bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Development of a Transparent and Ultrahydrophobic Glass Plate
Authors: Ogawa Kazufumi , Soga Mamoru , Takada Yusuke , Nakayama Ichiro
Published: February 2005

A transparent glass plate was roughened at the submicron level, and then a chemically adsorbed monolayer of a fluorocarbon compound was formed along the glass surface. The monolayer was prepared using the chemical coupling reaction accompanying dehydrochlorination between a chlorosilyl group of the heptadeca-fluorodecyltrichlorosilane (CF3(CF2)7(CH2)2SiCl3: HFTS) surface-active agent and a hydroxyl group on the glass surface. The contact angle of the glass surface relative to water was approximately 155 degrees with transmittance kept at 92%. This glass plate may be useful for various products, such as motor vehicles and building window glass.
RBS/Channeling Study of the Crystallographic Correlation for Epitaxial CeO2 on Si
Authors: Yamamoto Yasuhiro , Satoh Masataka , Sakurai Yoshinobu , Nakajima Shigeyuki , Inoue Tomoyasu , Ohsuna Tetsu
Published: February 2005

Epitaxially grown CeO2 layers on (100) Si substrates are analyzed using the Rutherford backscattering spectrometry combined with th e channeling technique. By construction of stereographic projections for CeO2 layers and Si substrates from channeling dip patterns, the correlations between overgrown layers and substrates are clearly revealed: CeO2 layers on (100) Si substrates have the (110) orientation. It has also been revealed that CeO2 has a double domain structure: [001] CeO2 ∥ [011̄] Si and [11̄0] CeO2 ∥ [011̄] Si, whereas planes of (110) in CeO2 and (100) in Si are parallel in both configurations. It is reported that in this system the (110) epitaxial orientation is not exactly parallel to the (100) orientations in Si.
Repair of Electromigration-Induced Voids in Aluminum Interconnection by Current Reversal
Authors: Hong Chao-Fu , Togo Mitsuhiro , Hoh Koichiro
Published: February 2005

Void generation and resistance increase in aluminum stripe due to electromigration under high-density dc current are recovered by reversal of the direction of the current. Thermal annealing without the application of high-density current had no effect of void repair. This implies that the void repair is driven by the reverse current with the transport of aluminum atoms.
Formation of Fractionated Novolak Resin Langmuir-Blodgett Films
Authors: Yoshimura Toshiyuki , Asai Naoko , Shiraishi Hiroshi , Minoru Toriumi Minoru Toriumi , Shinji Okazaki Shinji Okazaki
Published: February 2005

Formation of Langmuir-Blodgett (LB) films of novolak resins has been studied and the films have been microscopically characterized by an atomic force microscope (AFM). It is found that uniform LB films are formed by using fractionated novolak resins. AFM measurements indicate that the LB films formed from the novolak resins of low molecular weight have ordered structures.
Tristable Operation of Antiferroelectric Liquid Crystal Light Valves Optically Addressed Using Amorphous Silicon Photosensor
Authors: Oyama Tsuyoshi , Masuda Tarou , Hamada Shouji , Takahashi N. Shinichi , Kurita Shouichi , Kawamura Ichiro , Hagiwara Takashi
Published: February 2005

Antiferroelectric liquid crystal has recently been developed, which has three stable states and shows three levels of transmittance against the polarity of field. In this study, we have fabricated antiferroelectric liquid crystal light valves with tristable operation using the resistance change of amorphous silicon which is dependent on the intensity of input light. We have realized control of the intensity of output light at three different values as a function of intensity of input light.
Optimum Design of Pnpn Double Heterostructures Using Simulated Annealing
Authors: Hara Kunihiko , Takashi Iwamoto Takashi Iwamoto , Kazuo Kyuma Kazuo Kyuma
Published: February 2005

A new design methodology to optimize pnpn double heterostructures is described. The introduction of cost function for device characteristics enables automatic optimization by simulated annealing. The optimization in consideration of light emission efficiency, light sensitivity and switching voltage is successfully demonstrated for AlGaAs/GaAs structures. This technique is useful in the design of various optoelectronic devices with complex functionality.
Drastic Change in CF2 and CF3 Kinetics Induced by Hydrogen Addition into CF4 Etching Plasma
Authors: Hikosaka Yukinobu , Hirotaka Toyoda Hirotaka Toyoda , Hideo Sugai Hideo Sugai
Published: February 2005

CF2 and CF3 radical in a CF4/H2 etching system were directly measured by means of threshold-ionization mass spectrometry. Addition of 10% H2 to CF4 increased the CF2 density by two orders of magnitude, flattened the spatial profile, while it doubled the CF3 density. After the abrupt addition of H2, the temporal transition to steady CF4/H2 discharge was investigated on reactive species such as CF
x
, F, H, HF and CHF3. In particular, an anomalous time variation was found on the CF3 radical: its density sharply rises by a factor of 20 and slowly falls to a value close to the initial one. The slow time response was attributed to fluorocarbon film deposition induced by H2 addition. A good correlation was obtained between the CF
x
density and the surface loss probability measured.
Local Field Configuration Modes in a Weakly Guiding Optical Fibre with a Conically Annular Core: An Analytical Study
Authors: Singh Ajay Kumar , Khastgir Prasad , Onkar Nath Singh Onkar Nath Singh , Sant Prasad Ojha Sant Prasad Ojha
Published: February 2005

An analytical study of the various field modes occurring in a weakly guiding tapered optical fibre having a conical annular core is presented. The boundaries of the core are determined by two flare angles. When the inner flare angle is equal to zero, the structure reduces to the familiar and widely studied conically tapered optical fibre. The analysis is made ab initio and does not follow the usual approximate treatment utilizing the perturbation effects on cylindrical geometry. One finds the occurrence of discrete local modes which are closely crowded together for structures with very small flare angles. For larger flare angles the discreteness of modes is maintained but in this case one cannot talk about an effective propagation along the axis.
Zn Induced Layer Disordering in GaInP/AlInP Visible Multi-Quantum Well Distributed Bragg Reflector Laser Diode
Authors: Jang Dong-Hoon , Yoo Ji-Beom , Koak Byung-Hwa , Lee Jeong-Yong , Kaneko Yawara , Kishino Katsumi
Published: February 2005

Investigation of the impurity-induced layer disordering of GaInP (2 monolayers)/AlInP (2 monolayers) superlattice and multi-quantum-well (MQW) active layer in GaInP/AlInP quantum-well distributed Bragg reflector laser diode and its effect on the band gap was performed using transmission electron microscopy, photoluminescence and secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS). The GaInP/AlInP superlattice and MQW active layers were completely disordered by Zn diffusion even at 650°C for 5 min. The band gap of active layer was increased by ΔE=155 meV after Zn diffusion. Segregation of Zn was also observed by SIMS analysis.
Preparation of Infinite Layer of Ca1-xSrxCuO2 Filaments by Solution Spinning Method under Ambient Pressure
Authors: Tomoko Goto Tomoko Goto , Takane Iwatsuki Takane Iwatsuki
Published: February 2005

Preparation of an infinite layer of Ca1-x
Sr
x
CuO2 filaments by solution spinning under ambient pressure was studied. The filament was prepared by dry spinning with a starting homogeneous aqueous solution containing acetates of Ca, Sr and Cu, polyvinyl alcohol and organic acids. Although a single phase of the infinite layer appeared only for the filament with x=0.14, the compositional range for the mixed phase of the infinite layer was expanded to 0.05≤x≤0.3. Solution spinning lowered the synthetic temperature of the infinite layer by 100°C.
Epitaxial Growth of LiNbO3 Films on Sapphire Substrates by Excimer Laser Ablation Method and Their Surface Acoustic Wave Properties
Authors: Shibata Yoshihiko , Kaya Kiyoshi , Akashi Kageyasu , Kanai Masaki , Kawai Tomoji , Kawai Shichio
Published: February 2005

Epitaxial films of LiNbO3 have been formed on (001), (110) and (012) sapphire substrates using an excimer-laser ablation technique. The orientation relationships are LiNbO3(001)//sapphire(001), LiNbO3(001)//sapphire(110) and LiNbO3(100)//sapphire(012). LiNbO3(110) is also obtained on (110) sapphire under the fast-deposition condition. We have fabricated surface acoustic wave (SAW) filters on the LiNbO3 films and evaluated the properties.
Particle Generation and Film Formation in an Atmospheric-Pressure Chemical Vapor Deposition Reactor Using the Tetraethylorthosilicate (TEOS)/He, TEOS/O2/He, and TEOS/O3/He Systems
Authors: Adachi Motoaki , Okuyama Kikuo , Tohge Noboru , Shimada Manabu , Sato Jun-ichi , Muroyama Masakazu
Published: February 2005

Film formation on a substrate and particle generation in the gas phase were examined simultaneously in an atmospheric-pressure chemical vapor deposition (CVD) reactor using tetraethylorthosilicate(TEOS)/O3/He, TEOS/O2/He and TEOS/He systems. Particle generation in these systems began at furnace temperatures T
f of 60, 340 and 740°C, respectively. Film formation began at T
f=100, 600 and 700°C, respectively. For the TEOS/O3/He system, an exponential reduction in the film growth rate for T
f≥300°C was found to be induced by a decrease in the ozone concentration due to thermal decomposition.
Two Types of Occlusion Cues for the Perception of 3-D Illusory Objects in Binocular Fusion
Authors: Masanori Idesawa Masanori Idesawa
Published: February 2005

In three-dimensional (3-D) space perceptual functioning of the human visual system, occlusion cues play an important role. Two types of occlusion cues in binocular fusion were postulated and investigated using the newly discovered 3-D illusion. One type is called the contour occlusion cue, in which the visibility of occluded objects changes at the border where they pass beyond the occluding object contour. The second type is newly postulated and is named the bulky occlusion cue, which applies to volumetric occlusion, in which the visibility of occluded objects changes at the boundary where they pass through the object surface from the outside space to the inside space of the occluding object. These newly postulated and clarified occlusion cues are closely related to the visual perception of 3-D-space in binocular viewing, and they are expected to provide clues to revealing the mechanism underlying the 3-D-space perceptual ability of the human visual system.
Tight Focusing of Intense Pulsed Light-Ion Beam by Spherical “Plasma Focus Diode”
Authors: Jiang Weihua , Sakagami Toshiya , Katsumi Masugata Katsumi Masugata , Kiyoshi Yatsui Kiyoshi Yatsui
Published: February 2005

A new type of ion-beam diode, a self-magnetically insulated, spherical plasma focus diode was developed. With this diode, point focusing of an intense pulsed light-ion beam was obtained. Diagnostic results showed that the ion beam (0.8 MeV, 68 kA) was focused into a small cylinder with ∼0.5 mm diameter and ∼2.5 mm length. The estimated ion-beam current density and the power density were ∼680 kA/cm2 and ∼0.54 TW/cm2, respectively.
Preparation of AgGaS2 Films by Excimer Laser Deposition
Authors: Uchiki Hisao , Machida Osamu , Akio Tanaka Akio Tanaka , Hiroyuki Hirasawa Hiroyuki Hirasawa
Published: February 2005

AgGaS2 thin films have been prepared on quartz substrates by means of XeCl excimer laser deposition from a mixture target of Ag2S and Ga2S3. Measurements of X-ray diffraction, Raman scattering, transmission and photoluminescence spectra show that the deposited films were chalcopyrite-type, AgGaS2 compound highly oriented in the <112> direction.
Large Enhancement of Third-Order Optical Susceptibility in CuCl Quantum Dots Embedded in Glass
Authors: Tokizaki Takashi , Kataoka Takumi , Nakamura Arao , Sugimoto Naoki , Manabe Tsuneo
Published: February 2005

We report third-order optical nonlinearity of CuCl microcrystallites with radii of 1.5-8.0 nm in glass. We measured absolute values of third-order susceptibility χ(3) using degenerate four-wave mixing and imaginary χ(3) by absorption saturation measurements. The highest value of χ(3) was obtained to be 2×10-6 esu for microcrystallites with the mean radius of 4 nm which were embedded in the glass with the volume fraction of about 0.5%. We found that the figure of merit, χ(3)/ατ, where α and τ are the absorption coefficient and the response time, respectively, is also increased upon an increase of radii in the range of 1.5-4.5 nm.
Vacuum Microtriode with Comb-Shaped Lateral Field-Emitter Array
Authors: Itoh Junji , Ushiki Kazunari , Kazuhiko Tsuburaya Kazuhiko Tsuburaya , Seigo Kanemaru Seigo Kanemaru
Published: February 2005

A new vacuum triode with a lateral field-emitter array (FEA) has been fabricated, and its characteristics have been measured. The emitter has an array of 3-µm-wide-edged rectangular tips made of a 0.25-µm-thick tungsten film deposited on a quartz substrate with 9 µm pitch. The emitter-to-gate and emitter-to-anode spacings were 0.5 µm and 5 µm, respectively. Emission and triode characteristics were measured. A transconductance of about 0.7 µS/150-tips were obtained at a gate voltage of 110 V and an anode voltage of 150 V. Device structure and characteristics are described.
Magneto-Circular Dichroism Spectra of Cd1-xMnxTe-MnTe Multiple Quantum Well Prepared by Ionized-Cluster Beam Technique
Authors: Anno Hiroaki , Tsuyoshi Koyanagi Tsuyoshi Koyanagi , Kakuei Matsubara Kakuei Matsubara
Published: February 2005

Cd1-x
Mn
x
Te-MnTe multiple quantum wells were successfully grown on a sapphire (0001) substrate by the ionized-cluster beam deposition technique. In the magneto-circular dichroism spectra, peaks are observed at the energies where shoulders appear in the optical absorption spectra. The peaks shift toward higher energies as the Cd1-x
Mn
x
Te well width decreases. The magneto-optical effect is attributed to the Zeeman splitting of mini-band levels due to the spin exchange interaction between Mn2+ magnetic ions and electrons strongly confined in quantum wells.
Fabrication of Low-Threshold AlGaAs/GaAs Patterned Quantum Well Laser Grown on Si Substrate
Authors: Hasegawa Yoshiaki , Egawa Takashi , Jimbo Takashi , Umeno Masayoshi
Published: February 2005

A low-threshold AlGaAs/GaAs patterned quantum well laser has been fabricated on a V-grooved GaAs/Si substrate using metal-organic chemical vapor deposition. High-resolution scanning electron microscope images show that the GaAs active layers with reduced volume are crescent-shaped, whose thicknesses are about 20∼25 nm and widths are about 75∼125 nm. The laser with a 300-µm-long cavity has exhibited the continuous-wave threshold current of as low as 16 mA at 300 K, which is the lowest value for the GaAs-based conventional quantum well lasers on Si.
Impaired fatty acid metabolism in type 2 diabetic skeletal muscle cells is reversed by PPARγ agonists
Authors: Cha Bong-Soo , Ciaraldi Theodore P. , Park Kyong-Soo , Carter Leslie , Mudaliar Sunder R. , Henry Robert R.
Published: February 2005

The impact of type 2 diabetes on the ability of muscle to accumulate and dispose of fatty acids and triglycerides was evaluated in cultured muscle cells from nondiabetic (ND) and type 2 diabetic (T2D) subjects. In the presence of 5 μM palmitate, T2D muscle cells accumulated less lipid than ND cells (11.5 ± 1.2 vs. 15.1 ± 1.4 nmol/mg protein, P < 0.05). Chronic treatment (4 days) with the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ (PPARγ) agonist troglitazone increased palmitate accumulation, normalizing uptake in T2D cells. There were no significant differences between groups with regard to the relative incorporation of palmitate into neutral lipid species. This distribution was also unaffected by troglitazone treatment. β-Oxidation of both long-chain (palmitate) and medium-chain (octanoate) fatty acids in T2D muscle cells was reduced by ∼40% compared with ND cells. Palmitate oxidation occurred primarily in mitochondrial (∼40–50% of total) and peroxisomal (20–30%) compartments. The diabetes-related defect in palmitate oxidation was localized to the mitochondrial component. Both palmitate and octanoate oxidation were stimulated by a series of thiazolidinediones. Oxidation in T2D muscle cells was normalized after treatment. Troglitazone increased the mitochondrial component of palmitate oxidation. Skeletal muscle cells from T2D subjects express defects in free fatty acid metabolism that are retained in vitro, most importantly defects in β-oxidation. These defects can be corrected by treatment with PPARγ agonists. Augmentation of fatty acid disposal in skeletal muscle, potentially reducing intramyocellular triglyceride content, may represent one mechanism for the lipid-lowering and insulin-sensitizing effects of thiazolidinediones.
Measurement of exogenous carbohydrate oxidation: a comparison of [U-14C]glucose and [U-13C]glucose tracers
Authors: Moseley L. , Jentjens R. L. P. G. , Waring R. H. , Harris R. M. , Harding L. K. , Jeukendrup A. E.
Published: February 2005

The purpose of this study was to assess the level of agreement between two techniques commonly used to measure exogenous carbohydrate oxidation (CHOEXO). To accomplish this, seven healthy male subjects (24 ± 3 yr, 74.8 ± 2.1 kg, V̇O2max 62 ± 4 ml·kg−1·min−1) exercised at 50% of their peak power for 120 min on two occasions. During these exercise bouts, subjects ingested a solution containing either 144 g glucose (8.7% wt/vol glucose) or water. The glucose solution contained trace amounts of both [U-13C]glucose and [U-14C]glucose to allow CHOEXO to be quantified simultaneously. The water trial was used to correct for background 13C enrichment. 13C appearance in the expired air was measured using isotope ratio mass spectrometry, whereas 14C appearance was quantified by trapping expired CO2 in solution (using hyamine hydroxide) and adding a scintillator before counting radioactivity. CHOEXO measured with [13C]glucose ([13C]CHOEXO) was significantly greater than CHOEXO measured with [14C]glucose ([14C]CHOEXO) from 30 to 120 min. There was a 15 ± 4% difference between [13C]CHOEXO and [14C]CHOEXO such that the absolute difference increased with the magnitude of CHOEXO. Further investigations suggest that the difference is not because of losses of CO2 from the trapping solution before counting or an underestimation of the “strength” of the trapping solution. Previous research suggests that the degree of isotopic fractionation is small (S. C. Kalhan, S. M. Savin, and P. A. Adam. J Lab Clin Med89: 285–294, 1977). Therefore, the explanation for the discrepancy in calculated CHOEXO remains to be fully understood.
Transient Depression of Excitatory Synapses on Interneurons Contributes to Epileptiform Bursts During Gamma Oscillations in the Mouse Hippocampal Slice
Authors: Traub Roger D. , Pais Isabel , Bibbig Andrea , LeBeau Fiona E.N. , Buhl Eberhard H. , Garner Helen , Monyer Hannah , Whittington Miles A.
Published: February 2005

Persistent gamma frequency (30–70 Hz) network oscillations occur in hippocampal slices under conditions of metabotropic glutamate receptor (mGluR) activation. Excessive mGluR activation generated a bistable pattern of network activity during which epochs of gamma oscillations of increasing amplitude were terminated by synchronized bursts and very fast oscillations (>70 Hz). We provide experimental evidence that, during this behavior, pyramidal cell-to-interneuron synaptic depression takes place, occurring spontaneously during the gamma rhythm and associated with the onset of epileptiform bursts. We further provide evidence that excitatory postsynaptic potentials (EPSPs) in pyramidal cells are potentiated during the interburst gamma oscillation. When these two types of synaptic plasticity are incorporated, phenomenologically, into a network model previously shown to account for many features of persistent gamma oscillations, we find that epochs of gamma do indeed alternate with epochs of very fast oscillations and epileptiform bursts. Thus the same neuronal network can generate either gamma oscillations or epileptiform bursts, in a manner depending on the degree of network drive and network-induced fluctuations in synaptic efficacies.
Effect of Stimulus Size on the Dynamics of Orientation Selectivity in Macaque V1
Authors: Xing Dajun , Shapley Robert M. , Hawken Michael J. , Ringach Dario L.
Published: February 2005

Previous research has established that orientation selectivity depends to a great extent on suppressive mechanisms in the visual cortex. In this study, we investigated the spatial organization and the time-course of these mechanisms. Stimuli were presented in circular windows of “optimal” and “large” radii. The two stimulus sizes were chosen based on an area-response function measured with drifting gratings at high contrast. The “optimal” size was defined as the smallest radius that elicited the peak response (average value of 0.45°), whereas “large” was defined as two to five times the optimal size. We found that the peak amplitude of tuned enhancement and untuned suppression varied <10% on average with stimulus radius, indicating that they are mainly concentrated in the classical receptive field. However, tuned suppression—in those cells that showed it—was significantly stronger with large stimuli, indicating that this component has a contribution from beyond the classical receptive field. These results imply that spatial context (in large stimuli) enhances orientation selectivity by increasing tuned suppression. We also characterized the time evolution of enhancement, of untuned suppression, and of tuned suppression. The time-course of tuned suppression was markedly slower in time-to-peak and longer in its persistence than untuned suppression. Therefore tuned suppression is likely to be generated by long-range recurrent connections or cortico-cortical feedback, whereas untuned suppression is mainly generated locally in V1.
History of the American Association for Correctional Psychology
Authors: Bartol Curt R. , Freeman Naomi J.
Published: February 2005

The history of the American Association for Correctional Psychology (AACP) is traced from 1954 to the present. The article offers some insights into the beginnings and development of correctional psychology in the United States, including those individuals most influential in that development. The history of AACP publications is also outlined, including the newsletter Correctional Psychologist and the scholarly journal Criminal Justice and Behavior. An entire list of AACP presidents is provided.
The Sounds of Science: Listening to Laboratory Practice
Authors: Mody Cyrus C. M.
Published: February 2005

Works in science and technology studies (STS) have repeatedly pointed to the importance of the visual in scientific practice. STS has also explicated how embodied practice generates scientific knowledge. I aim to supplement this literature by pointing out how sound and hearing are integral aspects of experimentation. Sound helps define how and when lab work is done, and in what kinds of spaces. It structures experimental experience. It affords interactions between researchers and instruments that are richer than could be obtained with vision alone. And it is a site for tacit knowledge, providing a resource for the replication of results, and the transmission of knowledge, and the construction of social boundaries within instrumental communities.
A Typology of Public Engagement Mechanisms
Authors: Rowe Gene , Frewer Lynn J.
Published: February 2005

Imprecise definition of key terms in the “public participation” domain have hindered the conduct of good research and militated against the development and implementation of effective participation practices. In this article, we define key concepts in the domain: public communication, public consultation, and public participation. These concepts are differentiated according to the nature and flow of information between exercise sponsors and participants. According to such an information flow perspective, an exercise’s effectiveness may be ascertained by the efficiency with which full, relevant information is elicited from all appropriate sources, transferred to (and processed by) all appropriate recipients, and combined(when required) to give an aggregate/consensual response. Key variables that may theoretically affect effectiveness—and on which engagement mechanisms differ—are identified and used to develop a typology of mechanisms. The resultant typology reveals four communication, six consultation, and four participation mechanism classes. Limitations to the typology are discussed, and future research needs identified.
Making Images/Making Bodies: Visibilizing and Disciplining through Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI)
Authors: Prasad Amit
Published: February 2005

This article analyzes how the medical gaze made possible by MRI operates in radiological laboratories. It argues that although computer-assisted medical imaging technologies such as MRI shift radiological analysis to the realm of cyborg visuality, radiological analysis continues to depend on visualization produced by other technologies and diagnostic inputs. In the radiological laboratory, MRI is used to produce diverse sets of images of the internal parts of the body to zero in and visually extract the pathology (or prove its nonexistence). Visual extraction of pathology becomes possible, however, because of the visual training of the radiologists in understanding and interpreting anatomic details of the whole body. These two levels of viewing constitute the bifocal vision of the radiologists. To make these levels of viewing work complementarily, the body, as it is presented in the body atlases, is made notational (i.e., converted into a set of isolable, disjoint, and differentiable parts).
Analysis of the human Alu Ye lineage
Authors: Salem Abdel-Halim , Ray David A , Hedges Dale J , Jurka Jerzy , Batzer Mark A
Published: February 2005

Background

Alu elements are short (~300 bp) interspersed elements that amplify in primate genomes through a process termed retroposition. The expansion of these elements has had a significant impact on the structure and function of primate genomes. Approximately 10 % of the mass of the human genome is comprised of Alu elements, making them the most abundant short interspersed element (SINE) in our genome. The majority of Alu amplification occurred early in primate evolution, and the current rate of Alu retroposition is at least 100 fold slower than the peak of amplification that occurred 30–50 million years ago. Alu elements are therefore a rich source of inter- and intra-species primate genomic variation.

Results

A total of 153 Alu elements from the Ye subfamily were extracted from the draft sequence of the human genome. Analysis of these elements resulted in the discovery of two new Alu subfamilies, Ye4 and Ye6, complementing the previously described Ye5 subfamily. DNA sequence analysis of each of the Alu Ye subfamilies yielded average age estimates of ~14, ~13 and ~9.5 million years old for the Alu Ye4, Ye5 and Ye6 subfamilies, respectively. In addition, 120 Alu Ye4, Ye5 and Ye6 loci were screened using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assays to determine their phylogenetic origin and levels of human genomic diversity.

Conclusion

The Alu Ye lineage appears to have started amplifying relatively early in primate evolution and continued propagating at a low level as many of its members are found in a variety of hominoid (humans, greater and lesser ape) genomes. Detailed sequence analysis of several Alu pre-integration sites indicated that multiple types of events had occurred, including gene conversions, near-parallel independent insertions of different Alu elements and Alu-mediated genomic deletions. A potential hotspot for Alu insertion in the Fer1L3 gene on chromosome 10 was also identified.
The Sinbad retrotransposon from the genome of the human blood fluke, Schistosoma mansoni, and the distribution of related Pao-like elements
Authors: Copeland Claudia S , Mann Victoria H , Morales Maria E , Kalinna Bernd H , Brindley Paul J
Published: February 2005

Background

Of the major families of long terminal repeat (LTR) retrotransposons, the Pao/BEL family is probably the least well studied. It is becoming apparent that numerous LTR retrotransposons and other mobile genetic elements have colonized the genome of the human blood fluke, Schistosoma mansoni.

Results

A proviral form of Sinbad, a new LTR retrotransposon, was identified in the genome of S. mansoni. Phylogenetic analysis indicated that Sinbad belongs to one of five discreet subfamilies of Pao/BEL like elements. BLAST searches of whole genomes and EST databases indicated that members of this clade occurred in species of the Insecta, Nematoda, Echinodermata and Chordata, as well as Platyhelminthes, but were absent from all plants, fungi and lower eukaryotes examined. Among the deuterostomes examined, only aquatic species harbored these types of elements. All four species of nematode examined were positive for Sinbad sequences, although among insect and vertebrate genomes, some were positive and some negative. The full length, consensus Sinbad retrotransposon was 6,287 bp long and was flanked at its 5'- and 3'-ends by identical LTRs of 386 bp. Sinbad displayed a triple Cys-His RNA binding motif characteristic of Gag of Pao/BEL-like elements, followed by the enzymatic domains of protease, reverse transcriptase (RT), RNAseH, and integrase, in that order. A phylogenetic tree of deduced RT sequences from 26 elements revealed that Sinbad was most closely related to an unnamed element from the zebrafish Danio rerio and to Saci-1, also from S. mansoni. It was also closely related to Pao from Bombyx mori and to Ninja of Drosophila simulans. Sinbad was only distantly related to the other schistosome LTR retrotransposons Boudicca, Gulliver, Saci-2, Saci-3, and Fugitive, which are gypsy-like. Southern hybridization and bioinformatics analyses indicated that there were about 50 copies of Sinbad in the S. mansoni genome. The presence of ESTs representing transcripts of Sinbad in numerous developmental stages of S. mansoni along with the identical 5'- and 3'-LTR sequences suggests that Sinbad is an active retrotransposon.

Conclusion

Sinbad is a Pao/BEL type retrotransposon from the genome of S. mansoni. The Pao/BEL group appears to be comprised of at least five discrete subfamilies, which tend to cluster with host species phylogeny. Pao/BEL type elements appear to have colonized only the genomes of the Animalia. The distribution of these elements in the Ecdysozoa, Deuterostomia, and Lophotrochozoa is discontinuous, suggesting horizontal transmission and/or efficient elimination of Pao-like mobile genetic elements from some genomes.
Transitions in care during the end of life: changes experienced following enrolment in a comprehensive palliative care program
Authors: Burge Frederick I , Lawson Beverley , Critchley Patrick , Maxwell David
Published: February 2005

Background

Transitions in the location of care and in who provides such care can be extremely stressful for individuals facing death and for those close to them. The objective of this study was to describe the distribution of transitions in care experienced by palliative care patients following admission to a comprehensive palliative care program (PCP). A better understanding of these transitions may aid in reducing unnecessary change, help predict care needs, enhance transitions that improve quality of life, guide health care system communication links and maximize the cost-effective utilization of different care settings and providers.

Methods

Transition and demographic information pertaining to all patients registered in the PCP at the Queen Elizabeth II Health Sciences Centre (QEII), Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada between January 1, 1998 and December 31, 2002 and who died on or prior to December 31, 2002 was extracted from the PCP database and examined. A transition was defined as either: (1) a change in location of where the patient was cared for by the PCP or, (2) a change in which clinical service provided care. Descriptive analysis provided frequencies and locations of transitions experienced from time of PCP admission to death and during the final two and four weeks of life, an examination of patient movement and a summary of the length of stay spent by patients at each care location.

Results

Over the five year period, 3974 adults admitted to the QEII PCP experienced a total of 5903 transitions (Mean 1.5; standard deviation 1.8; median 1). Patients with no transitions (28%) differed significantly from those who had experienced at least one transition with respect to survival time, age, location of death and diagnosis (p < 0.0001). The majority of patients were admitted to the PCP from various acute care units (66%). Although 54% of all transitions were made to the home, only 60% of these moves included care provided by PCP staff. During the last four weeks of life, 47% of patients experienced at least one transition; 36% during the final two weeks of life. Shorter stays in each location were evident when care was actively provided by the PCP.

Conclusion

A relatively small number of patients under the care of the PCP at the end of life, made several transitions in care setting or service provider. These particular patients need closer scrutiny to understand why such transitions take place so that clinical programs may be designed or modified to minimize the transitions themselves or the impact transitions have on patients and families.
p27Kip1 is expressed in proliferating cells in its form phosphorylated on threonine 187
Authors: Troncone Giancarlo , Martinez Juan C , Iaccarino Antonino , Zeppa Pio , Caleo Alessia , Russo Maria , Migliaccio Ilenia , Motti Maria L , Califano Daniela , Palmieri Emiliano A , Palombini Lucio
Published: February 2005

Background

G1/S cell cycle progression requires p27Kip1 (p27) proteolysis, which is triggered by its phosphorylation on threonine (Thr) 187. Since its levels are abundant in quiescent and scarce in cycling cells, p27 is an approved marker for quiescent cells, extensively used in histopathology and cancer research.

Methods

However here we showed that by using a specific phosphorylation site (pThr187) antibody, p27 is detectable also in proliferative compartments of normal, dysplastic and neoplastic tissues.

Results

In fact, whereas un-phosphorylated p27 and MIB-1 showed a significant inverse correlation (Spearman R = -0.55; p < 0,001), pThr187-p27 was positively and significantly correlated with MIB-1 expression (Spearman R = 0.88; p < 0,001). Thus proliferating cells only stain for pThr187-p27, whereas they are un-reactive with the regular p27 antibodies. However increasing the sensitivity of the immunocytochemistry (ICH) by the use of an ultra sensitive detection system based on tiramide signal amplification, simultaneous expression and colocalisation of both forms of p27 was shown in proliferating compartments nuclei by double immunofluorescence and laser scanning confocal microscopy studies.

Conclusion

Overall, our data suggest that p27 expression also occurs in proliferating cells compartments and the combined use of both regular and phospho- p27 antibodies is suggested.
The relationships between depression and other outcomes of chronic illness caregiving
Authors: Tsai Pao-Feng , Jirovec Mary M
Published: February 2005

Background

Many caregivers with chronically ill relatives suffer from depression. However, the relationship of depression to other outcomes of chronic caregiving remains unclear. This study tested a hypothesized model which proposed that hours of care, stressful life events, social support, age and gender would predict caregivers' outcomes through perceived caregiver stress. Depression was expected to mediate the relationship between perceived stress and outcomes of chronic caregiving (physical function, self-esteem, and marital satisfaction).

Methods

The sample for this secondary data analysis consisted of 236 and 271 subjects from the Americans' Changing Lives, Wave 1, 1986, and Wave 2, 1989, data sets. Measures were constructed from the original study. Structural equation modeling was used to test the hypothesized model, and an exploratory structural modeling method, specification search, was used to develop a data-derived model. Cross-validation was used to verify the paths among variables.

Results

Hours of care, age, and gender predicted caregivers' outcomes directly or through perceived caregiver stress (p < .01). Depression mediated the relationship between perceived stress and psychological outcomes and explained 40% and 11% of the variance in self-esteem and marital satisfaction, respectively.

Conclusion

Depression predicted psychological outcomes. Whether depression predicts physical health outcomes needs to be further explored.
Ageing and the immune system in vivo: commentary on the 16th session of British Society for Immunology Annual Congress, Harrogate, December 2004
Authors: Aspinall Richard
Published: February 2005

The problems associated with the ageing immune system coupled with possible solutions were discussed recently at the British Society for Immunology Annual Congress in Harrogate in December 2004. The session "Ageing and the Immune System in vivo" dealt in details with the immune risk phenotype and the potential methods of reversing the problems of an ageing immune system. This is a commentary on that session.
Histone deacetylase inhibitors modulate metalloproteinase gene expression in chondrocytes and block cartilage resorption
Authors: Young David A , Lakey Rachel L , Pennington Caroline J , Jones Debra , Kevorkian Lara , Edwards Dylan R , Cawston Timothy E , Clark Ian M
Published: February 2005

Cartilage destruction in the arthritides is thought to be mediated by two main enzyme families: the matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) are responsible for cartilage collagen breakdown, and enzymes from the ADAMTS (a disintegrin and metalloproteinase domain with thrombospondin motifs) family mediate cartilage aggrecan loss. Many genes subject to transcriptional control are regulated, at least in part, by modifications to chromatin, including acetylation of histones. The aim of this study was to examine the impact of histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitors on the expression of metalloproteinase genes in chondrocytes and to explore the potential of these inhibitors as chondroprotective agents. The effects of HDAC inhibitors on cartilage degradation were assessed using a bovine nasal cartilage explant assay. The expression and activity of metalloproteinases was measured using real-time RT-PCR, western blot, gelatin zymography, and collagenase activity assays using both SW1353 chondrosarcoma cells and primary human chondrocytes. The HDAC inhibitors trichostatin A and sodium butyrate potently inhibit cartilage degradation in an explant assay. These compounds decrease the level of collagenolytic enzymes in explant-conditioned culture medium and also the activation of these enzymes. In cell culture, these effects are explained by the ability of HDAC inhibitors to block the induction of key MMPs (e.g. MMP-1 and MMP-13) by proinflammatory cytokines at both the mRNA and protein levels. The induction of aggrecan-degrading enzymes (e.g. ADAMTS4, ADAMTS5, and ADAMTS9) is also inhibited at the mRNA level. HDAC inhibitors may therefore be novel chondroprotective therapeutic agents in arthritis by virtue of their ability to inhibit the expression of destructive metalloproteinases by chondrocytes.
Serendipitous discovery of Wolbachia genomes in multiple Drosophilaspecies
Authors: Salzberg Steven L , Hotopp Julie C Dunning , Delcher Arthur L , Pop Mihai , Smith Douglas R , Eisen Michael B , Nelson William C
Published: February 2005

Background

The Trace Archive is a repository for the raw, unanalyzed data generated by large-scale genome sequencing projects. The existence of this data offers scientists the possibility of discovering additional genomic sequences beyond those originally sequenced. In particular, if the source DNA for a sequencing project came from a species that was colonized by another organism, then the project may yield substantial amounts of genomic DNA, including near-complete genomes, from the symbiotic or parasitic organism.

Results

By searching the publicly available repository of DNA sequencing trace data, we discovered three new species of the bacterial endosymbiont Wolbachia pipientis in three different species of fruit fly: Drosophila ananassae, D. simulans, and D. mojavensis. We extracted all sequences with partial matches to a previously sequenced Wolbachia strain and assembled those sequences using customized software. For one of the three new species, the data recovered were sufficient to produce an assembly that covers more than 95% of the genome; for a second species the data produce the equivalent of a 'light shotgun' sampling of the genome, covering an estimated 75-80% of the genome; and for the third species the data cover approximately 6-7% of the genome.

Conclusions

The results of this study reveal an unexpected benefit of depositing raw data in a central genome sequence repository: new species can be discovered within this data. The differences between these three new Wolbachia genomes and the previously sequenced strain revealed numerous rearrangements and insertions within each lineage and hundreds of novel genes. The three new genomes, with annotation, have been deposited in GenBank.
Differential capability for phagocytosis of apoptotic and necrotic leukemia cells by human peripheral blood dendritic cell subsets
Authors: Dalgaard Jakob , Beckstrøm Karen J , Jahnsen Frode L , Brinchmann Jan E
Published: February 2005

CD11c+ dendritic cells (DC) and plasmacytoid DC (PDC) are the two major DC subsets in human peripheral blood. For the purpose of immunotherapy with DC, it is important to investigate the phagocytosis of killed tumor cells by different DC subsets. Using immature monocyte-derived DC (iMoDC) as reference, we have compared the ability of CD11c+ DC and PDC to phagocytose apoptotic and necrotic K562 leukemia cells. Freshly isolated CD11c+ DC phagocytosed apoptotic and necrotic K562 cells, whereas PDC did not show any evidence of uptake of dead cells. Blocking studies showed that CD36 is importantly involved in uptake of apoptotic and necrotic material. CD91 and CD11c were also involved. In addition, we found that β5 integrin was expressed on CD11c+ DC but not in its classical association with αV. Uptake of apoptotic K562 cells by CD11c+ DC was increased following incubation with granulocyte macrophage-colony stimulating factor (GM-CSF) and interleukin (IL)-4, alone or in combination with transforming growth factor-β1, to levels comparable with those observed for iMoDC. Phagocytosis of dead cellular material by the GM-CSF/IL-4-treated CD11c+ DC was largely restricted to a subset expressing low levels of human leukocyte antigen-DR and CD83. Thus, the relationship between phagocytosis of antigenic material and expression of maturation-related cell-surface molecules is similar for CD11c+ DC and MoDC. We conclude that CD11c+ DC in peripheral blood are precursor cells, which under the influence of cytokines, differentiate to cells with DC phenotype and function.
Effect of perfusionist technique on cerebral embolization during cardiopulmonary bypass
Authors: Rodriguez Rosendo A , Williams Kathryn A , Babaev Andrei , Rubens Fraser , Nathan Howard J
Published: February 2005

Objective: To determine the association between high-intensity transient signals (HITS) and perfusionist interventions, purging techniques, pump flows and venous reservoir blood volume levels during cardiopulmonary bypass.

Methods: Transcranial Doppler was used to detect HITS in the middle cerebral artery during the period of aortic crossclamping in patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting. Perfusionist-related interventions were recorded and included blood sampling (including the number of times that the oxygenator sampling manifold was purged), drug bolus injections and infusions (vasopressors, crystalloid and mannitol). Pump flows and venous reservoir volume levels were also documented.

Results: There were 534 interventions in 90 patients [median number of interventions per patient: 6 (quartiles: 4, 8)]. The median total HITS count from all interventions was 17 (5, 37). This represented 38% of the total HITS counts during aortic crossclamping. Factors contributing to differences in the HITS count included type of intervention ( p<0.0001) and perfusionist (p=0.0012). Blood sampling ( p<0.001) and drug bolus injections (p=0.06) had higher HITS counts per patient than infusions. Repetitive purging significantly increased HITS counts (r=0.74; p<0.001). Purging perfusionists (purging: 1 - 10 times) had higher HITS counts per patient [5 HITS (1, 15) than nonpurgers [0 HITS (0, 1) p<0.0001]. HITS counts were significantly correlated with reservoir volumes (r=-0.20, p=0.017) and pump flow rates (r=0.21, p=0.008). Reservoir volume levels ≤ 800 mL were associated with higher HITS counts per intervention [11 HITS (2, 27)] during blood sampling compared with higher volume levels [3 HITS (1, 10), p=0.001].

Conclusions: Cerebral emboli associated with perfusionist interventions can be minimized by not purging the sampling manifold, using continuous infusions rather than bolus injections, and maintaining high blood-volume levels (>800 mL) in the venous reservoir.
Platinum-Based Versus Non-Platinum-Based Chemotherapy in Advanced Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer: A Meta-Analysis of the Published Literature
Authors: D'Addario Giannicola , Pintilie Melania , Leighl Natasha B. , Feld Ronald , Cerny Thomas , Shepherd Frances A.
Published: February 2005

Purpose

This meta-analysis was performed to compare the activity, efficacy and toxicity of platinum-based versus non-platinum-based chemotherapy in patients with advanced non-small-cell lung cancer.

Methods

Randomized phase II and III clinical trials comparing first-line palliative platinum-based chemotherapy with the same regimen without platinum or with platinum replaced by a nonplatinum agent were identified by electronic searches of Medline, Embase, and Cancerlit, and hand searches of relevant abstract books and reference lists. Response rates, 1-year survival, and toxicity were analyzed. Subgroups of trials using third-generation agents were compared.

Results

Thirty-seven assessable trials were identified including 7,633 patients. A 62% increase in the odds ratio (OR) for response was attributable to platinum-based therapy (OR, 1.62; 95% CI, 1.46 to 1.8; P < .0001). The 1-year survival rate was increased by 5% with platinum-based regimens (34% v 29%; OR, 1.21; 95% CI, 1.09 to 1.35; P = .0003). No statistically significant increase in 1-year survival was found when platinum therapies were compared to third-generation-based combination regimens (OR, 1.11; 95% CI, 0.96 to 1.28; P = .17). The toxicity of platinum-based regimens was significantly higher for hematologic toxicity, nephrotoxicity, and nausea and vomiting, but not for neurotoxicity, febrile neutropenia rate, or toxic death rate.

Conclusion

Response is significantly higher with platinum-containing regimens. One-year survival was not significantly prolonged when platinum-based therapies were compared with third-generation-based combination regimens. Toxicity is generally higher for platinum-based regimens.