bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Epidemiological and clinical evaluation of hepatitis B, hepatitis C, and delta hepatitis viruses in Tajikistan
Authors: Khan Anis , Kurbanov Fuat , Tanaka Yasuhito , Elkady Abeer , Sugiyama Masaya , Dustov Abdusamad , Mizokami Masashi
Published: December 2007

The implication of genotypes is recognized increasingly in the clinical course of hepatitis B virus (HBV) and in response to anti‐viral drugs of hepatitis C virus (HCV). Genotypic prevalence of both etiological agents varies geographically and no data are available for Tajikistan. To investigate the epidemiology and clinical significance of HBV and HCV genotypes in chronic hepatitis (group 1) and liver cirrhosis/hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) (group 2) patients in Tajikistan, 124 patients with chronic liver disease (group 1 = 84 and group 2 = 40) were enrolled. Genotypes of HBV, HCV, and delta hepatitis virus (HDV) were determined by sequencing. The overall prevalence of anti‐HCV, HCV core antigen (HCVcAg) and HBsAg was 46% (57/124) and 41.1% (51/124), respectively. Coinfection of HCV/HBV, HBV/HDV, and HCV/HBV/HDV was found in 4.8% (6/124), 11.2% (12/124), and 0.8% (1/124) of cases, respectively. HDV genotype 1 was found in 19.6% (10/51) of HBsAg‐positive patients. The HBV/HDV coinfection was relatively high in group 2 compared to group 1 (15% vs. 7.1%). HCV/1b detected in 84.6% (44/52) of HCV RNA‐positive patients, followed by 3a (7.6%), 2a (5.7%), and 2c (1.9%). HBV/D was detected in 94.1% (48/51) of HBsAg‐positive patients, followed by HBV/A [5.8% (3/51)]. T1762/A1764 double mutation was associated with liver cirrhosis/HCC in HBV‐infected patients (P = 0.0004). This is the first study on the molecular epidemiology of hepatitis viruses among chronic liver diseases patients in Tajikistan. Among HBV‐infected patients, the T1762/A1764 mutation was associated with liver cirrhosis/HCC. J. Med. Virol. 80:268–276, 2008. © 2007 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Persistence of novel human parvovirus PARV4 in liver tissue of adults
Authors: Schneider Beate , Fryer Jacqueline F. , Reber Ulrike , Fischer Hans‐Peter , Tolba René H. , Baylis Sally A. , Eis‐Hübinger Anna M.
Published: December 2007

Human parvovirus 4 (PARV4) is a recently identified virus whose biology, epidemiology and pathogenic potential have yet to be determined. Recently, it was reported that PARV4 DNA persists in tissues of some HIV‐infected individuals, whilst PARV4 DNA was not detected in tissues of subjects not infected with HIV. In the present study, liver tissue from 87 individuals, none of who were infected with HIV, with the exception of a single subject, was analyzed for the presence of PARV4 DNA. Overall, PARV4 DNA was detected in 13 specimens (15%). In other tissues examined, PARV4 genotype 2 (also termed PARV5) DNA was detected in one of four paired bone marrow specimens. Tissue viral loads did not exceed 100 copies per µg of genomic DNA. In addition, serum samples from 40 of these individuals all tested negative for PARV4 DNA. In the subjects analyzed in this study, PARV4 genotype 2 appeared to be genetically more heterogeneous than PARV4 genotype 1. The results show that PARV4 DNA can be detected in liver, and that infection with PARV4 is not restricted to HIV‐infected individuals. Previous studies showing the presence of PARV4 in plasma, suggest that during infection with PARV4, a viraemic stage occurs, allowing systemic spread to a variety of tissues. J. Med. Virol. 80:345–351, 2008. © 2007 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Subjective well being of adolescents in boarding schools under threat of war
Authors: Ronen Tammie , Seeman Anat
Published: December 2007

How is subjective well being (SWB) of adolescents in boarding schools affected by threatened war, and related to perceived social support, self‐control skills, and self‐efficacy beliefs? Five hundred sixty‐seven adolescents in five Israeli boarding schools completed questionnaires before the 2003 Iraq war. As expected, participants' fear of war affected SWB, and adolescents with high social support and self‐control reported better SWB than low‐scoring counterparts. Unexpectedly, self‐efficacy regarding effective coping with upcoming war was unrelated to SWB. However, self‐efficacy moderated links between social support and two SWB components (positive affect, life satisfaction). High‐efficacy participants showed positive support–SWB correlations, whereas low‐efficacy participants showed none. Findings highlighted personal resources as maintaining adolescents' SWB in boarding schools even under extreme stress.
Parental response and adolescent adjustment to the september 11, 2001 terrorist attacks
Authors: Gil‐Rivas Virginia , Silver Roxane Cohen , Holman E. Alison , McIntosh Daniel N. , Poulin Michael
Published: December 2007

This study examined adolescents' adjustment following the attacks of September 11, 2001 (9/11). A Web‐based survey was administered 2 weeks and 7 months postattacks to a national sample of adolescents (N = 104). A randomly selected parent also completed a survey at the 7‐month assessment. Although exposure to the attacks was indirect, over half the participants felt threatened. Adolescents' posttraumatic stress symptoms were associated with their acute stress symptoms, parental distress, parental coping advice, parental availability to discuss the attacks, and reports that 9/11‐related discussions were unhelpful. Adolescents' distress symptoms were associated with a history of mental health problems, acute stress symptoms, and parental unavailability to discuss the attacks.
Medium‐chain fatty acids – Nutritional function and application to cooking oil
Authors: Takeuchi Hiroyuki , Sekine Seiji , Seto Akira
Published: December 2007

Medium‐chain fatty acids, which are saturated fatty acids composed of 8–10 carbons, have unique nutritional characteristics different from those of long‐chain fatty acids. Medium‐chain triacylglycerol (MCT) is more readily digested and absorbed than long‐chain triacylglycerol (LCT), and easily utilized as energy. The use of MCT as an edible oil is limited because it has a low smoking point and easily foams during deep‐frying like lauric acid does. Medium‐ and long‐chain triacylglycerol (MLCT) prepared by transesterification between MCT and LCT has a higher smoking point and reduced foaming property. MLCT oil has been shown to result in less body fat accumulation in animal and human studies. It has been approved as a food for specified health use (FOSHU) and widely sold in Japan as a cooking oil less likely to lead to body fat accumulation.
Supramolecular Micellization of Diblock Copolymer Mixtures Mediated by Hydrogen Bonding for the Observation of Separated Coil and Chain Aggregation in Common Solvents
Authors: Kuo Shiao‐Wei , Tung Pao‐Hsaing , Lai Chih‐Ling , Jeong Kwang‐Un , Chang Feng‐Chih
Published: December 2007

This paper describes a new approach towards preparing self‐assembled hydrogen‐bonded complexes that have vesicle and patched spherical structures from two species of block copolymer in non‐selective solvents. The assembly of vesicles from the intermolecular complex formed after mixing polystyrene‐block‐poly(4‐vinyl phenol) (PS‐b‐PVPh) with poly(methyl methacrylate)‐block‐poly(4‐vinylpyridine) (PMMA‐b‐P4VP) in tetrahydrofuran (THF) is driven by strong hydrogen bonding between the complementary binding sites on the PVPh and P4VP blocks. In contrast, well‐defined patched spherical micelles form after blending PS‐b‐PVPh with PMMA‐b‐P4VP in N,N‐dimethylformamide (DMF): weaker hydrogen bonds form between the PVPh and P4VP blocks in DMF, relative to those in THF, which results in the formation of spherical micelles that have compartmentalized coronas that consist of PS and PMMA blocks.

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Small microstrip patch antennas with short‐pin using a dual‐band operation
Authors: Yoon Cheol , Choi Sun‐Ho , Lee Hwa‐Choon , Hyo‐Dal Park
Published: December 2007

This article presents the design and fabrication of a short‐pin dual‐band E‐shaped microstrip patch antenna for application in a 2.630–2.655 GHz band satellite‐DMB with a 5.725–5.825 GHz band wireless LAN. The prototype consist of a short‐pin and E‐shaped patch. To obtain sufficient bandwidth in VSWR < 2, an air layer is inserted between the ground plane and the substrate. A small short‐pin patch that has a dual‐band characteristic is used. Important design parameters are the slot's existence, length, the air‐gap's height, the feed point's position, and the short‐pin's existence and point position. From these optimized parameters, an E‐shaped antenna is fabricated and measured. The measured results of the fabricated antenna are obtained individually at 200 and 700 MHz bandwidths in VSWR < 2 referenced to the center frequency, and the individual gain at 8.79 and 10.26 dBi. The experimental 3 dB beam width is shown to be broad across the pass band in the E‐plane, and in the H‐plane is individually 73°, 65°, 74°, and 42°, respectively. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 50: 367–371, 2008; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/mop.23099
Analytical model for double split ring resonators with arbitrary ring width
Authors: Zhurbenko Vitaliy , Jensen Thomas , Krozer Viktor , Meincke Peter
Published: December 2007

For the first time, the analytical model for a double split ring resonator with unequal width rings is developed. The proposed models for the resonators with equal and unequal widths are based on an impedance matrix representation and provide the prediction of performance in a wide frequency range. A phase compensation is implemented to adjust for the difference in length of the two rings, resulting in an accurate calculation of the resonant frequencies. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 50: 511–515, 2008; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/mop.23104
T1 mapping of the entire lung parenchyma: Influence of respiratory phase and correlation to lung function test results in patients with diffuse lung disease
Authors: Stadler Alfred , Jakob Peter M. , Griswold Mark , Stiebellehner Leopold , Barth Markus , Bankier Alexander A.
Published: December 2007

The T1 values of lung parenchyma of 25 patients with fibrosis and emphysema were measured in the entire lung, and the effect of inspiration and expiration was investigated. T1 map acquisition was based on a snapshot‐fast low‐angle shot (FLASH) sequence. Lung function and blood gas tests were measured. The study documents reverse respiratory phase dependence of T1 measurements of the entire lung parenchyma in patients with emphysema and fibrosis. Furthermore, expiratory measurements showed higher and reverse differences between patient groups compared to inspiratory measurements. For the emphysema group, the average T1 value in inspiration was 1033 ± 74 ms. The average of the mean T1 values in expiration was 982 ± 56 ms. For the patients with fibrosis, the average T1 value in inspiration was 996 ± 103 ms. Compared to that, the average T1 value in expiration was 1282 ± 170 ms. Linear regression of T1 vs. lung function parameters showed the highest regression coefficients for total lung capacity (TLC) and residual volume (RV) in expiration, the values were inversely proportionally dependent on the pooled expiratory T1 values. These findings underline the strong but nonuniform influence of the inspirational status during T1 measurements of the lung. T1 maps in both emphysema and fibrosis should preferably be acquired at expiration if reliable data are to be obtained. Magn Reson Med 59:96–101, 2008. © 2007 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Probing the Morphology and Nanoscale Mechanics of Single Poly(N‐isopropylacrylamide) Microgels Across the Lower‐Critical‐Solution Temperature by Atomic Force Microscopy
Authors: Tagit Oya , Tomczak Nikodem , Vancso G. Julius
Published: December 2007

Submicrometer‐sized particles of poly(N‐isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAM) are synthesized by surfactant‐free radical polymerization. The morphology and nanomechanical properties of individual, isolated PNIPAM microgel particles at the silicon/air and silicon/water interfaces, below and above the PNIPAM volume‐phase‐transition temperature (VPTT), are probed by atomic force microscopy. In air, and in water below the VPTT, the PNIPAM spheres are flattened and adopt a pancakelike shape. Interestingly, above the VPTT the microgels adopt a more spherical form with increased height and decreased width, which is attributed to reduced interactions of the particles with the substrate. The elastic modulus calculated from force‐indentation curves obtained for individual microgel spheres reveals that the stiffness of the particle’s surface decreases by two orders of magnitude upon swelling in water. Additionally, the modulus of the PNIPAM spheres in water increases by one order of magnitude when crossing the VPTT from the swollen to the collapsed states, indicating a more compact chain packing at the particle surface.
Using parameters and discriminants for product line requirements
Authors: Mannion Mike , Kaindl Hermann
Published: December 2007

Reuse and Requirements Engineering are very important for efficient and successful product development. However, there are many open issues for performing them well in practice, especiallyreuse of requirements. This paper addresses several of these issues by making use of parameters anddiscriminantsfor product line requirements. Discriminants are a special kind of requirement that differentiate one product from another. They represent qualitative variability in a product line model, while parameters represent quantitative variability. In this paper these techniques are combined in the form of parameterized discriminants. Using the techniques and a metamodel for the representation of a product line model, a stakeholder‐viewpoint oriented process is defined for capturing product line requirements and constructing a product line model. From such a generic model and with well‐defined semantics, selecting single product application requirements can be done systematically, guaranteeing the property that the resulting single product satisfies the constraints of the product line model. Even for unsystematic free selection as often used in practice, it can be formally verified whether this property holds. The approach is illustrated using a hypothetical mobile phone example and draws upon case study work with real‐world requirements. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Syst Eng
Using patterns to transition systems engineering from a technological to social context
Authors: Haskins Cecilia
Published: December 2007

In 1984 Booton and Ramo [IEEE Trans Aerospace Electron Syst AES‐20 (July 1984), 306–309] wrote that the major growth of the practice of systems engineering would be in the enlargement of the range of problems to which it is applied. A casual glance at the accumulated literature on Systems Engineering suggests that the current practice remains focused on the creation of technological aspects of engineered solutions. It could be argued that a language for applying systems engineering to the social aspects of engineered solutions, or for social systems, does not exist or is not pervasive. This article suggests that, through the exercise of writing patterns and pattern languages, systems engineers may begin to transition the language of systems engineering to include both social and technological contexts. Results from pattern writing activities that took place during workshops conducted as part of INCOSE symposia in 2005 and 2006 illustrate this progression. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Syst Eng
Structural Phase Transitions in Ag2Se (Naumannite)
Authors: Billetter Heinrich , Ruschewitz Uwe
Published: December 2007

Ag2Se (naumannite) was investigated by means of temperature dependent synchrotron powder diffraction and DTA. Upon heating in air the known 1st order phase transition from orthorhombic low‐temperature Ag2Se (P212121, Z = 4) to cubic ion conducting high‐temperature Ag2Se (Im3m, Z = 2) was observed at approx. 140 °C. Upon cooling a small hysteresis was detected (TPU = 120 °C). It was found that when heated in air Ag2Se segregates elemental selenium. After cooling to ambient temperature the resulting low‐temperature Ag2Se can no longer be described in the known structural model with harmonic terms, the use of anharmonic terms is probably necessary. The phase transition and the segregation of selenium are accompanied by an increased crystallinity of the sample, as the halfwidths of the reflections become significantly smaller. Approaching the phase transition the lattice parameters of orthorhombic Ag2Se show a distinct anisotropic behaviour: b and c show a positive and a a negative thermal expansion. When heated in argon the segregation of selenium is not observed.
WHAT DOES MORAL PHENOMENOLOGY TELL US ABOUT MORAL OBJECTIVITY?
Authors: Horgan Terry , Timmons Mark
Published: December 2007

Moral phenomenology is concerned with the elements of one's moral experiences that are generally available to introspection. Some philosophers argue that one's moral experiences, such as experiencing oneself as being morally obligated to perform some action on some occasion, contain elements that (1) are available to introspection and (2) carry ontological objectivist purport—that is, they purport to be about objective, in the world, moral properties or relations. In our article, we examine one version of this sort of argument that we call the “argument from phenomenological introspection.” Our investigation involves, first, clarifications of the various issues that are prominent in the argument from phenomenological introspection. We then proceed to argue that the argument from phenomenological introspection fails; that although one's moral experiencesmaycarry ontological objectivist purport, whether they do or do not carry such purport is not something available to introspection. We call this claim of ours the “neutrality thesis”—the phenomenological data regarding one's moral experiences that is available to introspection is neutral with respect to the issue of whether such experiences carry ontological objectivist purport.
Calcium, nutrient and food intake of Greek Orthodox Christian monks during a fasting and non-fasting week
Authors: Papadaki Angeliki , Vardavas Constantine , Hatzis Christos , Kafatos Anthony
Published: December 2007

Objective

To assess the Ca, nutrient and food intake of Greek Orthodox Christian monks during a vegetarian-type fasting week, compared with their normal diet.

Design

Dietary data collection (using 7 d weighed food records), anthropometric and blood pressure measurements, as well as serum glucose and lipid analyses, were performed during Palm Sunday week (fasting) and the week following Pentecost Sunday (non-fasting). Mean daily nutrient and food (g/d) intakes were calculated from the food records.

Setting

The study took place in two monasteries in the Municipality of Heraklion, Crete.

Subjects

The study involved ten healthy monks aged 25–65 years, with BMI > 30 kg/m2, who had been performing fasts for the last 24·4 (sd10·4) years and lived in monasteries in Crete during April–June 2005.

Results

Nutrient and food intake profiles were more favourable during the fasting week, when participants had lower intakes of total and saturated fat andtrans-fatty acids, and higher intakes of dietary fibre, Fe, folate, legumes and fish/seafood. Ca intake was lower when participants fasted, whereas consumption of dairy products, meat and eggs increased significantly in the non-fasting week. Systolic blood pressure was significantly higher, whereas blood lipid levels were more favourable during the fasting week.

Conclusions

The periodic vegetarianism recommended by the Greek Orthodox Church contributes to the favourable profiles of several biomarkers of health among this sample of monks. The fasting rituals described are an important component of the traditional diet of Crete and should be emphasised in nutrition education programmes promoting this Mediterranean eating pattern.
Inhomogeneous cloud evaporation, invariance, and Damköhler number
Authors: Jeffery Christopher A.
Published: December 2007

An idealized eddy‐diffusivity model of entrainment mixing and evaporation is presented consisting of a continuous Eulerian relative humidity field and discrete Lagrangian droplets. Lagrangian droplet trajectories are calculated using a Brownian motion with commensurate diffusivity and a Lagrangian velocity decorrelation that is consistent with turbulent mixing. Using this new model, we revisit Jensen and Baker (1989)'s (JB) classic study of inhomogeneous mixing. Analysis of the governing dynamical and microphysical equations for the simplified geometry used by JB indicates that droplet spectral dispersion is a function of only three parameters: the ratio of the mixing and droplet evaporation timescales (the Damköhler number, Da), the fraction of entrained air and the critical entrainment fraction that produces a cloudless but saturated well‐mixed final state. These dependencies are encapsulated in four invariance theorems for isobaric mixing and evaporation that we derive and that establish a set of self‐similar solutions for general entrainment scenarios that include sedimentation. A comparison of the predictions of our new model with JB's results verifies the acknowledged “homogeneous evaporation bias” in their model formulation and the exclusion of the large Da limit in JB's study. A full investigation of the JB entrainment scenario using our new model reveals a transition from homogeneous to inhomogeneous mixing in the droplet spectral dispersion at Da ≈ 5 and extreme inhomogeneous mixing behavior in the limit Da → ∞. The PDFs of the time‐integrated Lagrangian subsaturation, int, in the inhomogeneous regime are observed to asymptote to a int−1 law; implications of this finding for subgrid cloud modeling are discussed.
Observation of isothermal metamorphism of new snow and interpretation as a sintering process
Authors: Kaempfer T. U. , Schneebeli M.
Published: December 2007

Isothermal snow metamorphism is based on the fundamental process of sintering. However, the relative weights of the physical processes responsible for sintering between ice grains are still debated. The most active are expected to be grain boundary diffusion or sublimation‐condensation. We performed four isothermal experiments, starting with fresh snow, at temperatures of −1.6, −8.3, −19.1, and −54 °C during nearly 1 year. Monthly, we imaged the snow samples by X‐ray microtomography. We monitored the changes in density, specific surface area, structure model index, and several structural parameters based on the distance transform of the ice matrix and pore space in the snow, as the trabecular number and thickness. At −54 °C, the metamorphism process was very slow, and during 1 year the specific surface area decreased by only 19%. For the other samples, the results can be interpreted as a two‐stage process with a first phase of rapid change in trabecular number and structure model index and a second phase where the trabecular number and structure model index were constant. An increase in density and trabecular thickness together with a decrease of the specific surface area following a power law were observed throughout the experiments. The increase in ice thickness (coarsening) related linearly to the densification. The continuous densification implies that volume processes like grain boundary diffusion have to occur. The linear relation between densification and coarsening suggests that the same mechanism governs both processes. The logarithmic decrease of the specific surface area is an indication that the coarsening is rate limiting.
Femtosecond laser ablation induced plasma characteristics from submicron craters in thin metal film
Authors: Hwang David J. , Jeon Hojeong , Grigoropoulos Costas P. , Yoo Jong , Russo Richard E.
Published: December 2007

The ablation-induced plasma physics at reduced ablation crater dimensions is experimentally investigated. Frequency doubled femtosecond laser pulses are tightly focused through objective lenses onto a Cr thin film coated on quartz wafer in order to obtain ablation craters of submicron lateral dimensions. Side-view time-resolved emission images and the corresponding spectra depict the detailed plasma evolution at the fluence range near the ablation threshold. Collected emission spectra at the laser fluence level of around two to three times of ablation threshold display characteristic atomic transition peaks of the ablated Cr material from submicron ablation craters. This finding confirms that improved spatial resolution for laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy can be achieved.
Localised Social Networks, Socialisation and Social Mobility in a Low-income Neighbourhood in the Netherlands
Authors: Pinkster Fenne M.
Published: December 2007

The assumed negative effects of living in a low-income neighbourhood on the social mobility of already-poor residents are central to the current political debate about disadvantaged neighbourhoods in the Netherlands. A case study in The Hague addresses the question of which social mechanisms in the daily life of residents might contribute to reduced social mobility in the long run. On the basis of interviews with neighbourhood experts and residents about local social networks, job search strategies and work ethics, evidence can be found for limited opportunity structures and negative socialisation processes. However, the findings suggest that these mechanisms work more subtly than generally assumed in the research literature, as the specific socio-spatial context also provides opportunities and negative effects are selective rather than generic.
The Dutch Creative Class and How it Fosters Urban Employment Growth
Authors: Marlet Gerard , van Woerkens Clemens
Published: December 2007

This paper examines Richard Florida's creative capital theory in comparison with the human capital theory, using a cross-section of Dutch cities and towns as the sample. A class of Dutch creative people has been devised with creative and innovative occupations containing 19 per cent of the total Dutch labour force. Employment growth in Dutch cities and towns can be predicted both from local education levels and from the presence of a large creative class, but especially from the latter. This is largely due to employment growth in commercial and financial services and to newly started companies. It is concluded that, in theory, creativity is not very different from human capital. Nevertheless, Florida's creative class is a better standard to measure human capital than are education levels.
The Interaction of JRAB/MICAL-L2 with Rab8 and Rab13 Coordinates the Assembly of Tight Junctions and Adherens Junctions
Authors: Yamamura Rie , Nishimura Noriyuki , Nakatsuji Hiroyoshi , Arase Seiji , Sasaki Takuya
Published: December 2007

The assembly of tight junctions (TJs) and adherens junctions (AJs) is regulated by the transport of integral TJ and AJ proteins to and/or from the plasma membrane (PM) and it is tightly coordinated in epithelial cells. We previously reported that Rab13 and a junctional Rab13-binding protein (JRAB)/molecule interacting with CasL-like 2 (MICAL-L2) mediated the endocytic recycling of an integral TJ protein occludin and the formation of functional TJs. Here, we investigated the role of Rab13 and JRAB/MICAL-L2 in the transport of other integral TJ and AJ proteins claudin-1 and E-cadherin to the PM by using a Ca2+-switch model. Although knockdown of Rab13 specifically suppressed claudin-1 and occludin but not E-cadherin transport, knockdown of JRAB/MICAL-L2 and expression of its Rab13-binding domain (JRAB/MICAL-L2-C) inhibited claudin-1, occludin, and E-cadherin transport. We then identified Rab8 as another JRAB/MICAL-L2-C-binding protein. Knockdown of Rab8 inhibited the Rab13-independent transport of E-cadherin to the PM. Rab8 and Rab13 competed with each other for the binding to JRAB/MICAL-L2 and functionally associated with JRAB/MICAL-L2 at the perinuclear recycling/storage compartments and PM, respectively. These results suggest that the interaction of JRAB/MICAL-L2 with Rab8 and Rab13 coordinates the assembly of AJs and TJs.
Experimental evidence of competitive release in sympatric carnivores
Authors: Trewby Iain D , Wilson Gavin J , Delahay Richard J , Walker Neil , Young Richard , Davison John , Cheeseman Chris , Robertson Pete A , Gorman Martyn L , McDonald Robbie A
Published: December 2007

Changes in the relative abundance of sympatric carnivores can have far-reaching ecological consequences, including the precipitation of trophic cascades and species declines. While such observations are compelling, experimental evaluations of interactions among carnivores remain scarce and are both logistically and ethically challenging. Carnivores are nonetheless a particular focus of management practices owing to their roles as predators of livestock and as vectors and reservoirs of zoonotic diseases. Here, we provide evidence from a replicated and controlled experiment that culling Eurasian badgersMeles melesfor disease control was associated with increases in red foxVulpes vulpesdensities of 1.6–2.3 foxes km−2. This unique experiment demonstrates the importance of intraguild relations in determining species abundance and of assessing the wider consequences of intervention in predator populations.
Adhesion mechanisms at soft polymer interfaces
Authors: Léger Liliane , Creton Costantino
Published: December 2007

Based on several significant examples, we analyse the adhesion mechanisms at soft polymer interfaces with a special emphasis first on the role of connector molecules, that is, polymer chains bound to the interface and which transmit stress through a stretching and extraction mechanism, and second on the necessary relay that must be taken by additional dissipation mechanisms acting at larger scales if one wants to reach typical fracture toughnesses in the range of a few 10 J m−2. Examples of such bulk dissipation mechanisms will be discussed for interfaces between polymer melts and for pressure-sensitive adhesives in contact with a solid surface. We shall particularly point out the fact that the level of adhesion results from a competition between adhesive failure usually driven by both the interactions and the friction properties of the interface and bulk strong deformations which take place in the bulk of the adhesive layer. Controlling the friction properties of the interface then becomes a tool to finely tune adhesive properties.
Neutron protein crystallography: beyond the folding structure of biological macromolecules
Authors: Niimura Nobuo , Bau Robert
Published: December 2007

Neutron diffraction provides an experimental method of directly locating H atoms in proteins, a technique complementary to ultra-high-resolution X-ray diffraction. Three different types of neutron diffractometers for biological macromolecules have been constructed in Japan, France and the USA, and they have been used to determine the crystal structures of proteins up to resolution limits of 1.5–2.5 Å. Results relating to H-atom positions and hydration patterns in proteins have been obtained from these studies. Examples include the geometrical details of hydrogen bonds, the role of H atoms in enzymatic activity, CH3configuration, H/D exchange in proteins and oligonucleotides, and the dynamical behavior of hydration structures, all of which have been extracted from these structural results and reviewed. Other techniques, such as the growth of large single crystals and a database of hydrogen and hydration in proteins, are described.
Crystallographic publishing in the electronic age
Authors: Strickland P. R. , McMahon B.
Published: December 2007

The journals of the International Union of Crystallography have grown in size and number over the past 60 years to match developments in scientific practice and technique. High quality of publication has always been at the forefront of editorial policy and ways in which this has been achieved are described. In particular, the development of standard exchange and archive formats for crystallographic data has allowed the editorial office to conduct automated analyses of structural data supporting articles submitted for publication and these analyses assist the scientific editors in careful and critical peer review. The new information technologies of the Internet age have allowed the IUCr journals to flourish and to provide a wide range of powerful services to authors, editors and readers alike. The integration of literature and supporting structural data is of particular importance. The new technologies have also brought fresh economic and cultural challenges, and offer completely new opportunities to disseminate the results of scientific research. The journals continue to respond to these challenges and take advantage of new opportunities in innovative ways.
Photocrystallography
Authors: Cole Jacqueline M.
Published: December 2007

This review describes the development and application of a new crystallographic technique that is starting to enable the three-dimensional structural determination of molecules in their photo-activated states. So called `photocrystallography' has wide applicability, particularly in the currently exciting area of photonics, and a discussion of this applied potential is put into context in this article. Studies are classified into four groups: photo-structural changes that are (i) irreversible; (ii) long-lived but reversible under certain conditions; (iii) transient with photo-active lifetimes of the order of microseconds; (iv) very short lived, existing at the nanosecond or even picosecond level. As photo-structural changes relative to the `ground state' can be subtle, this article necessarily concentrates on small-molecule single-crystal X-ray diffraction given that high atomic resolution is possible. That said, where it is pertinent, references are also made to related major advances in photo-induced macromolecular crystallography. The review concludes with an outlook on this new research area, including the future possibility of studying even more ephemeral, femtosecond-lived, photo-active species.
NKCC1 cotransporter inactivation underlies embryonic development of chloride‐mediated inhibition in mouse spinal motoneuron
Authors: Delpy Alain , Allain Anne‐Emilie , Meyrand Pierre , Branchereau Pascal
Published: December 2007

Early in development, GABA and glycine exert excitatory action that turns to inhibition due to modification of the chloride equilibrium potential (ECl) controlled by the KCC2 and NKCC1 transporters. This switch is thought to be due to a late expression of KCC2 associated with a NKCC1 down‐regulation. Here, we show in mouse embryonic spinal cord that both KCC2 and NKCC1 are expressed and functional early in development (E11.5–E13.5) when GABAA receptor activation induces strong excitatory action. After E15.5, a switch occurs rendering GABA unable to provide excitation. At these subsequent stages, NKCC1 becomes both inactive and less abundant in motoneurons while KCC2 remains functional and hyperpolarizes ECl. In conclusion, in contrast to other systems, the cotransporters are concomitantly expressed early in the development of the mouse spinal cord. Moreover, whereas NKCC1 follows a classical functional extinction, KCC2 is highly expressed throughout both early and late embryonic life.
Phase control in multiexposure spatial frequency multiplication
Authors: Zhao Yong , Chang Chih-Hao , Heilmann Ralf K. , Schattenburg Mark L.
Published: December 2007

Multiexposure spatial frequency multiplication is a technique that allows the spatial frequency of grating patterns to be increased by integer factors 2,3,4,… by applying a nonlinear development process between patterning steps. One of the main technical issues with this technique is how to accurately place subsequent patterns on a substrate with respect to previously established patterns, which is referred to as phase control of the overlay. The authors report a technique that achieves accurate phase control over large areas during spatial frequency multiplication by utilizing a surrounding alignment grating. Three key factors—the angle, period, and phase of the alignment grating—have been accurately measured and utilized to position subsequent patterns with respect to previous patterns. Some factors that can dramatically diminish the accuracy of phase control, such as particle-induced substrate distortion and nonlinear distortion of the alignment grating, have also been considered and minimized in order to improve the accuracy of phase control. For spatial frequency doubling with a 574 nm principal pitch, the authors achieved overlay phase errors with a mean of −1.0 nm±2.8 nm(1σ) between level 1 and level 2 grating patterns over a 25×32.5 mm2 area.
Colorimetric Detection of Multidrug-Resistant or Extensively Drug-Resistant Tuberculosis by Use of Malachite Green Indicator Dye
Authors: Farnia Parissa , Masjedi Mohammad Reza , Mohammadi Foroozan , Tabarsei Payam , Farnia Poopak , Mohammadzadeh Ali Reza , Baghei Parvaneh , Varahram Mohammad , Hoffner Sven , Velayati Ali Akbar
Published: December 2007

The malachite green microtube (MGMT) susceptibility assay was performed directly on sputum specimens (
n
= 80) and indirectly on
Mycobacterium tuberculosis
clinical isolates (
n
= 60). The technique is based on the malachite green dye, which changes color in response to
M. tuberculosis
growth. The MGMT assay is simple and rapid and does not require expensive instruments.
Dominant-Negative FADD Rescues the In Vivo Fitness of a Cytomegalovirus Lacking an Antiapoptotic Viral Gene
Authors: Čičin-Šain Luka , Ruzsics Zsolt , Podlech Juergen , Bubić Ivan , Menard Carine , Jonjić Stipan , Reddehase Matthias J. , Koszinowski Ulrich H.
Published: December 2007

Genes that inhibit apoptosis have been described for many DNA viruses. Herpesviruses often contain even more than one gene to control cell death. Apoptosis inhibition by viral genes is postulated to contribute to viral fitness, although a formal proof is pending. To address this question, we studied the mouse cytomegalovirus (MCMV) protein M36, which binds to caspase-8 and blocks death receptor-induced apoptosis. The growth of MCMV recombinants lacking M36 (ΔM36) was attenuated in vitro and in vivo. In vitro, caspase inhibition by zVAD-fmk blocked apoptosis in ΔM36-infected macrophages and rescued the growth of the mutant. In vivo, ΔM36 infection foci in liver tissue contained significantly more apoptotic hepatocytes and Kupffer cells than did revertant virus foci, and apoptosis occurred during the early phase of virus replication prior to virion assembly. To further delineate the mode of M36 function, we replaced the M36 gene with a dominant-negative FADD (FADD
DN
) in an MCMV recombinant. FADD
DN
was expressed in cells infected with the recombinant and blocked the death-receptor pathway, replacing the antiapoptotic function of M36. Most importantly, FADD
DN
rescued ΔM36 virus replication, both in vitro and in vivo. These findings have identified the biological role of M36 and define apoptosis inhibition as a key determinant of viral fitness.
R-Peptide Cleavage Potentiates Fusion-Controlling Isomerization of the Intersubunit Disulfide in Moloney Murine Leukemia Virus Env
Authors: Löving Robin , Li Kejun , Wallin Michael , Sjöberg Mathilda , Garoff Henrik
Published: December 2007

Fusion of the membrane of the Moloney murine leukemia virus (Mo-MLV) Env protein is facilitated by cleavage of the R peptide from the cytoplasmic tail of its TM subunit, but the mechanism for this effect has remained obscure. The fusion is also controlled by the isomerization of the intersubunit disulfide of the Env SU-TM complex. In the present study, we used several R-peptide-cleavage-inhibited virus mutants to show that the R peptide suppresses the isomerization reaction in both in vitro and in vivo assays. Thus, the R peptide affects early steps in the activation pathway of murine leukemia virus Env.
Cyclostratigraphy, orbital tuning and inferred productivity for the type Kimmeridge Clay (Late Jurassic), Southern England
Authors: Weedon Graham P. , Coe Angela L. , Gallois Ramues W.
Published: December 2007

Three independently measured variables (magnetic susceptibility, photoelectric factor and total gamma-ray) obtained from throughout the type Kimmeridge Clay Fm in Dorset (Southern England) were used to identify regular metre-scale, sedimentary cycles. Spectral analysis demonstrates that for long stratigraphical intervals the cycles are expressed as large-amplitude cycles of 1.87–4.05 m wavelength and smaller-amplitude cycles of around half that wavelength. These cycles are interpreted to record orbital obliquity and precession, respectively. The much larger amplitude of the inferred obliquity cycles compared with the precession cycles may indicate a high-latitude climatic forcing transferred to lower latitudes via sea-level variations. Orbital tuning indicates that the Early Kimmeridgian (sensu anglico) lasted at least 3.6 Ma (95 longer-wavelength cycles) and the Late Kimmeridgian at least 3.9 Ma (103 longer-wavelength cycles). The first detailed productivity estimates for the Kimmeridge Clay Fm, on a cycle-by-cycle calculation, indicate that average productivity of the type Kimmeridge Clay (220 g m−2a−1) was less than the average productivity on modern continental shelves. The high average organic carbon content of the type Kimmeridge Clay (3.8% total organic carbon) cannot be attributed to high average productivity. However, the average organic carbon content is consistent with low siliciclastic mineral dilution of organic matter and/or elevated preservation linked to reduced bottom-water oxygenation.
Interglacial deposits in Barnfield pit, Swanscombe, and their molluscan fauna
Authors: KERNEY MICHAEL PHILIP
Published: December 2007

This paper describes the non-marine Mollusca of the Pleistocene terrace deposits of Barnfield pit, Swanscombe, and discusses their ecological and climatic significance. Biostratigraphical relationships with Hoxnian deposits at Clacton-on-Sea and at certain other sites in the lower Thames basin are examined. It is suggested that the Lower Gravel and Lower Loam of Barnfield pit were formed in the early-temperate substage of the Hoxnian interglacial (zone Ho II), whereas the Middle Gravels began to accumulate not before the end of the late-temperate substage (zone Ho III), and probably extend into the early-glacial substage of the succeeding glaciation.

New evidence bearing on the dating of the Clacton Channel deposits is contained in the appendix. The Clactonian flint industry at the type site is shown to belong at least partly in subzone Ho IIb of the interglacial.
Letter to the Editor
Authors: Squirrell H. C.
Published: December 2007

Sir,

Regardless of the eventual resting place of the Silurian-Devonian junction in South Wales and the Welsh Borders, whether it be accepted by everyone either at the base of the Ludlow Bone Bed or at the Downtonian-Dittonian junction, the recent contributions on the subject by Westoll
et al.
1971 and Turner (1971) raise important questions regarding the positioning of the upper of the two possible system boundaries. Currently, the most favoured position for the Downtonian-Dittonian boundary is at the somewhat imprecise base of the
'Psammosteus'
Limestone Group in the Brown Glee Hill area of Shropshire, which is marked by a fairly abrupt change from estuarine to fluviatile conditions, and is coincident with the present known incoming of the
Traquairaspis
fauna in that area. Westoll
et al.
(1971, p. 286), aware of the doubtful value offish faunas in determining this junction, comment that it would not be unreasonable to suppose that
Traquairaspis
might be found below this position in the Welsh Borders, and indeed this is already the case, for, in Alteryn Quarry near Newport (Mon.),
Traquairaspis pococki
has been found (Squirrell & Downing 1969, pp. 38 and 45) in 2½ ft (0.8 m) of micaceous greyish green sandstone at 520 ft (I58 m) below the
'Psammosteus'
Limestone. This is about 420 ft (128 m) below the base of the
'Psammosteus'
Limestone Beds of Newport, which approximately equate with the
'Psammosteus'
Limestone Group of the Brown Clee Hill area. This occurrence of
Traquairaspis,
much lower than the previously known first appearance
The evolution of brittle fracture in rocks
Authors: LAJTAI EMERY Z. , LAJTAI VLASTA N.
Published: December 2007

At the macroscopic scale, the process of brittle fracture, leading to the formation of a macroscopic fault, involves several stages of fracture development. The usual sequence of events consists of the following stages: load-parallel tensile fracture, load-normal shear fracture, inclined shear fracture, strength failure, second order fracture and faulting. The first two stages can be defined quantitatively in terms of an elastic flaw concept which is based on the elastic stress distribution existing around the flaw prior to the appearance of the first fracture. The appropriate theories are developed through a stress model which, in departure from other brittle fracture theories, involves the stress gradient along the fracture path. Experimental results are introduced to demonstrate the general validity of the stress gradient model. The initiation of the first inclined shear fracture seems to be contingent on the existence of a quasi-cataclastic state produced by the earlier sets of load-parallel tensile and load-normal shear fractures. Because the original elastic stress distribution, including the stress anomaly around the flaw, is destroyed before the initiation of the inclined shear fracture, later events of fracture cannot be interpreted in terms of the elastic flaw model
•
Probably a Coulomb-type mechanism, similar to the one involved in the failure of cohesionless, granular materials, controls the initiation and propagation of inclined shear fractures as well as the development of maximum resistance.
Potassium-Argon ages & additions to the stratigraphy of the Malagarasian (Bukoban System of Tanzania) of SE Burundi
Authors: CAHEN LUCIEN , SNELLING NORMAN J.
Published: December 2007

K-Ar ages on basaltic rock within the Malagarasian of Burundi and Bukoban of Tanzania are reported. Amygdaloidal lavas at the base of the Uha (Tanzania) and Mosso (Burundi) Groups are in stratigraphical continuity and give ages of 805 m.y. In Burundi, gabbros which intrude the underlying Musindozi Group (correlated with the Kigonero Flags of Tanzania) give ages of at least 890 m.y. The Kavumwe Group, which is continuous with the Bukoba Sandstone of Tanzania, is cut by quartz gabbros which are at least 1000 m.y. old. The correlation of the Kavumwe Group with the Nkoma Group which in Burundi is younger than the Musindozi Group is unsound, and this is confirmed by palaeomagnetic work which shows poles for the Bukoba Sandstone (= Kavumwe Gp), the Kigonero Flags (= Musindozi Gp), and the Gagwe Lavas and Manyovu Red Beds (= Mosso Gp) in that order on a polar wandering curve.

The Nkoma Gp is thus an independent formation situated between the Musindozi Group and Mosso Group in the time gap 890 to 805 m.y.
Late Cretaceous-early Tertiary stratigraphy of the Kangerdlugssuaq area, east Greenland, and the age of opening of the north-east Atlantic
Authors: SOPER N. J. , HIGGINS A. C. , DOWNIE C. , MATTHEWS D. W. , BROWN P. E.
Published: December 2007

In central east Greenland, on the Blosseville Coast to the east of Kangerdiugssuaq, late Cretaceous–early Tertiary sediments (here termed the Kangerdlugssuaq Group) underliec.9 km of Tertiary basalts (the Blosseville Group). The sediments appear to have been deposited in a shallow marine basin that was slightly displaced and then subsided rapidly as the dominantly submarine basalts of the Vandfaldsdalen and Mikis formations were erupted. Macro- and micro-fossils indicate that this basin was present by upper Albian times and persisted into the lower Sparnacian at which time the sediments were covered by the flood basalts. As these basalts must have preceded the separation of Greenland and Europe, it indicates that the age of magnetic anomaly 24 in the North Atlantic must be younger than its commonly accepted age and cannot be older than either 52 or 55 Ma., depending on the radiometric age of the upper Thanetian.