bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Cognitive behavioral therapy for prolonged postdisaster distress
Authors: Hamblen Jessica L. , Gibson Laura E. , Mueser Kim T. , Norris Fran H.
Published: May 2006

In this article, we present and illustrate cognitive‐behavioral therapy for postdisaster distress. The treatment is for individuals who show more than normal transient stress after disaster and functions as an intermediate step between traditional crisis counseling and longer‐term mental health treatments. Thus, it is one part of a larger mental health disaster response and is designed to be implemented no sooner than 60 days post disaster. A clinical case demonstrates its process and technique in a community practice setting. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Clin Psychol: In Session.
Storminess variation during the last 6500 years as reconstructed from an ombrotrophic peat bog in Halland, southwest Sweden
Authors: Jong Rixt de , Björck Svante , Björkman Leif , Clemmensen Lars B.
Published: May 2006

Cores taken from an ombrotrophic peat bog in the coastal zone of Halland, southwest Sweden, were examined for wind transported mineral grains, pollen and humidity indicators. The core covers the period from 6500 cal. yr BP to present. Ombrotrophic conditions existed from ca. 4200 cal. yr BP onwards. Bog surface wetness fluctuated strongly until ca. 3700 cal. yr BP, with an apparent dominance of dry summer conditions from 4800–4500 cal. yr BP. Local wet shifts occurred around 4300, 2800, 2400 and 1500 cal. yr BP, whereas the most recent 600 years of the record show increasingly dry conditions. Mineral grain content, interpreted as aeolian sand influx (ASI), was used as a proxy for (winter) storm frequency and intensity until ca. 1500 cal. yr BP, after which increasing human impact, as reconstructed by pollen analysis, became a second important potential cause for increased sand drift. Strongly increased storminess occurred at 4800, 4200, 2800–2200, 1500, 1100 and 400–50 cal. yr BP, indicating a dominance of cold and stormy winters during these periods. Many of these storm periods apparently coincide with storm events in other sites in southwestern Scandinavia, suggesting that our ASI record reflects a regional scale climatic signal. Furthermore these stormy periods correlate to well‐known cold phases in the North Atlantic region, suggesting a link to large‐scale fluctuations in atmospheric circulation patterns. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Signaling networks controlled by the MRN complex and MDC1 during early DNA damage responses
Authors: Kim Ja‐Eun , Minter‐Dykhouse Katherine , Chen Junjie
Published: May 2006

Cells activate complex signaling networks in response to DNA damage. Several proteins and protein complexes are involved in sensing DNA lesions and initiating the DNA damage response networks. The subsequent DNA damage responses, including the initiation of DNA repair pathways, the activation of cell cycle checkpoint controls and the induction of apoptosis, help maintain genomic stability in mammalian systems. Failure to establish the appropriate DNA damage signaling networks results in genomic instability, which is a known causal factor in tumorigenesis. This review will discuss recent progress in the understanding of the mechanisms by which mammalian cells sense DNA lesions and transduce DNA damage signals during early DNA damage responses. © 2006 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Phase‐contrast velocimetry with hyperpolarized 3He for in vitro and in vivo characterization of airflow
Authors: de Rochefort Ludovic , Maître Xavier , Fodil Redouane , Vial Laurence , Louis Bruno , Isabey Daniel , Croce Céline , Darrasse Luc , Apiou Gabriela , Caillibotte Georges , Bittoun Jacques , Durand Emmanuel
Published: May 2006

This paper describes a technique that combines radial MRI and phase contrast (PC) to map the velocities of hyperpolarized gases (3He) in respiratory airways. The method was evaluated on well known geometries (straight and U‐shaped pipes) before it was applied in vivo. Dynamic 2D maps of the three velocity components were obtained from a 10‐mm slice with an in‐plane spatial resolution of 1.6 mm within 1 s. Integration of the in vitro through‐plane velocity over the slice matched the input flow within a relative precision of 6.4%. As expected for the given Reynolds number, a parabolic velocity profile was obtained in the straight pipe. In the U‐shaped pipe the three velocity components were measured and compared to a fluid‐dynamics simulation so the precision was evaluated as fine as 0.025 m s−1. The technique also demonstrated its ability to visualize vortices and localize characteristic points, such as the maximum velocity and vortex‐center positions. Finally, in vivo feasibility was demonstrated in the human trachea during inhalation. Magn Reson Med, 2006. © 2006 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Redox‐sensitive contrast agents for MRI based on reversible binding of thiols to serum albumin
Authors: Raghunand Natarajan , Jagadish Bhumasamudram , Trouard Theodore P. , Galons Jean‐Philippe , Gillies Robert J. , Mash Eugene A.
Published: May 2006

DOTA‐based complexes of gadolinium (Gd) bearing a thiol moiety on a propyl or hexyl arm were synthesized. It was hypothesized that these complexes would form reversible covalent linkages with human serum albumin (HSA), which contains a reactive thiol at cysteine‐34. The binding constant of the hexyl complex to HSA was measured to be 64 mM−1 and decreased to 17, 6.1, and 3.6 mM−1 in the presence of 0.5, 1, and 2 mM homocysteine, respectively. The binding constant of the propyl complex to HSA was significantly lower (5.0 mM−1) and decreased to 2.0, 1.5, and 0.87 mM−1 in the presence of 0.5, 1, and 2 mM homocysteine, respectively. The longitudinal water‐proton relaxivities of the hexyl and propyl complexes at 37°C and 4.7 T were 2.3 and 2.9 mM−1 s−1, respectively, in saline. The relaxivities of the HSA‐bound forms of the hexyl and propyl complexes were calculated to be 5.3 and 4.5 mM−1 s−1, respectively. The in vivo pharmacokinetics of both thiol complexes were altered by a chase of homocysteine but not saline, while the washout of GdDTPA was unaffected by either chase. Such redox‐sensitive reversible binding of Gd complexes to plasma albumin can be exploited for imaging tissue redox and the blood‐pool by MRI. Magn Reson Med, 2006. © 2006 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Source of nonlinearity in echo‐time‐dependent BOLD fMRI
Authors: Jin Tao , Wang Ping , Tasker Michelle , Zhao Fuqiang , Kim Seong‐Gi
Published: May 2006

Stimulation‐induced changes in transverse relaxation rates can provide important insight into underlying physiological changes in blood oxygenation level‐dependent (BOLD) contrast. It is often assumed that BOLD fractional signal change (ΔS/S) is linearly dependent on echo time (TE). This relationship was evaluated at 9.4 T during visual stimulation in cats with gradient‐echo (GE) and spin‐echo (SE) echo‐planar imaging (EPI). The TE dependence of GE ΔS/S is close to linear in both the parenchyma and large vessel area at the cortical surface for TEs of 6–20 ms. However, this dependence is nonlinear for SE studies in the TE range of 16–70 ms unless a diffusion‐weighting of b = 200 s/mm2 is applied. This behavior is not caused by inflow effects, T2* decay during data acquisition in SE‐EPI, or extravascular spin density changes. Our results are explained by a two‐compartment model in which the extravascular contribution to ΔS/S vs. TE is linear, while the intravascular contribution can be nonlinear depending on the magnetic field strength and TE. At 9.4 T, the large‐vessel IV signal can be minimized by using long TE and/or moderate diffusion weighting. Thus, stimulation‐induced relaxation rate changes should be carefully determined, and their physiological meanings should be interpreted with caution. Magn Reson Med, 2006. © 2006 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Life threatening parvovirus B19 and herpes simplex virus associated acute myocardial dysfunction in a child with homozygous sickle cell disease
Authors: Krishnamurti Lakshmanan , Lanford Lizabeth , Munoz Ricardo
Published: May 2006

Human parvovirus (HPV) B19, a common infection, frequently causes transient red cell aplasia in children with hemolytic anemia, such as sickle cell disease (SCD). It was considered to be a self‐limited condition, easily treated with blood transfusion. However, acute splenic sequestration, acute chest syndrome, nephrotic syndrome, and stroke have been reported in SCD patients following HPV B19 infection. We report a 3‐year‐old child with SCD who developed fulminant myocarditis following HPV B19‐related aplastic crisis. The diagnosis of myocarditis should be considered in a patient with hemolytic anemia with an infection with HPV B19 who develops signs of cardiopulmonary failure despite correction of anemia. Pediatr Blood Cancer 2007;49:1019–1021. © 2006 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Age distributions, birth weights, nephrogenic rests, and heterogeneity in the pathogenesis of Wilms tumor
Authors: Breslow Norman E. , Beckwith J. Bruce , Perlman Elizabeth J. , Reeve Anthony E.
Published: May 2006

Background

The National Wilms Tumor Study (NWTS) constitutes a unique resource for study of clinical, pathologic, and epidemiologic features of Wilms tumor (WT).

Procedure

Data from NWTS‐3,4,5 were compiled for 7,455 patients with tumors of favorable (FH) or anaplastic (AH) histology. The associations of birth weight (BW) and age‐at‐onset with gender, intralobar (ILNR), and perilobar (PLNR) nephrogenic rests, tumor focality, congenital malformation syndromes, and tumor histology were analyzed using descriptive statistics and linear regression.

Results

Mean BWs for male and female patients without PLNR were 3.52 and 3.36 kg, respectively, and for those with PLNR were 0.12 kg and 0.15 kg heavier. Mean age was 45 months for males with no rests whose tumors were unifocal and of triphasic favorable histology. ILNR or multifocality decreased the mean age by 18 and 10 months, respectively, whereas female gender, blastemal/FH or AH increased it by 3, 10, and 16 months. Over 90% of multifocal tumors occurred in the presence of demonstrated ILNR or PLNR or both. The apparent bimodality of the age distributions and later mean ages‐at‐onset for females with both unifocal and multifocal tumors were explained in part by the relative deficit in females of ILNR versus PLNR‐associated tumors.

Conclusions

These observations support the view that there are multiple pathways to Wilms tumorigenesis. They will facilitate selection of informative subgroups of patients for molecular analysis that may serve to identify the putative pathway for the majority of patients who cannot be classified provisionally on the basis of ILNR or PLNR. Pediatr Blood Cancer 2006;47:260–267. © 2006 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Longitudinal growth and risk factors for growth deficiency in children treated for acute lymphoblastic leukemia
Authors: Vilela Maria Ivone Oliveira Pinto , Viana Marcos Borato
Published: May 2006

Background

Growth deficit has been reported as a frequent complication of the treatment of acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL).

Procedure

Longitudinal analysis of the growth of 129 children, from a total of 351 cases diagnosed between 1987 and 1994 in Brazil, was determined. Height data were converted into standard deviation Z scores. Only girls younger than 10 and boys younger than 12 years old at diagnosis were included. Patients were treated according to a German BFM‐83 based protocol. Fifty‐eight children received 18 Gy cranial irradiation, four 12 Gy, and two 24 Gy. Patients were aggregated into five non‐excluding groups according to availability of height data at diagnosis, during the treatment, at the end of it, and several years after; 35 children reached their final height.

Results

Height deficit at the end of the therapeutic treatment was evident (P < 0.0001). Catch‐up occurred 1 year after stopping treatment (P = 0.016). At the last follow‐up, over 5 years after the end of treatment (n = 83) or at final height (n = 35), impressive height deficits were recorded (P < 0.0001 for both end points). Multivariate analysis demonstrated that growth impairment was more severe in children younger than 4 years at diagnosis and in those who received cranial irradiation. No significant effect of gender was observed. Children who were treated solely with chemotherapy also had significant height loss.

Conclusions

Treatment of ALL in children is associated with growth deficit during the treatment and several years after it, affecting the final height negatively, particularly in patients younger than 4 and in those who received cranial irradiation. Pediatr Blood Cancer 2007;48:86–92. © 2006 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Small cationic protein from a marine turtle has β‐defensin‐like fold and antibacterial and antiviral activity
Authors: Chattopadhyay Suranjana , Sinha Nirmal Kumar , Banerjee Shuvojit , Roy Debjani , Chattopadhyay Dhrubajyoti , Roy Siddhartha
Published: May 2006

Egg white of marine turtle Caretta caretta contains a small cationic protein but lacks lysozyme. The protein was sequenced by a combination of sequential Edman degradation, carboxypeptidase digestion, nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry. The protein contains 36 amino acid residues of which six are half‐cysteines. The three‐dimensional structure of the protein was deduced from two‐dimensional NMR experiments and was observed to be similar to vertebrate β‐defensins. However, disulfide connectivity is C1–C6/C2–C5/C3–C4; different from that of the vertebrate β‐defensins. The protein showed strong antibacterial activity against Escherichia coli and Salmonella typhimurium. The protein also showed significant antiviral activity against an enveloped rhabdovirus, Chandipura virus, which is an emerging human pathogen. This virus is also closely related to the vesicular stomatitis virus, whose growth was also inhibited. This small cationic protein is part of the innate immunity of this organism and replaces lysozyme in the egg. It has the potential to be developed as an antibacterial and antiviral agent. Proteins 2006. © 2006 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Exploring structurally conserved solvent sites in protein families
Authors: Bottoms Christopher A. , White Tommi A. , Tanner John J.
Published: May 2006

Protein‐bound water molecules are important components of protein structure, and therefore, protein function and energetics. Although structural conservation of solvent has been studied in a few protein families, a lack of suitable computational tools has hindered more comprehensive analyses. Herein we present a semiautomated computational approach for identifying solvent sites that are conserved among proteins sharing a common three‐dimensional structure. This method is tested on six protein families: (1) monodomain cytochrome c, (2) fatty‐acid binding protein, (3) lactate/malate dehydrogenase, (4) parvalbumin, (5) phospholipase A2, and (6) serine protease. For each family, the method successfully identified previously known conserved solvent sites. Moreover, the method discovered 22 novel conserved solvent sites, some of which have higher degrees of conservation than the previously known sites. All six families studied had solvent sites with more than 90% conservation and these sites were invariably located in regions of the protein with very high sequence conservation. These results suggest that highly conserved solvent sites, by virtue of their proximity to conserved residues, should be considered as one of the defining three‐dimensional structural characteristics of protein families and folds. Proteins 2006. © 2006 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Analysis of a silane explosion in a photovoltaic fabrication plant
Authors: Chen Jenq‐Renn , Tsai Hsiao‐Yun , Chen Shang‐Kay , Pan Huan‐Ren , Hu Shuai‐Ching , Shen Chun‐Cheng , Kuan Chia‐Ming , Lee Yu‐Chen , Wu Chih‐Chin
Published: May 2006

An explosion and fire occurred in a silane gas room in a silicon thin‐film photovoltaic module fabrication plant, resulting in one fatality, and completely destroyed the gas room. The fire also spread outside the room through a polypropylene (PP) exhaust duct to the cleanroom and exhaust scrubbers, resulting in significant damage to the plant. This article investigates the incidents leading up to the explosion, fire escalation, and the incident response. This accident stressed that PP ducts must not be used to transport flammable or nonflammable gases. Because the cylinder change process was also identified as a problem, an appropriate procedure is described. Lessons learned in the plant management, operation, and engineering design are discussed in detail. © 2006 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Process Saf Prog, 2006
Metal (Ni, Au)‐vacancy complexes in GaN
Authors: von Pezold J. , Bristowe P. D.
Published: May 2006

The stability and electronic properties of metal (Ni, Au)‐vacancy complexes in GaN were studied using density functional calculations. Two complexes (NiGa‐VN and VGa‐Aui‐VN) were found to exhibit relatively low formation energies in their neutral charge state under p‐type conditions and are predicted to act as deep acceptors in GaN. As such they are unlikely to contribute to the hole carrier concentration in p‐GaN and are probably not responsible for the low electrical resistance of Au/Ni contacts. They may, however, act as compensation centres in n‐GaN. (© 2006 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
RF‐MBE growth of cubic InN films on MgO (001) substrates
Authors: Iwahashi Y. , Yaguchi H. , Nishimoto A. , Orihara M. , Hijikata Y. , Yoshida S.
Published: May 2006

Cubic InN films have been grown on MgO substrates with cubic GaN underlayers by RF‐N2 plasma MBE. By changing the growth conditions, we clarified the growth temperature and In flux dependence of the quality of cubic InN films. It was found the surface of cubic InN films grown at relatively higher temperatures was smooth and that the hexagonal phase content in the InN films decreased with increasing In flux. Based on the findings, we have successfully obtained a c‐InN film with high phase‐purity and a smooth surface. We have carried out micro Raman scattering measurements for the high‐quality cubic InN film. Raman peaks were clearly observed at 596 cm–1 and 467 cm–1, which are attributed to longitudinal optical and transverse optical phonon modes of cubic InN, respectively. (© 2006 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Screening of polarization induced electric fields in blue/violet InGaN/GaN laser diodes by Si doping in quantum barriers revealed by hydrostatic pressure
Authors: Franssen G. , Suski T. , Perlin P. , Bohdan R. , Bercha A. , Trzeciakowski W. , Makarowa I. , Czernecki R. , Leszczyński M. , Grzegory I.
Published: May 2006

By means of hydrostatic pressure‐dependent measurements of the electroluminescence of blue/violet laser diodes with In0.1Ga0.9N/GaN active layers grown on bulk GaN it is shown that at conditions close to lasing threshold full screening of polarization‐induced electric fields (PIEFs) is provided by injected charge. In contrast, in order to achieve PIEF screening at currents much below lasing threshold, Si doping of quantum barriers is seen to be necessary. (© 2006 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Cathodoluminescence properties of InGaN codoped with Zn and Si
Authors: Honda Y. , Yanase Y. , Yamaguchi M. , Sawaki N.
Published: May 2006

An InGaN alloy co‐doped with Zn and Si was grown by metal organic vapor phase epitaxy on a GaN templated silicon substrate and the luminesence (CL) properties are studied by cathodoluminescence spectroscopy. As the result of co‐doping of Zn and Si, the CL intensity was extremely enhanced; enhancement in the peak intensity as well as the full‐width at half maximum. The optimum doping density was estimated to be N(Zn) = 4.0 x 1019/cm3 and N(Si) = 8.0 x 1018/cm3. (© 2006 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Photo‐induced improvement of radiative efficiency and structural changes in GaAsN alloys
Authors: Yaguchi H. , Morioke T. , Aoki T. , Shimizu H. , Hijikata Y. , Yoshida S. , Yoshita M. , Akiyama H. , Usami N. , Aoki D. , Onabe K.
Published: May 2006

We have investigated the excitation power density and nitrogen concentration dependence of the changes in the radiative efficiency of GaAsN alloys to examine the mechanism of the photo‐induced improvement of radiative efficiency. With increasing excitation power density, the radiative efficiency increased more rapidly. The measure of the improvement I after/I before superlinearly increased with increasing nitrogen concentration x up to ∼1%. This suggests that the nonradiative recombination centers eliminated by photoexcitation are not defects formed by a single nitrogen atom but complexes formed by gathering of several nitrogen atoms. Micro Raman study revealed that the GaAs‐like LO mode phonon peak intensity increased with photoexcitation time in a similar way to the increase in the radiative efficiency. Considering that this phenomenon is in a time scale of several seconds, the photo‐induced structural changes correspond not to long range inter‐diffusion but to local changes in atomic configuration which lead to the decrease in the density of nonradiative recombination centers. (© 2006 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Hypolipidemic activity of aqueous extract of Withania coagulans Dunal in albino rats
Authors: Hemalatha S. , Wahi A. K. , Singh P. N. , Chansouria J. P. N.
Published: May 2006

Administration of an aqueous extract of fruits of Withania coagulans (1 g/kg; p.o.) to high fat diet induced hyperlipidemic rats for 7 weeks, significantly reduced elevated serum cholesterol, triglycerides and lipoprotein levels. This drug also showed hypolipidemic activity in triton induced hypercholesterolemia. The histopathological examination of liver tissues of treated hyperlipidemic rats showed comparatively lesser degenerative changes compared with hyperlipidemic controls. The hypolipidemic effect of W. coagulans fruits was found to be comparable to that of an Ayurvedic product containing Commiphora mukkul. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Estrogenic activity of standardized extract of Angelica sinensis
Authors: Circosta Clara , Pasquale Rita De , Palumbo Dora R. , Samperi Stefania , Occhiuto Francesco
Published: May 2006

Since ancient times, extracts of plants have been used for women's health to prevent menopausal symptoms. The symptoms of menopause have been attributed to a reduction in the amount of estrogen produced by the ovaries.

In this study the estrogenic activity of a commercial standardized extract of the roots of Angelica sinensis, used to relieve climacteric symptoms was evaluated using in vivo tests such as the degree of cornification of vaginal epithelium, uterotrophic assays and serum LH concentration in ovariectomized rats. Furthermore, the effects on the estrous cycle in rat were investigated.

The results obtained have shown that the administration of a standardized ethanol extract in ovariectomized rats exhibited a stimulation of the uterine histoarchitecture, a significant cornification in the vaginal epithelium and a reduction of serum LH concentration showing the estrogenic nature of the extract. Furthermore, the administration of the extract in intact female rats provoked a significant modification of the vaginal smear in 67% of treated rats. The estrous cycle thus modified was characterized by a prolonged estrus stage with a temporary reduction of the regular cyclicity. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Antioxidant potentials of Iranian Carica papaya juice in vitro and in vivo are comparable to α‐tocopherol
Authors: Mehdipour Sanaz , Yasa Narges , Dehghan Gholamreza , Khorasani Reza , Mohammadirad Azadeh , Rahimi Roja , Abdollahi Mohammad
Published: May 2006

Carica papaya is widely cultivated throughout the world and is used as a food and also as a traditional medicine, particularly as an antiseptic and contraceptive. The present study was designed to explore the toxicological and antioxidant potential of dried C. papaya juice in vitro and in vivo. The oral LD50 of the juice of C. papaya was determined, and the antioxidant potentials determined by DPPH and FRAP tests. In vivo examination was performed after oral administration of dried papaya juice to rats for 2 weeks at doses of 100, 200 and 400 mg/kg. Blood TBARS and FRAP assays were used to determine the potential of the juice to act against oxidative stress. The acute toxicity test (LD50) demonstrated that papaya juice is not lethal up to a dose of 1500 mg/kg after oral administration and thus is considered nontoxic. In treated groups, no sign of toxicity was observed. In vitro evaluation of the antioxidant effects of papaya showed that the highest antioxidant activity (80%) was observed with a concentration of 17.6 mg/mL. Blood lipid peroxidation levels decreased significantly after administration of all doses of papaya juice (100, 200, 400 mg/kg/day) to 35.5%, 39.5% and 40.86% of the control, respectively, compared with a value of 28.8% for vitamin E. The blood total antioxidant power was increased significantly by all doses of papaya juice (100, 200, 400 mg/kg/day) to 11.11%, 23.58% and 23.14% of the control, respectively. The value for vitamin E was 18.44%. This preliminary study indicates the safety and antioxidative stress potential of the juice of C. papaya, which was found to be comparable to the standard antioxidant compound α‐tocopherol. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Umbilical vein constriction at the umbilical ring: a longitudinal study
Authors: Acharya G. , Wilsgaard T. , Rosvold Berntsen G. K. , Maltau J. M. , Kiserud T.
Published: May 2006

Objective

It has been suggested that constriction of the umbilical vein (UV) at the umbilical ring has hemodynamic effects. We aimed to determine the occurrence and extent of such constriction in serial observations.

Methods

This was a prospective longitudinal study of UV velocities at the umbilicus measured at approximately 4‐week intervals between 19 and 42 weeks' gestation in 129 low‐risk singleton pregnancies. Each participant was examined three to five times. Multilevel modeling was used to construct the reference ranges and to test associations between variables.

Results

Gestational age‐specific reference percentiles of UV velocities at the umbilicus were established based on 469 observations. Fetuses were able to alter the UV velocities considerably during the second half of pregnancy, signifying a varying degree of UV constriction. Of a total of 129 fetuses, 56 (43.4%) never had high UV blood velocity (i.e. > 46 cm/s, the highest quartile), 42 (32.6%) fetuses had high UV blood velocity on one occasion and 31 (24.0%) fetuses on two or more occasions. In 36 (27.9%) fetuses the UV velocity at the umbilical ring was > 300% of the mean gestational age‐specific reference value at the intra‐abdominal section on at least one occasion. Constriction of the UV at the umbilical ring did not affect the pulsatility of the umbilical artery, and was not associated with adverse perinatal outcome in this study.

Conclusions

Low‐risk fetuses may well constrict the UV at the abdominal wall with velocities extending over wide ranges on one or more occasions during the second half of pregnancy. Rather than being a risk for complications, the constriction seems to be part of physiological development and possibly a regulatory mechanism. Copyright © 2006 ISUOG. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Response of 12 weedy species to elevated CO2 in low‐phosphorus‐availability soil
Authors: Tang Jianjun , Chen Jing , Chen Xin
Published: May 2006

We conducted an experiment on responses of weedy species from an orchard ecosystem to elevated CO2 (700–800 μmol mol−1) under low phosphorus (P) soil in an environment‐controlled growth chamber. Twelve local weedy species, Poa annua L., Lolium perenne L., Avena fatua L., Vicia cracca L., Medicago lupulina L., Kummerowia striata (Thunb.) Schindl., Veronica didyma Ten., Plantago virginica L., Gnaphalium affine D.Don., Echinochloa crusgalli var. mitis (L.) Beauv., Eleusine indica (L.) Gaertn. and Setaria glauca (L.) P. Beauv., grouped into four functional groups (C3 grass, C3 forb, legume and C4 grass), were used in the experiment. The total plant biomass, P uptake, and mycorrhizal colonization were measured. The results showed that the total biomass of the 12 weedy species tended to increase under elevated CO2. But changes in the total biomass under elevated CO2 significantly differed among functional groups: legumes showed the greatest increase in the total biomass of all functional groups, following the order C3 forbs > C4 grasses > C3 grasses. Elevated CO2 significantly increased mycorrhizal colonization and P uptake of legumes, C3 forbs and C4 grasses but did not change C3 grasses. Positive correlations between mycorrhizal colonization and shoot P concentration, and between total P uptake and total biomass were found under elevated CO2. The results suggested that the interspecific difference in CO2 response at low P availability was caused by the difference in CO2 response in mycorrhizae and P uptake. These differences among species imply that plant interaction in orchard ecosystems may change under future CO2 enrichment.
Upregulation of thromboxane synthase in human colorectal carcinoma and the cancer cell proliferation by thromboxane A2
Authors: Sakai Hideki , Suzuki Tomoyuki , Takahashi Yuji , Ukai Masashi , Tauchi Katsunori , Fujii Takuto , Horikawa Naoki , Minamimura Tetsuji , Tabuchi Yoshiaki , Morii Magotoshi , Tsukada Kazuhiro , Takeguchi Noriaki
Published: May 2006

Tumor growth of colorectal cancers accompanies upregulation of cyclooxygenase‐2, which catalyzes a conversion step from arachidonic acid to prostaglandin H2 (PGH2). Here, we compared the expression levels of thromboxane synthase (TXS), which catalyzes the conversion of PGH2 to thromboxane A2 (TXA2), between human colorectal cancer tissue and its accompanying normal mucosa. It was found that TXS protein was consistently upregulated in the cancer tissues from different patients. TXS was also highly expressed in human colonic cancer cell lines. Depletion of TXS protein by the antisense oligonucleotide inhibited proliferation of the cancer cells. This inhibition was rescued by the direct addition of a stable analogue of TXA2. The present results suggest that overexpression of TXS and subsequent excess production of TXA2 in the cancer cells may be involved in the tumor growth of human colorectum.
The neural cell adhesion molecule binds to fibroblast growth factor receptor 2
Authors: Christensen Claus , Lauridsen Jes B. , Berezin Vladimir , Bock Elisabeth , Kiselyov Vladislav V.
Published: May 2006

The neural cell adhesion molecule (NCAM) can bind to and activate fibroblast growth factor receptor 1 (FGFR1). However, there are four major FGFR isoforms (FGFR1–FGFR4), and it is not known whether NCAM also interacts directly with the other three FGFR isoforms. In this study, we show by surface plasmon resonance analysis that NCAM can bind to FGFR2 with an affinity similar to that for the NCAM–FGFR1 interaction. However, the kinetic parameters for the NCAM–FGFR2 binding are different from those of the NCAM–FGFR1 binding. Both receptors were shown to cycle relatively fast between the NCAM bound and unbound states, although FGFR2 cycling was clearly faster (13 times) than the FGFR1 cycling. Moreover, ATP was more effective in inhibiting the binding of NCAM to FGFR1 than to FGFR2, indicating that the binding sites in NCAM for the two receptors are similar, but not identical.
Genomic and experimental evidence for a potential sexual cycle in the pathogenic thermal dimorphic fungus Penicillium marneffei
Authors: Woo Patrick C.Y. , Chong Ken T.K. , Tse Herman , Cai James J. , Lau Candy C.Y. , Zhou Anna C. , Lau Susanna K.P. , Yuen Kwok-yung
Published: May 2006

All meiotic genes (except HOP1) and genes encoding putative pheromone processing enzymes, pheromone receptors and pheromone response pathways proteins in Aspergillus fumigatus and Aspergillus nidulans and a putative MAT‐1 α box mating‐type gene were present in the Penicillium marneffei genome. A putative MAT‐2 high‐mobility group mating‐type gene was amplified from a MAT‐1 α box mating‐type gene‐negative P. marneffei strain. Among 37 P. marneffei patient strains, MAT‐1 α box and MAT‐2 high‐mobility group mating‐type genes were present in 23 and 14 isolates, respectively. We speculate that P. marneffei can potentially be a heterothallic fungus that does not switch mating type.
Distinct oxidative stabilities of char versus soot black carbon: Implications for quantification and environmental recalcitrance
Authors: Elmquist Marie , Cornelissen Gerard , Kukulska Zofia , Gustafsson Örjan
Published: May 2006

Sequestration in sediments of black carbon (BC) from vegetation fires and fuel combustion may constitute a significant sink of otherwise rapidly cycling carbon from the atmosphere‐biosphere cycle. It also has the potential to provide a historical record of atmospheric BC loadings. Previous treatments of BC as one homogeneous entity are being replaced with the growing awareness of a BC combustion continuum, a range spanning from slightly charred biomass to soot and graphite. Here the relative recalcitrance of different BC forms is evaluated, and implications for both BC quantification and environmental stability are considered. The stabilities of four BC reference materials against thermal oxidation in air were quite distinct with T50%BC values (i.e., the temperature where 50% BC remained in the residue) of 444°C (diesel soot–BC), 388°C (n‐hexane soot–BC), 338°C (wood char–BC), and 266°C (grass char–BC). The implications for BC quantification have been illustrated for a thermal oxidation (the CTO‐375) method commonly applied to study BC in sediments. This technique measured BC:TOC ratios of 78.3 ± 1.3% for the diesel soot–BC and 45.3 ± 6.1% for n‐hexane soot–BC, whereas no CTO375‐BC was detected for the two analyzed char‐BC materials. The greater lability of char‐BC compared to soot‐BC likely reflects higher accessibility to internal microporosity in char‐BC, facilitating internal O2 transfer. Decreasing the temperature cutoff below 375°C to also include char‐BC is not possible as thermograms of nonpyrogenic reference materials indicated that such material would then be artifactually quantified as BC. The presence of mineral oxides in the sediment matrix may lead to a catalytically mediated lowering of the activation energy for soot‐BC oxidation but not for char‐BC or nonpyrogenic organic material. Several recent studies combine to challenge the proposition of complete recalcitrance of BC. Particularly, the thermal lability of char‐BC from grassland fires deserves further attention in order to improve the understanding of BC in the global carbon cycle.
Role of the ENSO–Indian Ocean coupling on ENSO variability in a coupled GCM
Authors: Kug Jong‐Seong , Li Tim , An Soon‐Il , Kang In‐Sik , Luo Jing‐Jia , Masson Sebastien , Yamagata Toshio
Published: May 2006

The effect of the Indian Ocean on El Niño/La Niña life cycles has been studied using 200‐yrs simulation data of a coupled GCM. The results show that the interactive feedback between the ENSO and the Indian Ocean holds the key to the rapid transition to an opposite phase. This remote impact of the Indian Ocean SST anomaly is linked to the change of zonal wind stress in the western Pacific, which leads to a rapid demise of El Nino/La Nina. Without the involvement of the Indian Ocean, the phase transition is much slower. This role of the ENSO–Indian Ocean coupling on ENSO transition is consistent with that derived from the observational analysis.
Geoeffectiveness of corotating interaction regions as measured by Dst index
Authors: Alves M. V. , Echer E. , Gonzalez W. D.
Published: May 2006

Corotating interaction regions (CIRs) are structures formed when high‐speed solar wind streams overtake slow solar wind streams as they propagate outward. These structures produce regions of enhanced density and magnetic field strength in the solar wind near the ecliptic plane. In this paper, the geoeffectiveness of CIRs, as measured by the geomagnetic Dst index, is assessed during the solar wind observational period 1964–2003. A catalogue of CIRs is constructed by consulting high‐speed plasma streams (HSPS) lists present in the literature and by analyzing solar wind parameters for each HSPS event. The geoeffectiveness of CIRs is analyzed by determining the number of intense (Dst ≤ −100 nT), moderate (−100 < Dst ≤ −50 nT), or weak (−50 < Dst ≤ −30 nT) magnetic storms that followed each CIR event. Statistical distributions of CIR parameters (maximum solar wind speed, maximum convection electric field, southward magnetic field peak) and geoeffectiveness (Dst peak) are obtained. Correlation analyses of Dst index with various solar wind parameters are presented. A comparison with the geoeffectiveness of other interplanetary structures such as shocks, magnetic clouds, and sector boundaries is performed. Our results show that 33% of CIRs are followed by moderate/intense magnetic activity (Dst < −50 nT), i.e., approximately one third of the CIR events observed near Earth are geoeffective.
Atmospheric conditions and fast ice at Davis, East Antarctica: A case study
Authors: Heil P.
Published: May 2006

We present in situ observations of atmospheric and fast‐ice parameters at Davis (68°35′S, 77°58′E), East Antarctica. Surface measurements from 1969–2003 reveal negative trends for summer and autumn surface‐air temperatures, yet positive annual, winter and spring trends. Mean sea level pressure decreased over the observational record both annually (−0.10 hPa yr−1, significant at the 90% confidence level (90)) and seasonally. We mainly associate this with increased cyclonic activity. These trends reflect large‐scale circulation changes identified by others in the troposphere and lower stratosphere. Temporal changes in the Davis landfast‐ice characteristics are evaluated using in situ measurements from the late 1950s together with intermittent data from 1979 onward. There is large interannual variability in fast‐ice characteristics, which peaked during the 1990s. Mean values of annual maximum ice thickness taken over subintervals have changed little. However, dates of annual maximum ice thickness and final fast‐ice breakout are delayed (each by +0.43 d yr−1). Delays in ice breakout contribute to a prolonged persistence of the fast ice (+0.67 d yr−1, (90)). Linear regression was applied to relate changes in fast‐ice characteristics to those in the atmosphere. Significant at the 90% level or above are: Winter temperature and annual maximum ice thickness are anticorrelated (R2 = −0.69); the tendency toward later dates of annual maximum ice thickness appears influenced by winter (R2 = +0.47) and spring (R2 = +0.42) warming. Interannual changes in spectral density of the (annual and summer, respectively) mean sea level pressure within the cyclone‐active frequency band are crucial to annual maximum ice thickness (R2 = −0.54) and fast‐ice breakout (R2 = −0.59). Maximum ice thickness is furthermore influenced by winter wind speed (R2 = −0.52).
Validation of the Atmospheric Infrared Sounder radiative transfer algorithm
Authors: Strow L. L. , Hannon S. E. , De‐Souza Machado S. , Motteler H. E. , Tobin D. C.
Published: May 2006

Comparisons between observed AIRS radiances and radiances computed from coincident in situ profile data are used to validate the accuracy of the AIRS radiative transfer algorithm (RTA) used in version 4 processing at Goddard Space Flight Center. In situ data sources include balloon‐borne measurements with RS‐90 sensors and frost point hygrometers and Raman lidar measurements of atmospheric water vapor. Estimates of the RTA accuracy vary with wave number region but approach 0.2 K in mid‐ to lower‐tropospheric temperature and water vapor sounding channels. Temperature channel radiance biases using ECMWF forecast/analysis products are shown to be essentially identical to those observed with coincident sonde observations, with somewhat higher biases in water vapor channels. Some empirical adjustments to the RTA channel‐averaged absorption coefficients were required to achieve these stated accuracies.
Effects of atmospheric particle concentration on cloud microphysics over Arecibo
Authors: Comarazamy Daniel E. , Gonzalez Jorge E. , Tepley Craig A. , Raizada Shikha , Pandya R. V. R.
Published: May 2006

A new cloud microphysics module incorporated to a regional atmospheric model and atmospheric particle (AP) observations performed at the Arecibo Observatory were used to simulate two short precipitation events observed in the area of the observatory and to investigate the possible effects of AP on cloud formation and rain development. First, model runs were performed with and without the new cloud module, initialized with the new AP data set and the previous cloud spectrum available. The combination of the new cloud module and the Arecibo observations produced the most satisfactory results and significant improvements in total precipitation modeled: 70 versus 80 mm observed. The improvement results in 15% more precipitation predicted when compared with the old cloud information and more than 50% with respect to simulations without cloud condensation nuclei activation. Then, a set of idealized runs showed that cloud droplet production is significantly larger in polluted air than in clear skies and that rainwater in polluted air is less than that in unpolluted air. This may be because existing droplets will compete more vigorously for the available water vapor and will not reach the necessary radius to fall, and therefore growth by collision and coalescence is subdued.
Analysis of downwelling surface solar radiation in China from National Centers for Environmental Prediction reanalysis, satellite estimates, and surface observations
Authors: Xia X. A. , Wang P. C. , Chen H. B. , Liang F.
Published: May 2006

Solar radiation reaching the surface in China was analyzed on the basis of four data sets. National Centers for Environment Prediction (NCEP) reanalysis solar radiation data exceeded surface observations by 40 W/m2 to more than 100 W/m2. Satellite data sets produced by Goddard Institute for Space Studies (GISS) and University of Maryland (UMD) were correlated significantly with surface observations, but satellite estimates exceeded surface observations over much of China. The largest difference occurred in the middle reach of Yangze river and coast regions where satellite algorithms occasionally overestimated solar radiation by more than 40 W/m2. The mean bias of satellite estimates ranged from about 8 W/m2 to about 36 W/m2 in regional scale. The root‐mean‐square error varied from about 20 to 36 W/m2. The effects of differences in space‐time sampling between satellite and surface data might account partly for the random uncertainties of satellite estimates. The systematic overestimation by satellite algorithms in China was most likely associated with aerosols and their complex interactions with clouds. Surface data indicated a significant decline in solar radiation from 1961 to 1990, but the decline trend did not persist into the 1990s. Instead, a pronounced increase trend has been observed from 1984 to 2000, ranging from 1.7% to 7.7% per decade. The decrease would not be expected given that the cloud amount decreased significantly during the same period, but this was in accordance with the increasing aerosol loading that was indicated by the visibility deterioration. NCEP data and satellite estimates indicated quite different trends in solar radiation. The marginal increase trends were derived on the basis of NCEP data from 1961 to 2000 in three regions except in south China. The trends derived from satellite estimates since the middle 1980s were much less than that of surface observations. Moreover, both satellite estimates showed decline trends over much of China from 1984 to 2000. These differences suggested that representation of aerosols and clouds should be improved in order to make satellite estimates more robust over regions with high aerosol loading.
Size‐resolved, real‐time measurement of water‐insoluble aerosols in the Chamonix and Maurienne valleys of alpine France
Authors: Greenwald Roby , Bergin Michael H. , Jaffrezo Jean‐Luc , Aymoz Gilles , Besombes Jean‐Luc
Published: May 2006

As part of the Pollution des Vallées Alpines (PoVA) program, the number concentration and size distribution of the total PM2.5 population, as well as the subset that is water‐insoluble, were measured in the Chamonix and Maurienne Valleys of the French Alps. This program included both summer and winter intensive campaigns in January and June–July 2003. The water‐insoluble aerosol (WIA) measurements were performed using a new real‐time technique developed at the Georgia Institute of Technology. The concentration of both the total aerosol population and WIA was found to be highly variable on timescales as brief as a few minutes and was generally much higher in winter than in summer. In addition, the fraction (by number) of aerosols which are not soluble in water was also found to be variable and slightly higher in winter. The average insoluble fraction in the size range of 0.25–2.0 μm was approximately 11% in Chamonix in both winter and summer. In the Maurienne Valley the insoluble fraction was 10% in winter and 8% in summer. Although the number concentration of WIA is dominated by particles smaller than 0.35 μm, a peak is consistently observed between 0.4 and 0.5 μm. Size‐resolved filter samples were also collected as part of the PoVA program and were analyzed for EC/OC mass. Comparison of these two data sets suggests that WIA in these valleys is dominated by elemental carbon emissions from motor vehicle traffic, although mineral aerosols also contribute during the summer season. Further analysis also suggests that water‐soluble and water‐insoluble aerosols have sources which are independent of one another both temporally and spatially.
Simultaneous Geotail and Wind observations of reconnection at the subsolar and tail flank magnetopause
Authors: Phan T. D. , Hasegawa H. , Fujimoto M. , Oieroset M. , Mukai T. , Lin R. P. , Paterson W.
Published: May 2006

We report a fortuitous two‐spacecraft conjunction when Geotail and Wind observed the occurrence of reconnection simultaneously at the subsolar and dawn tail flank magnetopause during stable By dominated IMF. Furthermore, bi‐directional jets were observed by Geotail which indicate the presence of an X‐line in the subsolar region. These observations are consistent with the presence of a tilted X‐line hinged near the subsolar point and spanning the entire dayside (from subsolar to XGSE = −10 RE) magnetopause, as expected from component reconnection. In addition, our observations do not reveal any thickening of the boundary layer down the flanks, the plasma boundary layer being confined to the reconnecting magnetopause current layer. This suggests that reconnection dominates over diffusive entry or Kelvin‐Helmholtz instability at the low latitude magnetopause even when the IMF clock angle is 90°.
Optimum split‐step Fourier one‐way operators for seismic modeling and imaging in 3D VTI media
Authors: Liu Linong , Zhang Jianfeng
Published: May 2006

One‐way operators are proposed for modeling wide‐angle wave propagation in 3D heterogeneous, transversely isotropic media with a vertically symmetric axis (VTI). The operators are built in the wavenumber‐space domain such that the terms in the space domain and in the wavenumber domain are separable. This means that the resulting algorithm can be implemented alternately in the space and wavenumber domains using the fast Fourier transforms. The proposed one‐way operators can accommodate a wide range of anisotropy rather than the weak anisotropy. An optimization scheme is used to determine the coefficients in the operators by directly matching to spatially varying, exact anisotropic phase‐shift operators over a prescribed angular range of wave propagation. We demonstrate the accuracy of the one‐way operators by a comparison with the two‐way elastic anisotropic finite‐difference modeling in the presence of severe lateral variations.