction is unclear, a direct binding event may be required. We characterized the binding properties of several monoclonal anti-Aβ antibodies to deposited Aβ in brain parenchyma and CAA. Biochemical analyses demonstrated that the 3D6 and 10D5, two N-terminally directed antibodies, bound with high affinity to deposited forms of Aβ, whereas 266, a central domain antibody, lacked affinity for deposited Aβ. To determine whether 266 or 3D6 would exacerbate CAA-associated microhemorrhage, we treated aged PDAPP mice with either antibody for 6 weeks. We observed an increase in both the incidence and severity of CAA-associated microhemorrhage when PDAPP transgenic mice were treated with the N-terminally directed 3D6 antibody, whereas mice treated with 266 were unaffected. These results may have important implications for future immune-based therapeutic strategies for Alzheimer's disease.
Gaze Control Strategy for Vision-Guided Humanoid Walking (Blickwinkelsteuerung für visuell geführtes humanoides Laufen)
Authors: Seara Javier F. , Schmidt Günther
Published: January 2005

To increase the autonomy of a vision guided walking robot, perception must be controlled such that the humanoid is provided with sufficient information about its environment. This article outlines a modular task-specific and situation-dependent gaze control scheme which selects an optimal view direction allowing the goal-oriented acquisition of the relevant information. The basic idea of the approach rests upon maximization of the predicted visual information content of a view situation. For information management, a hybrid Extended Kalman Filter is proposed considering the peculiarities of legged locomotion. Specific view direction evaluation strategies for obstacle avoidance and self-localization tasks are formulated. For dealing with these conflicting objectives a decision strategy for situation-dependent view direction selection based on Utility Theory is presented. Several references to related published work on simulative validation and real-world experiments with different robot platforms are given. The results demonstrate the relevance and practicality of the proposed gaze control approach in the framework of a system for vision-guided humanoid walking.
Modellierung einer Direkt-Methanol-Brennstoffzelle (Modelling of a Direct-Methanol-Fuel-Cell)
Authors: Schlake Jan C. , Preusse Christian , Winkelhake Jürgen , Konigorski Ulrich
Published: January 2005

Direkt-Methanol-Brennstoffzellen (DMFC) werden als eine interessante Alternative für die mobile Energieversorgung im unteren Leistungsbereich betrachtet. In diesem Beitrag wird eine Möglichkeit aufgezeigt, die auftretenden dynamischen Effekte der DMFC unter systemtheoretischen Gesichtspunkten zu untersuchen. Die am Institut für Chemische Verfahrenstechnik der TU Clausthal entwickelte Beschreibung durch partielle Differentialgleichungen und Randwertaufgaben wird hierfür mittels der Methode der gewichteten Reste, einer Diskretisierungsmethode zur Lösung von Randwertaufgaben, in ein Zustandsraummodell überführt. Dieses Modell der DMFC gestattet eine Optimierung bezüglich des dynamischen Systemverhaltens durch die Verwendung regelungstechnischer Standardverfahren.
Extraction Distribution of 2-Nitroso-1-Naphthol in the Two-Phase Water-Nitrobenzene System
Authors: Makrlík E.
Published: January 2005

General relations among the thermodynamic parameters, which characterize dissociation equilibria of an acid HA in both phases of a two-phase extraction system and ion transfers across the interface of this system, was formulated. Moreover, dissociation constant of 2-nitroso-1-naphthol in nitrobenzene saturated with water was calculated as pK
d
nb(HA) = −logK
d
nb(HA) = 16.48.
The Persistence of Racial Thinking and the Myth of Racial Divergence
Authors: Keita S. O. Y. , Kittles Rick A.
Published: January 2005

The concept and schema of race continue to exert a major influence on studies of human biology. The racial paradigm informs evolutionary studies in spite of evidence indicating that categories based on external phenotype are not valid. Racial thinking is especially prevalent in studies of Africa. It persists in defiance of genetic data that deconstruct such thinking, probably as a result of the sociocultural milieu, linger research traditions, and a lack of appreciation of the implications of modem genetic studies.
Settlement Configuration and Cosmology The Role of Caves at Dos Pilas
Authors: Brady James E.
Published: January 2005

Cross‐culturally, settlement location is celebrated in group mythology, raising the possibility that cosmological factors may play a role in the selection of site location. Using ethnographic sources, a model of modern Maya sacred geography is constructed that indicates that caves played an important role in settlement selection and layout. This model was tested for prehistoric settlement patterns at Dos Pilas. A thoroughgoing pattern of locating architecture in relation to caves was found. Data indicate that the pattern may be widespread, and the implications for our understanding of Maya sites are discussed.
Unthinkable Categories and the Fundamental Laws of Kinship
Authors: Hage Per
Published: January 2005

In L'Exercice de la parenté, Héritier develops a general theory of kinship systems based on two “fundamental laws.” These laws depend for their proof on a sociological explanation of two logically possible but empirically unrealized terminologies in the classifications of Lowie and Murdock. Following Greenberg's cognitive‐linguistic theory of kinship classification, I interpret these unrealized terminologies in the first instance as special cases of a universal tendency to avoid disjunctive categories. In developing this interpretation I introduce an evolutionary perspective that has been absent from most discussions of kinship theory fora long time. The structural models for this analysis are, as always, graph theoretic, [kinship theory, cognition, linguistics, graph theory]
Working Separately but Eating Together: Personhood, Property, and Power in Conjugal Relations
Authors: Li Tania Murray
Published: January 2005

In this article I apply the conceptual repertoire developed by feminist scholars in Africa to examine concepts of personhood, property, and the conjugal contract in Southeast Asia. I suggest that as theory travels, it offers fresh insight in the new context in which it is deployed and is itself enriched. Studies of urban Singapore and upland Sulawesi illustrate the ways in which cultural ideas are reworked as women and men reposition themselves and attempt to secure their economic futures in the context of changing material conditions and shifting fields of power. [gender, property, personhood, work, power, theory, Southeast Asia]
The Construction of Indigenous Suspects: Militarization and the Gendered and Ethnic Dynamics of Human Rights Abuses in Southern Mexico
Authors: Stephen Lynn
Published: January 2005

I use the tools of ethnography to analyze the gendered and ethnic patterns of militarization and torture in southern Mexico. Such patterns replay gendered and sexual stereotypes of indigenous men and women as captured in national myth and vision. While such an analysis is useful for Mexico, it draws from and is applicable to other situations of political violence and provides a way of understanding the underlying culture wars—signaled by crises of representation at the margins of states—being waged to redefine nations. I argue that the insights of anthropological analysis (particularly historical and cultural analysis) are key in clarifying the rationales official for treating some people differently than others, and thus constructing them as suspects vulnerable to political violence and human rights abuses, [ethnicity, gender, sexuality, human rights, political violence, militarization, Mexico]
Crafting the Public Sphere in the Forests of West Bengal: Democracy, Development, and Political Action
Authors: Sivaramakrishnan K.
Published: January 2005

Participatory conservation and development initiatives have proliferated all over the world as the 1990s became the decade for restructuring states and celebrating civil society. Examining one such major effort, called joint forest management, I propose several new directions for the anthropology of modernity, development, and environment. I scrutinize processes of local statemaking in the forests of southern West Bengal, India, to reveal key tensions between development and democratization through an ethnography of political action. [bureaucracy, democracy, development, ethnicity, forest conservation, identity politics, science and technology, the state, India]
Nationalism and Hybridity in Mongolia
Authors: Schein Louisa
Published: January 2005

Nationalism and Hybridity in Mongolia. Uradyn E. Bulag. New York: Oxford University Press, 1998. + 302 pp., illustrations, tables, notes, bibliography, index.
Plundered Kitchens, Empty Wombs: Threatened Reproduction and Identity in the Cameroon Grassfields
Authors: Renne Elisha
Published: January 2005

Plundered Kitchens, Empty Wombs: Threatened Reproduction and Identity in the Cameroon Grassfields. Pamela Feldman‐Savelsberg. Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press, 1999. ix. 257 pp., illustrations, photographs, notes, glossary, references, index.
Ambiguity and Remembrance: Individual and Collective Memory in Finland
Authors: Armstrong Karen
Published: January 2005

In this article, I explore the complicated relationship between individual experience and national events, the way this relationship is narrated, and how individual memory becomes part of a collective memory. By looking at memoirs written by the descendants of Thomas Rantalainen, and focusing on personal correspondence, I show how the contents of letters written 60 years ago relate to events in Finland's history that are still being discussed today. In the narrative practices of the correspondence, the individuals themselves
—through the use of a narrative We—mmerge their personal experiences with those of the community. Two themes in the letters—war and family life—illustrate how the processes of replication and analogical thinking work in bringing the past into the present. [Finland, history and analogical thinking, personal correspondence, domestic life]
House Life:Space, Place and Family in Europe
Authors: Roseman Sharon R.
Published: January 2005

House Life: Space, Place and Family in Europe Donna Birdwell‐Pheasant and Denise Lawrence‐Zu¥iga, eds. Oxford: Berg Publisers,1999. ix. 265 pp., table, maps, photographs, index
Looking West
Authors: Rose Deborah
Published: January 2005

Looking West. John D. Dorst. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press, 1999. ix. 240 pp., photographs, figures, notes, works cited, index.
Masculinities: Football, Polo, and the Tango in Argentina
Authors: Downey Greg
Published: January 2005

Masculinities: Football, Polo, and the Tango in Argentina. Eduardo P. Archetti. Oxford: Berg, 1999. xviii. 212 pp., bibliography, index.
Sponsored Identities: Cultural Politics in Puerto Rico
Authors: Dombrowski Kirk
Published: January 2005

Sponsored Identities: Cultural Politics in Puerto Rico. Arlene Davila. Philadelphia, PA: Temple University Press, 1997. xvii. 301 pp., figures, notes, bibliography, index.
The Hyena People: Ethiopian Jews in Christian Ethiopia
Authors: Shabtay Malka
Published: January 2005

The Hyena People: Ethiopian Jews in Christian Ethiopia. Hagar Salamon. Berkeley: University of California Press, 1999. vii. 157 pp., map, photographs, notes, glossary, references, index.
The Ceramics of Raquira, Colombia: Gender, Work, and Economic Change
Authors: Field Les
Published: January 2005

The Ceramics of Raquira, Colombia: Gender, Work, and Economic Change. Ronald J. Duncan. Gainesville: University Press of Florida. ix. 233 pp., illustrations, appendix, glossary, bibl.ography, mdex.
Hepatitis C: What Every Case Manager Should Know
Authors: Beckerman Nancy L. , Grube-Farrell Beth
Published: January 2005

Over the next decade, case managers can anticipate encountering increasing numbers of clients with hepatitis C. This article provides a sociopolitical and medical overview of hepatitis C, diagnosis, risk and transmission factors, co-infection of HIV and hepatitis C treatment issues. The article identifies and analyzes policy and practice implications for case managers in health care.
Racial and Ethnic Identity of Older Adults Residing in Assisted Living Facilities in Central Florida
Authors: Dietz Tracy L. , Wright James D.
Published: January 2005

In response to the growing concern over the provision of long-term care to an ever-expanding older population, new methods of delivering services to older adults are constantly being developed. The development and expansion of long-term care via assisted living facilities (ALFs) is one approach that has proven surprisingly popular all across the nation. Despite the popularity of ALFs, relatively little appears to be known about the residents of these facilities. This article examines the racial and ethnic identities and certain other characteristics of residents in a stratified probability sample of assisted living facilities in central Florida, a region that contains one of the nation’s densest populations of older adults. Fifty-nine facilities serving 1,805 residents were surveyed. Predictably, racial and ethnic minorities were significantly underrepresented among the residents of these facilities. Facilities serving relatively large minority populations were characterized by lower room rates and a larger proportion of beds set aside for Office of Social Services (OSS) residents (i.e., beds funded through state funds or by Medicaid). The general run of these findings suggests that as they have been implemented in central Florida, ALFs may well perpetuate preexisting socioeconomic inequalities among the aged population.
Intercultural Collaboration: An Approach to Long Term Care for Urban American Indians
Authors: Hendrix Levanne R.
Published: January 2005

Most long term care of older urban American Indians is provided in the community by family, extended family, or fictive kin, and American Indians are rarely found in long term care facilities. An approach to American Indian elderly requires some understanding of Indian ways in order to be effective therapeutically and acceptable to the older Indian. Multiple interviews, a focus group, and a survey conducted in an urban Indian community revealed the consistent perception by American Indian elderly and their families that health care providers lacked information, understanding, and respect for Indian culture.
Ethical Decision Making Within the Bureaucratic Context: A Case Study
Authors: Desai Kathryn
Published: January 2005

Balancing the polarized notions of quality and quantity of service and care is a challenge for the 21st century health and social service system. The expectation of transparent decision making at both the policy and the practice level of case management has forced practitioners to seek guidance in ethical decision making. Case management, as a system, has potential to lead this new practice approach by incorporating the principles of ethical decision making in planning and coordinating care. A recent case study of ethical decision making within the bureaucratic context offers some insight and learning and may help inform future practice.
Quality Assurance Practices in Care Management: A Perspective From the United Kingdom
Authors: Clarkson Paul , Challis David
Published: January 2005

Alongside the development of care management in many countries has emerged a need to monitor the quality of both care management practices, as well as the quality of services provided as a consequence of care planning by care managers. Designing and implementing quality assurance practices in care management present special challenges. This article examines current practices from the perspective of the United Kingdom (UK). First, current performance initiatives at the central government level are described, including an indication of their limitations in judging quality in care management; second, existing work on assuring quality in care management is reviewed along with its relevance for the UK; and third, a local study, identifying measures within an analytical framework and using them to monitor care management against set dimensions, is described. Parallel developments are now occurring at both national and local levels in the UK, with local work both influencing and being informed by national developments. Future issues to address include the problems in collecting relevant data and in extending methods of analysis to monitor care management more comprehensively.
PTSD and the Social Support of the Interpersonal Environment: The Development of Social Cognitive Behavior Therapy
Authors: Tarrier Nicholas , Humphreys Anne-Louise
Published: January 2005

We will argue that, although the evidence for the effectiveness of cognitive-behavioral treatment, of PTSD is compelling, not all patients engage or respond to treatment and in those who do, residual symptomatology is not uncommon. We then briefly examine the literature on the influence of the interpersonal and emotional aspects of social support on the development, maintenance, and treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Two areas of social support are suggested as potentially important to the study of PTSD: (1) the literature on expressed emotion (EE) and the underlying beliefs held by significant others which influence their negative coping behaviors and interactions with the patient, and (2) examination of the concept of reciprocity, the ability to receive and provide social support. Finally, we suggest a range of possible treatment options suggested by this review as possible adjuncts to conventional CBT. These include formal family interventions, re-engagement with social networks, and modification of perceptions of social interactions.
Functional relationships among selenium concentrations in the diet, target tissues, and nondestructive tissue samples of two species of snakes
Authors: Hopkins William A. , Snodgrass Joel W. , Baionno Jennifer A. , Roe John H. , Staub Brandon P. , Jackson Brian P.
Published: January 2005

Nondestructive sampling methods, such as removal of feathers for contaminant analysis, are desirable in ecological monitoring programs that seek to minimize the impacts of harvesting organisms. Although many reptiles are declining worldwide, nondestructive sampling techniques seldom have been employed for assessing contaminant exposure in these organisms. In this study, we examined the utility of nondestructive tissue sampling for assessing Se exposure in reptiles. We describe the functional relationships among dietary Se concentrations, target tissue Se concentrations, and Se concentrations in nondestructive tissue samples (blood and tail tissue biopsy) in two species of snakes that had been exposed to Se under very different experimental protocols. Using nonlinear regression, we found strong positive correlations (r2 > 0.92) in all comparisons among Se concentrations in nondestructive tissues, diet, and target tissues. Moreover, equations describing these relationships can be used to estimate concentrations of Se in diet and target organs, from known concentrations of Se in nondestructive tissue samples. Although the current paucity of toxicity data on reptiles precludes tests of our models, we demonstrate how the equations describing these relationships might be used to make predictions about Se accumulation in target organs for risk assessment. Future studies on reptiles that examine these relationships under different Se exposure conditions, and those that document physiological responses of reptiles to various concentrations of Se, will help to refine our models and test their efficacy for predicting health risk.
Impact of imposed anaerobic conditions and microbial activity on aqueous-phase solubility of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons from soil
Authors: Pravecek Tasha L. , Christman Russell F. , Pfaender Frederic K.
Published: January 2005

The influence of anaerobic conditions on aqueous-phase polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) bioavailability was investigated in laboratory microcosms. Highly aged (>70 years), PAH-contaminated soil was incubated under anaerobic conditions by using various anaerobic headspaces, anaerobic headspaces with an oxygen-scavenging complex (titanium(III) citrate) in the aqueous phase, or anaerobic headspaces with electron-acceptor amendments in the aqueous phase. Incubation of soil solely under anaerobic conditions resulted in increased aqueous concentrations of all PAHs tested (fluoranthene, pyrene, benz[a]anthracene, and benzo[a]pyrene). Benz[a]anthraoene and benzo[a]pyrene extractable concentrations were above aqueous solubility, by as much as an order of magnitude for the latter. The degree of solubility increase observed was a function of molecular weight of the PAH regardless of initial soil concentration, suggesting formation of stable PAH-soluble organic matter associations. The soil samples incubated aerobically for 90 d before imposition of anaerobic conditions did not release PAHs to the aqueous phase. Methanogenic organisms and sulfate-reducing bacteria were seen to have the most significant effect on increases in aqueous-phase PAHs. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons made more soluble under anaerobic conditions was available to be degraded or transformed under aerobic conditions.
A
lagille Syndrome
Authors: Kamath Binita M. , Krantz Ian D.
Published: January 2005

Alagille syndrome, also known as syndromic bile duct paucity or arteriohepatic dysplasia, is a multisystem, autosomal‐dominant, developmental disorder with highly variable expression. It is characterized by abnormalities of the liver, heart, eye, skeleton, and a characteristic facial appearance. The kidney and central nervous system are also affected in a smaller percentage of individuals. The disease causing gene has been identified as
JAG1.
An even wider spectrum of clinical involvement (including intestinal abnormalities, orofacial clefts, hearing loss, and mental retardation) may be seen in those individuals with Alagille syndrome and a deletion of chromosome 20p12.