bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Adaptation to a ‘home’ site by white clover (Trifolium repens) in sown swards in Uruguay
Authors: WILMAN D. , OLMOS F. , HAMILTON R. S.
Published: June 2006

Climatic and soil conditions in Uruguay are marginal for white clover (Trifolium repens L.). Plants were collected from four sites, in different parts of the country, multiplied vegetatively, and the populations planted into each of the four sites. Plant survival and internode length (indicating growth potential) were recorded at intervals during the 55-week period after planting. On the site with the highest annual rainfall and lowest summer water deficit, one fifth of the plants survived at least 55 weeks, whereas on the site with the highest annual evaporation almost all the plants had died within 20 weeks. There was some evidence of adaptation to a ‘home’ site in both plant survival and growth potential. Thus, on three of the four sites, populations from the ‘home’ site survived better than the average of the non-‘home’ populations. Also, internode length was greatest (9·5 mm on average, compared with a mean of 5·6 mm for the experiment as a whole) in a population from a site with soil relatively high in available P, when planted into its ‘home’ site. Plant breeders could consider producing different white clover cultivars to suit different conditions of moisture supply and available P.
Sensorineural hearing loss with BrainStem Auditory Evoked Responses changes in homozygote and heterozygote sickle cell patients in Guadeloupe (France)
Authors: Jovanovic-Bateman L , Hedreville R
Published: June 2006

This prospective study involved 79 homozygote and heterozygote sickle cell anaemia patients (16 to 50 years old) and a control group of 40 people.

All patients underwent ENT, audiological and brainstem auditory evoked responses (BSER) examinations in order to evaluate the incidence of sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL), to identify the changes at the level of the cochlear nerve and the central pathways, and to determine the most vulnerable group, in order to intervene with early prevention and rehabilitation for this condition.

A hearing loss of greater than 20 dB at two or more frequencies was found in 36 (45.57 per cent) sickle cell patients (19 (47.22 per cent) HbSC patients and 17 (43.59 per cent) HbSS patients) and three (7.5 per cent) members of the control group. Homozygote and heterozygote patients, as well as both sexes, were equally affected.

Bilateral hearing loss occurred in 19 (52.78 per cent) patients, unilateral right-sided hearing loss in five (13.89 per cent) patients and unilateral left-sided hearing loss in 12 (33.33 per cent) patients.

Brainstem auditory evoked potential demonstrated a prolonged I–V (III–V) interpeak latency in 13 (25.35 per cent) sickle cell patients (11 men (eight with HbSS) and two women).

The hearing loss in HbSS patients was neural in nature and of earlier onset; the hearing loss in HbSC patients was usually cochlear in nature and of later onset.

Despite high medical standards and 100 per cent social security cover, the high incidence of SNHL in our sickle cell affected patients (the majority with the Benin haplotype) was probably due to their specific haematological profile and to the original geographical distribution of the disease in the tropics.

Our results highlight the necessity for early and regular hearing assessment of sickle cell patients, including BSER examination, especially in male patients with SNHL.
THE DECOMPOSITION OF LIE POWERS
Authors: BRYANT R. M. , SCHOCKER M.
Published: June 2006

Let $G$ be a group, $F$ a field of prime characteristic $p$ and $V$ a finite-dimensional $FG$-module. Let $L(V)$ denote the free Lie algebra on $V$ regarded as an $FG$-submodule of the free associative algebra (or tensor algebra) $T(V)$. For each positive integer $r$, let $L^r (V)$ and $T^r (V)$ be the $r$th homogeneous components of $L(V)$ and $T(V)$, respectively. Here $L^r (V)$ is called the $r$th Lie power of $V$. Our main result is that there are submodules $B_1$, $B_2$, ... of $L(V)$ such that, for all $r$, $B_r$ is a direct summand of $T^r(V)$ and, whenever $m \geqslant 0$ and $k$ is not divisible by $p$, the module $L^{p^mk} (V)$ is the direct sum of $L^{p^m} (B_k)$, $L^{p^{m - 1}} (B_{pk})$, ..., $L^1 (B_{p^mk})$. Thus every Lie power is a direct sum of Lie powers of $p$-power degree. The approach builds on an analysis of $T^r (V)$ as a bimodule for $G$ and the Solomon descent algebra.
ESTIMATES OF BEST CONSTANTS FOR WEIGHTED POINCARÉ INEQUALITIES ON CONVEX DOMAINS
Authors: CHUA SENG-KEE , WHEEDEN RICHARD L.
Published: June 2006

Let $1 \le q \le p <\infty$ and let $\mathcal{C}$ be the class of all bounded convex domains $\Omega$ in $\mathbb{R}^n$. Following the approach in `An optimal Poincaré inequality in $L^1$ for convex domains', by G. Acosta and R. G. Durán (Proc. Amer. Math. Soc. 132 (2003) 195–202), we show that the best constant $C$ in the weighted Poincaré inequality

$$ \| f - f_{av} \|_{L^q_w (\Omega)} \le C w(\Omega)^{\frac{1}{q} - \frac{1}{p}} \mbox{diam}(\Omega) \| \nabla f \|_{L^p_w(\Omega)} $$

for all $\Omega \in \mathcal{C}$, all Lipschitz continuous functions $f$ on $\Omega$, and all weights $w$ which are any positive power of a non-negative concave function on $\Omega$ is the same as the best constant for the corresponding one-dimensional situation, where $\mathcal{C}$ reduces to the class of bounded intervals. Using facts from `Sharp conditions for weighted 1-dimensional Poincaré inequalities', by S.-K. Chua and R. L. Wheeden (Indiana Math. J. 49 (2000) 143–175), we estimate the best constant. In the case $q = 1$ and $1 <\infty$, our estimate is between the best constant and twice the best constant. Furthermore, when $p = q = 1$ or $p = q = 2$, the estimate is sharp. Finally, in the case where the domains in $\mathbb{R}^n$ are further restricted to be parallelepipeds, we obtain a slightly different form of Poincaré's inequality which is better adapted to directional derivatives and the sidelengths of the parallelepipeds. We also show that this estimate is sharp for a fixed rectangle.
Solar winds driven by nonlinear low‐frequency Alfvén waves from the photosphere: Parametric study for fast/slow winds and disappearance of solar winds
Authors: Suzuki Takeru K. , Inutsuka Shu‐ichiro
Published: June 2006

We investigate how properties of the corona and solar wind in open coronal holes depend on properties of magnetic fields and their footpoint motions at the surface. We perform one‐dimensional magnetohydrodynamical (MHD) simulations for the heating and the acceleration in coronal holes by low‐frequency Alfvén waves from the photosphere to 0.3 or 0.1 AU. We impose low‐frequency (≲0.05 Hz) transverse fluctuations of the field lines at the photosphere with various amplitude, spectrum, and polarization in the open flux tubes with different photospheric field strength, Br,0, and superradial expansion of the cross section, fmax. We find that transonic solar winds are universal consequences. The atmosphere is also stably heated up to ≳106 K by the dissipation of the Alfvén waves through compressive‐wave generation and wave reflection in the cases of the sufficient wave input with photospheric amplitude, 〈dv⊥,0〉 ≳ 0.7 km s−1. The density, and accordingly the mass flux, of solar winds show a quite sensitive dependence on 〈dv⊥,0〉 because of an unstable aspect of the heating by the nonlinear Alfvén waves. A case with 〈dv⊥,0〉 = 0.4 km s−1 gives ≃50 times smaller mass flux than the fiducial case for the fast wind with 〈dv⊥,0〉 = 0.7 km s−1; solar wind virtually disappears only if 〈dv⊥,0〉 becomes ≃1/2. We also find that the solar wind speed has a positive correlation with Br,0/fmax, which is consistent with recent observations by Kojima et al. On the basis of these findings, we show that both fast and slow solar winds can be explained by the single process, the dissipation of the low‐frequency Alfvén waves, with different sets of 〈dv⊥,0〉 and Br,0/fmax. Our simulations naturally explain the observed (1) anticorrelation of the solar wind speed and the coronal temperature and (2) larger amplitude of Alfvénic fluctuations in the fast wind. In Appendix A, we also explain our implementation of the outgoing boundary condition of the MHD waves with some numerical tests.
Characteristics of atmospheric transport into the Arctic troposphere
Authors: Stohl A.
Published: June 2006

The Lagrangian particle dispersion model FLEXPART was used to construct a global data set of 1.4 million continuous trajectories. At the model start, particles were distributed homogeneously in the atmosphere and were then transported for 5.5 years using both resolved winds from European Centre for Medium‐Range Weather Forecasts analyses and parameterized turbulent and convective transport. On the basis of this data set, a climatology of transport in and to the Arctic was developed. It was found that the time air resides continuously north of 70°N, called its Arctic age, is highest near the surface in the North American sector of the Arctic. North of 80°N and near the surface, the mean Arctic age of air is about 1 week in winter and 2 weeks in summer. It decreases rapidly with altitude to about 3 days in the upper troposphere. In the most isolated regions of the Arctic, air is exposed to continuous darkness for, on average, 10–14 days in December. Transport from the stratosphere to the lower troposphere is much slower in the Arctic than in the middle latitudes. In the central Arctic, for instance, the probability that air near the surface was transported from the stratosphere within 10 days is only about 1% in winter and 0.3% in summer. Air pollution can be transported into the Arctic along three different pathways: low‐level transport followed by ascent in the Arctic, low‐level transport alone, and uplift outside the Arctic, followed by descent in the Arctic. Only this last pathway is frequent for pollution originating from North America and Asia, whereas European pollution can follow all three pathways in winter, and pathways one and three in summer. Sensitivities of Arctic air masses to emissions of air pollutants, based on transport alone, were calculated for times of up to 30 days before the air masses reached the Arctic. They were highest over Siberia and Europe in winter and over the oceans in summer. Using an inventory for anthropogenic black carbon (BC) emissions, it was found that near the surface and for transport timescales of 5 and 10 days, BC source contributions from south Asia are only 1.6% and 10%, respectively, of the corresponding European values, despite much higher emissions in south Asia. Using an inventory for BC emissions from forest fires, BC source contributions to the Arctic, particularly from fires in Siberia, were larger than anthropogenic BC source contributions in summer in years of average burning.
Vital effects in coral skeletal composition display strict three‐dimensional control
Authors: Meibom Anders , Yurimoto Hiyayoshi , Cuif Jean‐Pierre , Domart‐Coulon Isabelle , Houlbreque Fanny , Constantz Brent , Dauphin Yannicke , Tambutté E. , Tambutté Sylvie , Allemand Denis , Wooden Joseph , Dunbar Robert
Published: June 2006

Biological control over coral skeletal composition is poorly understood but critically important to paleo‐environmental reconstructions. We present micro‐analytical measurements of trace‐element abundances as well as oxygen and carbon isotopic compositions of individual skeletal components in the zooxanthellate coral Colpophyllia sp. Our data show that centers of calcification (COC) have higher trace element concentrations and distinctly lighter isotopic compositions than the fibrous components of the skeleton. These observations necessitate that COC and the fibrous skeleton are precipitated by different mechanisms, which are controlled by specialized domains of the calicoblastic cell‐layer. Biological processes control the composition of the skeleton even at the ultra‐structure level.
Effects of Deer Browsing, Fabric Mats, and Tree Shelters on Quercus rubra Seedlings
Authors: Ret;Kathleen L. Shea Erik E. Stange
Published: June 2006

We examined the effects of deer browsing, fabric mats, and tree shelters on the growth and survival of Quercus rubra (northern red oak) seedlings planted as part of a reforestation project in southcentral Minnesota. Browsing by white‐tailed deer occurred on 68.6% of the seedlings growing without tree shelters, whereas only 3.6% of the trees were browsed by mice or voles and 2.5% were browsed by rabbits. Fabric mats, used to control competition from herbaceous plants for roughly half of the seedlings included in the study, had a detrimental effect overall. Seedlings grown with mats had a greater frequency of deer browsing and a greater chance of dying than seedlings grown without mats. Stem height for seedlings browsed by deer was less overall than for nonbrowsed seedlings, although this pattern varied with use of fabric mats and plot location. The use of plastic tree shelters effectively prevented deer browsing and reduced the mortality rate from 34.6% to 3.2%. Our results indicate that fabric mats should not be used in restoration projects with large deer populations. They also suggest that planting seedlings away from existing forest edges and using seedling protection measures such as tree shelters will increase seedling survival and growth in future restoration projects.
Chemical Properties of Electronically Excited Halogen Atoms X(2P1/2) (X=F,Cl,Br,I)
Authors: Chichinin A. I.
Published: June 2006

The experimental data on elementary processes (collisional deactivation, chemical reactions, photodissociation) involving spin-orbitally excited X(2P1/2) atoms (X=F,Cl,Br,I) published up to the middle of 2005 are summarized in the present compilation. Critical evaluation of the data and limited comparison to theoretical calculations are also presented.
The effect of solvent dynamics on the low frequency collective motions of DNA in solution and unoriented films
Authors: Woods K. N. , Lee S. A. , Holman H.-Y. N. , Wiedemann H.
Published: June 2006

Infrared spectroscopy is used to probe the dynamics of in vitro samples of DNA prepared as solutions and as solid unoriented films. The lowest frequency DNA mode identified in the far-infrared spectra of the DNA samples is found to shift in frequency when the solvent influence in the hydration shell is altered. The lowest frequency mode also has characteristics that are similar to β-relaxations identified in other glass forming polymers.
Hydrogen storage and the 18-electron rule
Authors: Kiran Boggavarapu , Kandalam Anil K. , Jena Puru
Published: June 2006

We show that the 18-electron rule can be used to design new organometallic systems that can store hydrogen with large gravimetric density. In particular, Ti containing organic molecules such as C4H4, C5H5, and C8H8 can store up to 9wt% hydrogen, which meets the Department of Energy target for the year 2015. More importantly, hydrogen in these materials is stored in molecular form with an average binding energy of about 0.55eV∕H2 molecule, which is ideal for fast kinetics. Using molecular orbitals we have analyzed the maximum number of H2 molecules that can be adsorbed as well as the nature of their bonding and orientation. The charge transfer from the H2 bonding orbital to the empty dxy and dx2−y2 orbitals of Ti has been found to be singularly responsible for the observed binding of the hydrogen molecule. It is argued that early transition metals are better suited for optimal adsorption/desorption of hydrogen.
Tetracene thin films grown by organic molecular beam deposition under a static magnetic field
Authors: Campione M. , Sassella A.
Published: June 2006

The diamagnetic response of tetracene is exploited to increase the in-plane orientation of thin films grown by organic molecular beam deposition, while applying a magnetic field of 0.2T parallel to the surface of the silica and potassium hydrogen phthalate substrates. The combined spectroscopic analysis of the films in the UV/visible region and morphological investigation of their surface performed by atomic force microscopy demonstrate a substantial increment of the film order when the magnetic field is applied along the c axis of potassium hydrogen phthalate, in agreement with the anisotropic magnetic susceptibility of tetracene.
Matching-pursuit split-operator Fourier-transform simulations of excited-state intramolecular proton transfer in 2-(2′-hydroxyphenyl)-oxazole
Authors: Wu Yinghua , Batista Victor S.
Published: June 2006

The excited-state intramolecular proton-transfer dynamics associated with the ketoenolic tautomerization reaction in 2-(2′-hydroxyphenyl)-oxazole is simulated according to a numerically exact quantum-dynamics propagation method and a full-dimensional excited-state potential energy surface, based on an ab initio reaction surface Hamiltonian. The reported simulations involve the propagation of 35-dimensional wave packets according to the recently developed matching-pursuit/split-operator-Fourier-transform (MP/SOFT) method by Wu and Batista, [J. Chem. Phys. 121, 1676 (2004)]. The underlying propagation scheme recursively applies the time-evolution operator as defined by the Trotter expansion to second order accuracy in dynamically adaptive coherent-state expansions. Computations of time-dependent survival amplitudes, photoabsorption cross sections, and time-dependent reactant(product) populations are compared to the corresponding calculations based on semiclassical approaches, including the Herman-Kluk semiclassical initial value representation method. The reported results demonstrate the capabilities of the MP/SOFT method as a valuble computational tool to study ultrafast reaction dynamics in polyatomic systems as well as to validate semiclassical simulations of complex (nonintegrable) quantum dynamics in multidimensional model systems.
Peltier tip calorimeter
Authors: Yun Y. J. , Jung D. H. , Moon I. K. , Jeong Y. H.
Published: June 2006

A novel calorimeter, termed as the Peltier tip calorimeter, is developed. The calorimeter consists of a single thermocouple junction, called the Peltier tip, which is used as a heater and a sensor simultaneously. We demonstrate that the Peltier tip calorimeter is capable of measuring the heat capacity of a small solid sample with submilligrams of mass and also the thermophysical properties of a liquid such as heat capacity and thermal conductivity. It is also proposed that a Peltier tip be used as a local calorimeter for scanning thermal microscopy.
Simple ac circuit for breast cancer detection and object detection
Authors: Chance B. , Zhao Z. , Wen S. , Chen Y.
Published: June 2006

The detection of subsurface objects by near infrared (NIR) spectroscopy and imaging has usually been done with a large number of source positions and a corresponding large number of detector positions. Significant signals have been obtained with a multitude of sources and detectors, to be exact, 4 multiwavelength light emitting diodes (LEDs) and 16 nearby detectors photodiode silicon diode detectors. A great simplification is made by a dedicated device in which two out of phase sources and a single detector, used in a differential circuit, enable sensitive detection of the appearance of a functionally induced inhomogeneity, for example, a breast cancer or a brain functional signal. By using two LED NIR sources in antiphase at a wavelength appropriate to blood volume increment for the in detection of breast cancer angiogenesis, it is possible to design and construct a very efficient handheld scanner which will indicate the presence of a subsurface angiogenesis by creating imbalance of the optical patterns of the two 800nm LED sources. Localization and an estimate of the size of the subsurface object may be obtained by scanning the device serially across the breast, as shown in a dynamic 1cm3 model tumor to be valid to a depth of 5cm.
Modulated photoluminescence spectroscopy with a step-scan Fourier transform infrared spectrometer
Authors: Shao Jun , Lu Wei , Lü Xiang , Yue Fangyu , Li Zhifeng , Guo Shaoling , Chu Junhao
Published: June 2006

Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectrometer is a powerful tool for studying the photoluminescence (PL) properties of semiconductors, due to its well-known multiplexing and throughput advantages. However, it suffers from internal He–Ne laser disturbance in near-infrared and∕or environmental background thermal emission in mid- and far-infrared spectral regions. In this work, a modulated PL technique is developed based on step-scan (SS)-FTIR spectrometer. Theoretical analysis is conducted, and applications of the technique are given as examples in the PL study of mid-infrared HgCdTe thin films and near-infrared GaInP∕AlGaInP multiple quantum wells, respectively. The results indicate that the He–Ne laser and∕or thermal emission disturbance can be reduced at least 1∕1000 and∕or even 1∕10000, respectively, by the modulated SS-FTIR PL technique, and hence a rather smooth PL spectrum can be obtained even under room temperature for HgCdTe thin films. A brief comparison is given of this technique with previously reported phase-sensitive modulation methods based on conventional rapid-scan (RS)-FTIR spectrometer, and the advantages of this technique over the former RS- FTIR-based ones are emphasized.
Thermal transport catastrophe and the tokamak edge density limit
Authors: D’Ippolito D. A. , Myra J. R.
Published: June 2006

Experiments on the Alcator C-Mod tokamak [Phys. Plasmas 1, 1511 (1994)] have demonstrated the existence of a density limit that appears to be caused not by radiation but by perpendicular heat convection in the scrape-off layer (SOL). The present paper shows that the collisionality dependence of the blob model provides a plausible explanation for this convective density limit under certain conditions. The thermal equilibrium and stability of the SOL are studied in a two-point (midplane, divertor) model including perpendicular heat convection. A general scaling of the perpendicular heat flux q⊥ with temperature is used to derive conditions for the SOL thermal equilibrium to have two roots and a fold catastrophe associated with root merger. For the particular scaling of q⊥ given by a “disconnected” blob model, this equilibrium limit can be interpreted as a SOL density limit associated with X-point cooling in which the blob heat transport plays a role analogous to radiation in other theories.
Geodesic acoustic mode oscillation in the low frequency range
Authors: Watari T. , Hamada Y. , Notake T. , Takeuchi N. , Itoh K.
Published: June 2006

In order to understand the various appearances of geodesic acoustic modes (GAM) in experiments, the following specific problems are theoretically addressed: (1) The asymmetry of the potential field of GAMs, which is enhanced by the coupling with ion acoustic modes. It may affect GAMs in plasmas with electron temperatures higher than those of the ions. (2) The possible existence of GAMs in the lower frequency range: This is discussed in connection with the uniqueness of the kinetic response of the plasma to an external field associated with the geodesic curvature of the magnetic lines of force. (3) The extension of the theory to cover both tokamaks and helical systems: Differences between the helical-type and the tokamak-type GAMs are discussed in terms of their differences in connection length. In a device of mixed helicity, helical natured GAMs are predicted to appear depending on the intensity of the corresponding geodesic curvature and electron temperature.
Simple and inexpensive time-of-flight charge-to-mass analyzer for ion beam source characterization
Authors: Gushenets V. I. , Nikolaev A. G. , Oks E. M. , Vintizenko L. G. , Yushkov G. Yu. , Oztarhan A. , Brown I. G.
Published: June 2006

We describe the design, electronics, and test results of a simple and low-cost time-of-flight ion charge-to-mass analyzer that is suitable for ion source characterization. The method selects a short-time sample of the beam whose charge-to-mass composition is then separated according to ion velocity and detected by a remote Faraday cup. The analyzer is a detachable device that has been used for rapid analysis of charge-to-mass composition of ion beams accelerated by voltages of up to about 100kV.
Counterstreaming magnetized plasmas. II. Perpendicular wave propagation
Authors: Tautz R. C. , Schlickeiser R.
Published: June 2006

The properties of longitudinal and transverse oscillations in magnetized symmetric counterstreaming Maxwellian plasmas with equal thermal velocities for waves propagating perpendicular to the stream direction are investigated on the basis of Maxwell equations and the nonrelativistic Vlasov equation. With the constraint of vanishing particle flux in the stream direction, three distinct dispersion relations are known, which are the ordinary-wave mode, the Bernstein wave mode, and the extraordinary electromagnetic wave mode, where the latter two are only approximations. In this article, all three dispersion relations are evaluated for a counterstreaming Maxwellian distribution function in terms of the hypergeometric function F22. The growth rates for the ordinary-wave mode are compared to earlier results by Bornatici and Lee [Phys. Fluids 13, 3007 (1970)], who derived approximate results, whereas in this article the exact dispersion relation is solved numerically. The original results are therefore improved and show differences of up to 21% to the results obtained in this article.
A simple effective potential for exchange
Authors: Becke Axel D. , Johnson Erin R.
Published: June 2006

The optimized effective potential (OEP) for exchange was introduced some time ago by Sharp and Horton [Phys. Rev. 90, 317 (1953)] and by Talman and Shadwick [Phys. Rev. A 14, 36 (1976)]. The integral equation for the OEP is difficult to solve, however, and a variety of approximations have therefore been proposed. These are explicitly orbital dependent and require the same two-electron integrals as Hartree-Fock theory. We have found a remarkably simple approximate effective potential that closely resembles the Talman-Shadwick potential in atoms. It depends only on total densities and requires no two-electron integrals.
Glycine receptors regulate interneuron differentiation during spinal network development
Authors: McDearmid Jonathan R. , Liao Meijiang , Drapeau Pierre
Published: June 2006

Glycinergic and GABAergic excitatory chloride-mediated signaling is often the first form of activity to emerge in the nascent nervous system and has been proposed to be essential for several aspects of nervous system development. However, few studies have examined the effects of disrupting glycinergic transmission. Here we perturbed glycinergic transmission
in vivo
from the onset of development in zebrafish and examined its impact on the formation of the locomotor circuitry. Targeted knockdown of the embryonic glycine receptor α2-subunit disrupted rhythm-generating networks and reduced the frequency of spontaneous glycinergic and glutamatergic events. Immunohistochemistry revealed a reduction in the number of spinal interneurons without affecting sensory and motor neurons. This effect was accompanied by a concomitant increase in the number of mitotic cells, suggesting that glycine receptors regulate interneuron differentiation during early development. Despite the loss of many interneurons, a subthreshold rhythm-generating circuit was still capable of forming. These data provide evidence that glycine receptors, in addition to their role in neurotransmission, regulate interneuron differentiation during development of this central neural network.
Isolation of anti-CD22 Fv with high affinity by Fv display on human cells
Authors: Ho Mitchell , Nagata Satoshi , Pastan Ira
Published: June 2006

In vitro
antibody affinity maturation has generally been achieved by display of mouse or human antibodies on the surface of microorganisms (phage, bacteria, and yeast). However, problems with protein folding, posttranslational modification, and codon usage still limit the number of improved antibodies that can be obtained. An ideal system would select and improve antibodies in a mammalian cell environment where they are naturally made. Here we show that human embryonic kidney 293T cells that are widely used for transient protein expression can be used for cell surface display of single-chain Fv antibodies for affinity maturation. In a proof-of-concept experiment, cells expressing a rare mutant antibody with higher affinity were enriched 240-fold by a single-pass cell sorting from a large excess of cells expressing WT antibody with a slightly lower affinity. Furthermore, we successfully obtained a highly enriched mutant with increased binding affinity for CD22 after a single selection of a combinatory library randomizing an intrinsic antibody hotspot. Important features are that one display selection cycle requires only 1 week, and transfection of cells in a single 100-mm dish produces 10
7
individual clones so that a repertoire of 10
9
is feasible under current experimental conditions.
tuple_plot: Fast pairwise nucleotide sequence comparison with noise suppression
Authors: Szafranski Karol , Jahn Niels , Platzer Matthias
Published: June 2006

Summary: The program tuple_plot identifies and visualizes local similarities between two genomic sequences, typically 100 kb or longer, by applying the well-known dotplot principle. A dictionary of sequence words built from the input sequences serves to construct a task-specific expectancy model that is used to attribute significance values to pairwise word hits. The dictionary-based approach allows fast computation, the computation time scaling to O(N log N), depending on the size of the input sequences. The proposed scoring scheme appreciably increases the signal-to-noise ratio and may help to improve other word-based sequence comparison approaches.

Availability: tuple_plot is available at and may be used under GNU public license.

Contact: szafrans@fli-leibniz.de
Ki‐Energy (Life‐Energy) Protects Isolated Rat Liver Mitochondria from Oxidative Injury
Authors: Ohnishi Tsuyoshi , Ohnishi Tomoko , Nishino Kozo
Published: June 2006

We investigated whether ‘Ki‐energy’ (life‐energy) has beneficial effects on mitochondria. The paradigm we developed was to keep isolated rat liver mitochondria in conditions in which they undergo heat deterioration (39°C for 10 min). After the heat treatment, the respiration of the mitochondria was measured using a Clarke‐type oxygen electrode. Then, the respiratory control ratio (RC ratio; the ratio between State‐3 and State‐4 respiration, which is known to represent the integrity and intactness of isolated mitochondria) was calculated. Without the heat treatment, the RC ratio was >5 for NADH‐linked respiration (with glutamate plus malate as substrates). The RC ratio decreased to 1.86–4.36 by the incubation at 39°C for 10 min. However, when Ki‐energy was applied by a Japanese Ki‐expert during the heat treatment, the ratio was improved to 2.24–5.23. We used five preparations from five different rats, and the significance of the differences of each experiment was either P < 0.05 or P < 0.01 (n = 3–5). We analyzed the degree of lipid peroxidation in the mitochondria by measuring the amount of TBARS (thiobarbituric acid reactive substances). The amount of TBARS in heat‐treated, no Ki‐exposed mitochondria was greater than that of the control (no heat‐treated, no Ki‐exposed). However, the amount was reduced in the heat‐treated, Ki‐exposed mitochondria (two experiments; both P < 0.05) suggesting that Ki‐energy protected mitochondria from oxidative stress. Calcium ions may play an important role in the protection by Ki‐energy. Data also suggest that the observed Ki‐effect involves, at least, near‐infrared radiation (0.8–2.7 μm) from the human body.
Contact dermatitis from methylisothiazolinone in a paint factory
Authors: Thyssen J. P. , Sederberg‐olsen N. , Thomsen J. F. , Menné T.
Published: June 2006

Introduction of new potential contact‐sensitizing chemicals have in the past led to epidemics of contact dermatitis. A new preservative containing only methylisothiazolinone (MI) and not methylchloroisothiazolinone (MCI) has recently been introduced in the European Union for use in products, such as paint, glue and cosmetics. The objective of this article is to describe a factory outbreak of contact allergy to MI and MCI preservatives. This factory outbreak describes allergic contact dermatitis towards MI in 4 patients of 14 persons working at a paint manufacturer. Patch test results from all patients showed positive reactions for MI and MCI/MI. The reactions were stronger for MI than MCI/MI indicating a primary sensitization to MI. The combination of MCI/MI remains widely used, and therefore various patterns of exposure and sensitization could be seen in the future. Our data show that MI holds a potential for eliciting and propably inducing contact allergy in humans. Whether this preservative is safe to use in cosmetics where billions of consumers are exposed needs a care full monitoring.
The Social Nature of Perception and Action
Authors: Knoblich Günther , Sebanz Natalie
Published: June 2006

Humans engage in a wide range of social activities. Previous research has focused on the role of higher cognitive functions, such as mentalizing (the ability to infer others' mental states) and language processing, in social exchange. This article reviews recent studies on action perception and joint action suggesting that basic perception–action links are crucial for many social interactions. Mapping perceived actions to one's own action repertoire enables direct understanding of others' actions and supports action identification. Joint action relies on shared action representations and involves modeling of others' performance in relation to one's own. Taking the social nature of perception and action seriously not only contributes to the understanding of dedicated social processes but has the potential to create a new perspective on the individual mind and brain.
Drug Addiction During Pregnancy
Authors: Jones Hendree E.
Published: June 2006

Drug use during pregnancy is a significant risk factor for compromised child development. National statistics reveal that many pregnant women smoke tobacco (18%), drink alcohol (9.8%), and use illicit drugs (4%). Animal and clinical data show that prenatal alcohol and tobacco exposure have direct deleterious consequences on child development. Recent large multicenter studies have failed to show that prenatal cocaine or heroin exposure causes devastating child consequences when environmental variables are controlled. However, prenatal exposure to both licit and illicit drug use mostly occurs in the presence of environmental and contextual risk factors that together can impede healthy outcomes. Thus, treating these addiction disorders while addressing other lifestyle factors in a comprehensive way is critical.
Babies and Young Children in Nurseries: Using Psychoanalytic Ideas to Explore Tasks and Interactions
Authors: Elfer Peter
Published: June 2006

Anxiety about the emotional experience of young children in nursery has been central in thinking about the development of nursery provision. The main theory of emotion that has been applied to nursery practice has been attachment theory. This article proposes that there is a need to open up our conceptual framework for thinking about emotional interactions in nursery and introduces concepts from psychoanalytic theory that may assist in this. It illustrates the application of these concepts to thinking about nursery tasks and interactions by reference to existing studies of nursery provision. © 2006 The Author(s). Journal compilation © 2006 National Children's Bureau.
Hepatitis B virus pre‐S mutants, endoplasmic reticulum stress and hepatocarcinogenesis
Authors: Wang Hui‐Ching , Huang Wenya , Lai Ming‐Der , Su Ih‐Jen
Published: June 2006

Although hepatitis B virus (HBV) has been documented to cause hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), the exact role of HBV in the development of HCC remains enigmatic. Several hypotheses have been proposed to explain the potential mechanism, including insertional mutagenesis of HBV genomes and transcriptional activators of HBV gene products such as hepatitis B x protein (HBx) and truncated middle S mutants. In the past few years, we have identified two types of large HBV surface antigens (LHBs) with deletions at the pre‐S1 (ΔS1‐LHBs) and pre‐S2 (ΔS2‐LHBs) regions in ground glass hepatocytes. The pre‐S mutant LHBs are retained in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and escape from immune attack. The pre‐S mutants, particularly ΔS2‐LHBs, are increasingly prevalent in patients with hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg)‐positive chronic HBV infection, ranging from 6% before the 3rd decade to 35% in the 6th decade. In HCC patients, the two pre‐S mutants were detected in 60% of HCC patients, in the serum and in HCC tissues. Pre‐S mutant LHBs can initiate ER stress to induce oxidative DNA damage and genomic instability. Furthermore, pre‐S mutant LHBs can upregulate cyclooxygenase‐2 and cyclin A to induce cell cycle progression and proliferation of hepatocytes. In transgenic mice, the pre‐S mutants can induce dysplasia of hepatocytes and development of HCC. In a nested control study, the presence of pre‐S mutants carried a high risk of developing HCC in HBV carriers. In summary, the findings we describe in this review suggest a potential role for HBV pre‐S mutants in HBV‐related hepatocarcinogenesis, providing a model of viral carcinogenesis associated with ER stress. (Cancer Sci 2006; 97: 683–688)
Multiple doses of the antimuscarinic agent solifenacin do not affect the pharmacodynamics or pharmacokinetics of warfarin or the steady‐state pharmacokinetics of digoxin in healthy subjects
Authors: Smulders R. A. , Kuipers M. E. , Krauwinkel W. J. J.
Published: June 2006

Aims

Solifenacin succinate is used for the treatment of overactive bladder (OAB). The potential for pharmacokinetic and/or pharmacodynamic interactions between solifenacin and warfarin or digoxin was investigated.

Methods

The solifenacin–warfarin study was a two‐period crossover trial conducted in healthy males. Subjects received warfarin on the 10th day of 16 days of dosing with either solifenacin or placebo. The solifenacin–digoxin study was an one‐sequence crossover trial conducted in healthy males and females. Following a phase‐in period for digoxin, solifenacin was administered concomitantly with the drug on days 9–18.

Results

The AUCPT; 0−168 h following a single dose of warfarin was unchanged in the presence of solifenacin [point estimate = 1.005; 90% confidence interval (CI) 0.98, 1.02)]. The AUC0–∞ values for both warfarin enantiomers were also unchanged. A small increase in the Cmax of digoxin was observed during treatment with solifenacin, but for AUCss,tau and Cmax the 90% CI fell within the prespecified interval of 0.80–1.25. Combined administration of solifenacin and warfarin or digoxin was well tolerated.

Conclusions

Since the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of a single dose of warfarin and the steady‐state pharmacokinetics of digoxin were not affected by coadministration of solifenacin in healthy subjects, the need for dosing adjustments for digoxin and/or warfarin does not seem warranted.
Understanding high‐magnitude outburst floods
Authors: Carrivick Jonathan L. , Rushmer E. Lucy
Published: June 2006

High‐magnitude outburst floods are ‘catastrophic’ geological agents, transforming landscapes through erosion and deposition within a matter of hours. Landform records of high‐magnitude outburst floods can be preserved which can help us reconstruct their hydraulic properties. It is important to understand these properties, as high‐magnitude floods not only drastically alter landscapes over very short time‐scales, but also provide sudden and abrupt inputs of water and sediment to oceans. They pose a world‐wide hazard to people, livestock, property and infrastructure. In this article we examine methods by which it is possible to reconstruct, and gain a better understanding of, high‐magnitude flood processes and mechanisms.
Forensic geoscience
Authors: Ruffell Alastair
Published: June 2006

Readers of Geology Today may recently have seen the words ‘geoscience’, ‘geology’ and ‘forensic’ in association. Over the past two years a number of publications, meetings and news items have raised the profile of geology (and its cognate subjects) in criminal investigations.
An analysis of microband orientation in a commercial purity aluminium alloy subjected to forward and reverse torsion using Electron Backscatter Diffraction (EBSD)
Authors: LOPEZ‐PEDROSA M. , WYNNE B. P. , RAINFORTH W. M.
Published: June 2006

High‐resolution electron backscatter diffraction has been used to study the effects of strain reversal on the evolution of microbands in commercial purity aluminium alloy AA1200. Deformation was carried out using two equal steps of forward/forward or forward/reverse torsion at a temperature of 300 °C and strain rate of 1 s−1 to a total equivalent tensile strain of 0.5. In both cases, microbands were found in the majority of grains examined with many having microband walls with more than one orientation. For the forward/forward condition, the microband clusters were centred around −20° and +45° to the equivalent tensile stress axis, whereas for material subjected to a strain reversal, the clusters were at −65° and −45°. There was no evidence of microbands that were formed in the forward deformation step in the reversed material, which would suggest that a strain of 0.25 is sufficient to dissolve any microstructure history generated by the first step. Furthermore, the microbands within the strain‐reversed material had a reduction in misorientation compared with the lineally strained material, suggesting that these microbands only formed at the onset of the second deformation step. This confirms that microband formation is complex and sensitive to strain path; however, it is still unclear to what extent microband formation is dependent on strain path history compared with the instantaneous deformation mode.
EBSD investigation of the microstructure and texture characteristics of hot deformed duplex stainless steel
Authors: CIZEK P. , WYNNE B. P. , RAINFORTH W. M.
Published: June 2006

The microstructure and crystallographic texture characteristics were studied in a 22Cr‐6Ni‐3Mo duplex stainless steel subjected to plastic deformation in torsion at a temperature of 1000 °C using a strain rate of 1 s−1. High‐resolution EBSD was successfully used for precise phase and substructural characterization of this steel. The austenite/ferrite ratio and phase morphology as well as the crystallographic texture, subgrain size, misorientation angles and misorientation gradients corresponding to each phase were determined over large sample areas. The deformation mechanisms in each phase and the interrelationship between the two are discussed.
A physical phantom for the calibration of three‐dimensional X‐ray microtomography examination
Authors: PERILLI E. , BARUFFALDI F. , BISI M. C. , CRISTOFOLINI L. , CAPPELLO A.
Published: June 2006

X‐ray microtomography is rapidly gaining importance as a non‐destructive investigation technique, especially in the three‐dimensional examination of trabecular bone. Appropriate quantitative three‐dimensional parameters describing the investigated structure were introduced, such as the model‐independent thickness and the structure model index. The first parameter calculates a volume‐based thickness of the structure in three dimensions independent of an assumed structure type. The second parameter estimates the characteristic form of which the structure is composed, i.e. whether it is more plate‐like, rod‐like or even sphere‐like. These parameters are now experiencing a great diffusion and are rapidly growing in importance. To measure the accuracy of these three‐dimensional parameters, a physical three‐dimensional phantom containing different known geometries and thicknesses, resembling those of the examined structures, is needed. Unfortunately, such particular phantoms are not commonly available and neither does a consolidated standard exist. This work describes the realization of a calibration phantom for three‐dimensional X‐ray microtomography examination and reports an application example using an X‐ray microtomography system. The calibration phantom (external size 13 mm diameter, 23 mm height) was based on various aluminium inserts embedded in a cylinder of polymethylmethacrylate. The inserts had known geometries (wires, foils, meshes and spheres) and thicknesses (ranging from 20 µm to 1 mm). The phantom was successfully applied to an X‐ray microtomography device, providing imaging of the inserted structures and calculation of three‐dimensional parameters such as the model‐independent thickness and the structure model index. With the indications given in the present work it is possible to design a similar phantom in a histology laboratory and to adapt it to the requested applications.
Filter cubes with built‐in ultrabright light‐emitting diodes as exchangeable excitation light sources in fluorescence microscopy
Authors: MOSER C. , MAYR T. , KLIMANT I.
Published: June 2006

The use of ultrabright light‐emitting diodes as a potential substitute for conventional excitation light sources in fluorescence microscopy is demonstrated. We integrated ultrabright light‐emitting diodes in the filter block of a conventional fluorescence microscope together with a collimating Fresnel lens, a holographic diffuser and emission filters. This setup enabled convenient changes between different excitation light sources and resulted in high excitation efficiencies. Quantitative comparison of image intensities of test samples revealed that light‐emitting diodes yielded intensities in the range of a mercury arc lamp depending on the wavelength. The use of ultrabright light‐emitting diodes also enabled luminescence lifetime imaging without the need for image intensification.
Preliminary study on the effect of oral care on recovery from surgery in elderly patients
Authors: SATO M. , YOSHIHARA A. , MIYAZAKI H.
Published: June 2006

summary  This study aimed to clarify the effectiveness of post‐operative oral care, including tooth brushing, denture cleaning and tongue cleaning, after digestive tract surgery. Subjects included 30 elderly patients aged 60–98 years (74·9 ± 7·8 years) who underwent digestive tract surgery. Subjects were randomly divided into an intervention group and a control group. In the intervention group, the following oral care was provided daily over a 5‐min period in the morning starting at baseline (day of surgery) and continued for 5 days: gargling with povidone iodine, tooth brushing, denture cleaning using a special brush and tongue cleaning using a tongue brush. In the control group, the subjects only gargled with povidone iodine. We compared the following variables between the two groups at baseline and 5 days later: the sensation of dry mouth, intra‐oral gas concentration, pulmonary sounds, body temperature and bacterial flora. The number of patients with abnormal pulmonary sounds (dry or moist rales) increased from 1 to 2 in the intervention group and from 0 to 4 in the control group (P < 0·05). The average number of bacterial species per subject for the control group was 3·64 ± 1·34 pre‐operatively and 3·50 ± 1·74 post‐operatively, whereas that for the intervention group was 3·08 ± 0·95 pre‐operatively and 2·62 ± 0·65 post‐operatively. In the intervention group, there was a significant decrease in the number of bacterial species (P < 0·05). These findings indicate that post‐operative oral care in elderly patients undergoing digestive tract surgery lowers the number of bacterial species found in the oral cavity. This effect, in turn, might improve respiratory function.