bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
CONTINUOUS ACTION OF LIE GROUPS ON ℝn AND FRAMES
Authors: ÓLAFSSON G.
Published: May 2005

Wavelet and frames have become a widely used tool in mathematics, physics, and applied science during the last decade. In this paper we discuss the construction of frames for L2(ℝn) using the action of closed reductive subgroups H ⊆ GL (n,ℝ) such that H has an open orbit [Formula: see text] in ℝn under the action (h,ω) ↦ (h-1) T (ω). In particular, we show that if [Formula: see text] is an affine symmetric space, then there is a canonical way to construct frames.
WAVELET ANALYSIS OF QUATERNION-VALUED TIME-SERIES
Authors: HE JIAN-XUN , YU BO
Published: May 2005

In this paper we introduce quaternion-valued multi-resolution analysis. Applying the theory of matrix-valued wavelet analysis, we give the construction of scaling functions and wavelets by identifying the quaternion-valued function with the complex duplex matrix-valued function.
WAVELET TRANSFORMS ASSOCIATED TO GROUP REPRESENTATIONS AND FUNCTIONS INVARIANT UNDER SYMMETRY GROUPS
Authors: RAUHUT HOLGER
Published: May 2005

We study the wavelet transform of functions invariant under a symmetry group, where the wavelet transform is associated to an irreducible unitary group representation. Among other results a new inversion formula and a new covariance principle are derived. As main examples we discuss the continuous wavelet transform and the short time Fourier transform of radially symmetric functions on ℝd.
ON COARSE QUANTIZATION OF TIGHT GABOR FRAME EXPANSIONS
Authors: YILMAZ ÖZGÜR
Published: May 2005

This paper presents a coarse quantization algorithm (TFΣΔ-II) for tight Gabor frame expansions of certain functions in L2(ℝ), an alternative to the TFΣΔ of Ref. 11. By using some a priori information about the function to be quantized and compromising the translation invariance of the TFΣΔ, TFΣΔ-II produces an approximation in L2(ℝ), as opposed to the weak type approximations of TFΣΔ. In particular, for a tight Gabor frame with frame bound A, we prove that the L2-approximation error corresponding to a kth-order TFΣΔ-II quantizer is of order O(A-k). Furthermore, motivated by TFΣΔ-II, we construct an algorithm to coarsely quantize the Fourier coefficients of certain compactly supported functions.
M-CHANNEL MRA AND APPLICATION TO ANISOTROPIC SOBOLEV SPACES
Authors: CORDERO ELENA
Published: May 2005

In this paper we construct compactly supported biorthogonal wavelet bases of the interval, with dilation factor M. Next, the natural MRA on the cube arising from the tensor product of a multilevel decomposition of the unit interval is developed. New Jackson and Bernstein type inequalities are proved, providing a characterization for anisotropic Sobolev spaces.
COMPARATIVE GENOMIC HYBRIDIZATION
Authors: Pinkel Daniel , Albertson Donna G.
Published: May 2005

▪ Abstract  Altering DNA copy number is one of the many ways that gene expression and function may be modified. Some variations are found among normal individuals ( 14 , 35 , 103 ), others occur in the course of normal processes in some species ( 33 ), and still others participate in causing various disease states. For example, many defects in human development are due to gains and losses of chromosomes and chromosomal segments that occur prior to or shortly after fertilization, whereas DNA dosage alterations that occur in somatic cells are frequent contributors to cancer. Detecting these aberrations, and interpreting them within the context of broader knowledge, facilitates identification of critical genes and pathways involved in biological processes and diseases, and provides clinically relevant information. Over the past several years array comparative genomic hybridization (array CGH) has demonstrated its value for analyzing DNA copy number variations. In this review we discuss the state of the art of array CGH and its applications in medical genetics and cancer, emphasizing general concepts rather than specific results.
APPLICATIONS OF AUTOFLUORESCENT PROTEINS FOR IN SITU STUDIES IN MICROBIAL ECOLOGY
Authors: Larrainzar Estibaliz , O'Gara Fergal , Morrissey John P.
Published: May 2005

When autofluorescent proteins (AFPs), such as green fluorescent protein (GFP) and Discosoma striata red fluorescent protein (DsRed), are excited with light of a specific wavelength, they emit light of a longer wavelength, without the further addition of substrates. A range of AFPs have been identified and cloned from marine organisms, and mutagenesis techniques have been employed to develop improved variant AFPs for applications in biological research. In recent years, AFP technology has become an important tool for microbiologists and microbial ecologists studying processes such as microbe-plant interactions, biosensors, biofilm formation, and horizontal gene transfer. The ability to use AFPs with differing fluorescent spectra within a single cell has allowed simultaneous monitoring of several aspects of microbial physiology and gene expression in situ in real time. This provides a tremendous insight into microbial function and behavior in natural environments. Furthermore, the integration of AFP reporters with other markers and technologies is facilitating a systems approach to research in microbial ecology.
Oleic acid interacts with GPR40 to induce Ca2+signaling in rat islet β-cells: mediation by PLC and L-type Ca2+channel and link to insulin release
Authors: Fujiwara Ken , Maekawa Fumihiko , Yada Toshihiko
Published: May 2005

It has long been thought that long-chain free fatty acids (FFAs) stimulate insulin secretion via mechanisms involving their metabolism in pancreatic β-cells. Recently, it was reported that FFAs function as endogenous ligands for GPR40, a G protein-coupled receptor, to amplify glucose-stimulated insulin secretion in an insulinoma cell line and rat islets. However, signal transduction mechanisms for GPR40 in β-cells are little known. The present study was aimed at elucidating GPR40-linked Ca2+signaling mechanisms in rat pancreatic β-cells. We employed oleic acid (OA), an FFA that has a high affinity for the rat GPR40, and examined its effect on cytosolic Ca2+concentration ([Ca2+]i) in single β-cells by fura 2 fluorescence imaging. OA at 1–10 μM concentration-dependently increased [Ca2+]iin the presence of 5.6, 8.3, and 11.2 mM, but not 2.8 mM, glucose. OA-induced [Ca2+]iincreases at 11.2 mM glucose were inhibited in β-cells transfected with small interfering RNA targeted to rat GPR40 mRNA. OA-induced [Ca2+]iincreases were also inhibited by phospholipase C (PLC) inhibitors, U73122 and neomycin, Ca2+-free conditions, and an L-type Ca2+channel blocker, nitrendipine. Furthermore, OA increased insulin release from isolated islets at 8.3 mM glucose, and it was markedly attenuated by PLC and L-type Ca2+channel inhibitors. These results demonstrate that OA interacts with GPR40 to increase [Ca2+]ivia PLC- and L-type Ca2+channel-mediated pathway in rat islet β-cells, which may be link to insulin release.
Internal sodium balance in DOCA-salt rats: a body composition study
Authors: Titze Jens , Bauer Katharina , Schafflhuber Markus , Dietsch Peter , Lang Rainer , Schwind Karl H. , Luft Friedrich C. , Eckardt Kai-Uwe , Hilgers Karl F.
Published: May 2005

The idea that Na+ retention inevitably leads to water retention is compelling; however, were Na+ accumulation in part osmotically inactive, regulatory alternatives would be available. We speculated that in DOCA-salt rats Na+ accumulation is excessive relative to water. Forty female Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into four subgroups. Groups 1 and 2 (controls) received tap water or 1% saline (salt) for 5 wk. Groups 3 and 4 received subcutaneous DOCA pellets and tap water or salt. Na+, K+, and water were measured in skin, bone, muscle, and total body by desiccation and consecutive dry ashing. DOCA-salt led to total body Na+ excess (0.255 ± 0.022 vs. 0.170 ± 0.010 mmol/g dry wt; P < 0.001), whereas water retention was only moderate (0.685 ± 0.119 vs. 0.648 ± 0.130 ml/g wet wt; P < 0.001). Muscle Na+ retention (0.220 ± 0.029 vs. 0.145 ± 0.021 mmol/g dry wt; P < 0.01) in DOCA-salt was compensated by muscle K+ loss, indicating osmotically neutral Na+/K+ exchange. Skin Na+ retention (0.267 ± 0.049 vs. 0.152 ± 0.014 mmol/g dry wt; P < 0.001) in DOCA-salt rats was not balanced by K+ loss, indicating osmotically inactive skin Na+ storage. We conclude that DOCA-salt leads to tissue Na+ excess relative to water. The relative Na+ excess is achieved by two distinct mechanisms, namely, osmotically inactive Na+ storage and osmotically neutral Na+ retention balanced by K+ loss. This “internal Na+ escape” allows the maintenance of volume homeostasis despite increased total body Na+.
Zebrafishslc4a2/ae2anion exchanger: cDNA cloning, mapping, functional characterization, and localization
Authors: Shmukler Boris E. , Kurschat Christine E. , Ackermann Gabriele E. , Jiang Lianwei , Zhou Yi , Barut Bruce , Stuart-Tilley Alan K. , Zhao Jinhua , Zon Leonard I. , Drummond Iain A. , Vandorpe David H. , Paw Barry H. , Alper Seth L.
Published: May 2005

Although the zebrafish has been used increasingly for the study of pronephric kidney development, studies of renal ion transporters and channels of the zebrafish remain few. We report the cDNA cloning and characterization of the AE2 anion exchanger ortholog from zebrafish kidney, slc4a2/ae2. The ae2 gene in linkage group 2 encodes a polypeptide of 1,228 aa exhibiting 64% aa identity with mouse AE2a. The exon-intron boundaries of the zebrafish ae2 gene are nearly identical to those of the rodent and human genes. Whole-mount in situ hybridization detects ae2 mRNA in prospective midbrain as early as the five-somite stage, then later in the pronephric primordia and the forming pronephric duct, where it persists through 72 h postfertilization (hpf). Zebrafish Ae2 expressed in Xenopus laevis oocytes mediates Na+-independent, electroneutral36Cl−/Cl−exchange moderately sensitive to inhibition by DIDS, is inhibited by acidic intracellular pH and by acidic extracellular pH, but activated by (acidifying) ammonium and by hypertonicity. Zebrafish Ae2 also mediates Cl−/HCO3−exchange in X. laevis oocytes and accumulates in or near the plasma membrane in transfected HEK-293 cells. In 24–48 hpf zebrafish embryos, the predominant but not exclusive localization of Ae2 polypeptide is the apical membrane of pronephric duct epithelial cells. Thus Ae2 resembles its mammalian orthologs in function, mechanism, and acute regulation but differs in its preferentially apical expression in kidney. These results will inform tests of the role of Ae2 in zebrafish kidney development and function.
A region-based mathematical model of the urine concentrating mechanism in the rat outer medulla. I. Formulation and base-case results
Authors: Layton Anita T. , Layton Harold E.
Published: May 2005

We have developed a highly detailed mathematical model for the urine concentrating mechanism (UCM) of the rat kidney outer medulla (OM). The model simulates preferential interactions among tubules and vessels by representing four concentric regions that are centered on a vascular bundle; tubules and vessels, or fractions thereof, are assigned to anatomically appropriate regions. Model parameters, which are based on the experimental literature, include transepithelial transport properties of short descending limbs inferred from immunohistochemical localization studies. The model equations, which are based on conservation of solutes and water and on standard expressions for transmural transport, were solved to steady state. Model simulations predict significantly differing interstitial NaCl and urea concentrations in adjoining regions. Active NaCl transport from thick ascending limbs (TALs), at rates inferred from the physiological literature, resulted in model osmolality profiles along the OM that are consistent with tissue slice experiments. TAL luminal NaCl concentrations at the corticomedullary boundary are consistent with tubuloglomerular feedback function. The model exhibited solute exchange, cycling, and sequestration patterns (in tubules, vessels, and regions) that are generally consistent with predictions in the physiological literature, including significant urea addition from long ascending vasa recta to inner-stripe short descending limbs. In a companion study (Layton AT and Layton HE. Am J Physiol Renal Physiol 289: F1367–F1381, 2005), the impact of model assumptions, medullary anatomy, and tubular segmentation on the UCM was investigated by means of extensive parameter studies.
A region-based mathematical model of the urine concentrating mechanism in the rat outer medulla. II. Parameter sensitivity and tubular inhomogeneity
Authors: Layton Anita T. , Layton Harold E.
Published: May 2005

In a companion study (Layton AT and Layton HE. Am J Physiol Renal Physiol 289: F1346–F1366, 2005), a region-based mathematical model was formulated for the urine concentrating mechanism (UCM) in the outer medulla (OM) of the rat kidney. In the present study, we quantified the sensitivity of that model to several structural assumptions, including the degree of regionalization and the degree of inclusion of short descending limbs (SDLs) in the vascular bundles of the inner stripe (IS). Also, we quantified model sensitivity to several parameters that have not been well characterized in the experimental literature, including boundary conditions, short vasa recta distribution, and ascending vasa recta (AVR) solute permeabilities. These studies indicate that regionalization elevates the osmolality of the fluid delivered into the inner medulla via the collecting ducts; that model predictions are not significantly sensitive to boundary conditions; and that short vasa recta distribution and AVR permeabilities significantly impact concentrating capability. Moreover, we investigated, in the context of the UCM, the functional significance of several aspects of tubular segmentation and heterogeneity: SDL segments in the IS that are likely to be impermeable to water but highly permeable to urea; a prebend segment of SDLs that may be functionally like thick ascending limb (TAL); differing IS and outer stripe Na+ active transport rates in TAL; and potential active urea secretion into the proximal straight tubules. Model calculations predict that these aspects of tubular of segmentation and heterogeneity generally enhance solute cycling or promote effective UCM function.
Nonosmotic release of vasopressin and renal aquaporins in impaired urinary dilution in hypothyroidism
Authors: Chen Yung-Chang , Cadnapaphornchai Melissa A. , Yang Jianhui , Summer Sandra N. , Falk Sandor , Li Chunling , Wang Weidong , Schrier Robert W.
Published: May 2005

The purpose of this study was to examine protein expression of renal aquaporins (AQP) and ion transporters in hypothyroid (HT) rats in response to an oral water load compared with controls (CTL) and HT rats replaced with l-thyroxine (HT+T). Hypothyroidism was induced by aminotriazole administration for 10 wk. Body weight, water intake, urine output, solute and urea excretion, and serum and urine osmolality were comparable among the three groups at the conclusion of the 10-wk treatment period. One hour after oral gavage of water (50 ml/kg body wt), HT rats demonstrated significantly less water excretion, higher minimal urinary osmolality, and decreased serum osmolality compared with CTL and HT+T rats. Despite the hyposmolality, plasma vasopressin concentration was elevated in HT rats. These findings in HT rats were associated with an increase in protein abundance of renal cortex AQP1 and inner medulla AQP2. AQP3, AQP4, and the Na-K-2Cl cotransporter were also increased. Moreover, 1 h following the oral water load, HT rats demonstrated a significant increase in the membrane-to-vesicle fraction of AQP2 by Western blot analysis. The defect in urinary dilution in HT rats was reversed by the V2vasopressin antagonist OPC-31260. In conclusion, impaired urinary dilution in HT rats is primarily compatible with the nonosmotic release of vasopressin and increased protein expression of renal AQP2. The impairment of maximal solute-free water excretion in HT rats, however, appears also to involve diminished distal fluid delivery.
Acute renal ischemia rapidly activates the energy sensor AMPK but does not increase phosphorylation of eNOS-Ser1177
Authors: Mount Peter F. , Hill Rebecca E. , Fraser Scott A. , Levidiotis Vicki , Katsis Frosa , Kemp Bruce E. , Power David A.
Published: May 2005

A fundamental aspect of acute renal ischemia is energy depletion, manifest as a falling level of ATP that is associated with a simultaneous rise in AMP. The energy sensor AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) is activated by a rising AMP-to-ATP ratio, but its role in acute renal ischemia is unknown. AMPK is activated in the ischemic heart and is reported to phosphorylate both endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) and acetyl-CoA carboxylase. To study activation of AMPK in acute renal ischemia, the renal pedicle of anesthetized Sprague-Dawley rats was cross-clamped for increasing time intervals. AMPK was strongly activated within 1 min and remained so after 30 min. However, despite the robust activation of AMPK, acute renal ischemia did not increase phosphorylation of the AMPK phosphorylation sites eNOS-Ser1177 or acetyl-CoA carboxylase-Ser79. Activation of AMPK in bovine aortic endothelial cells by the ATP-depleting agent antimycin A and the antidiabetic drug phenformin also did not increase phosphorylation of eNOS-Ser1177, confirming that AMPK activation and phosphorylation of eNOS are dissociated in some situations. Immunoprecipitation studies demonstrated that the dissociation between AMPK activation and phosphorylation of eNOS-Ser1177 was not due to changes in the physical associations between AMPK, eNOS, or heat shock protein 90. In conclusion, acute renal ischemia rapidly activates the energy sensor AMPK, which is known to maintain ATP reserves during energy stress. The substrates it phosphorylates, however, are different from those in other organs such as the heart.
Stumbling Corrective Reaction During Fictive Locomotion in the Cat
Authors: Quevedo Jorge , Stecina Katinka , Gosgnach Simon , McCrea David A.
Published: May 2005

An obstacle contacting the dorsal surface of a cat’s hind foot during the swing phase of locomotion evokes a reflex (the stumbling corrective reaction) that lifts the foot and extends the ankle to avoid falling. We show that the same sequence of ipsilateral hindlimb motoneuron activity can be evoked in decerebrate cats during fictive locomotion. As recorded in the peripheral nerves, twice threshold intensity stimulation of the cutaneous superficial peroneal (SP) nerve during the flexion phase produced a very brief excitation of ankle flexors (e.g., tibialis anterior and peroneus longus) that was followed by an inhibition for the duration of the stimulus train (10–25 shocks, 200 Hz). Extensor digitorum longus was always, and hip flexor (sartorius) activity was sometimes, inhibited during SP stimulation. At the same time, knee flexor and the normally quiescent ankle extensor motoneurons were recruited (mean latencies 4 and 16 ms) with SP stimulation during fictive stumbling correction. After the stimulus train, ankle extensor activity fell silent, and there was an excitation of hip, knee, and ankle flexors. The ongoing flexion phase was often prolonged. Hip extensors were also recruited in some fictive stumbling trials. Only the SP nerve was effective in evoking stumbling correction. Delivered during extension, SP stimulus trains increased ongoing extensor motoneuron activity as well as increasing ipsilateral hip, knee, and ankle hindlimb flexor activity in the subsequent step cycle. The fictive stumbling corrective reflex seems functionally similar to that evoked in intact, awake animals and involves a fixed pattern of short-latency reflexes as well as actions evoked through the lumbar circuitry responsible for the generation of rhythmic alternating locomotion.
Modulation of Level Response Areas and Stimulus Selectivity of Neurons in Cat Primary Auditory Cortex
Authors: Zhang Jiping , Nakamoto Kyle T. , Kitzes Leonard M.
Published: May 2005

Sounds commonly occur in sequences, such as in speech. It is therefore important to understand how the occurrence of one sound affects the response to a subsequent sound. We approached this question by determining how a conditioning stimulus alters the response areas of single neurons in the primary auditory cortex (AI) of barbiturate-anesthetized cats. The response areas consisted of responses to stimuli that varied in level at the two ears and delivered at the characteristic frequency of each cell. A binaural conditioning stimulus was then presented ≥50 ms before each of the stimuli comprising the level response area. An effective preceding stimulus alters the shape and severely reduces the size and response magnitude of the level response area. This ability of the preceding stimulus depends on its proximity in the level domain to the level response area, not on its absolute level or on the size of the response it evokes. Preceding stimuli evoke a nonlinear inhibition across the level response area that results in an increased selectivity of a cortical neuron for its preferred binaural stimuli. The selectivity of AI neurons during the processing of a stream of acoustic stimuli is likely to be restricted to a portion of their level response areas apparent in the tone-alone condition. Thus rather than being static, level response areas are fluid; they can vary greatly in extent, shape and response magnitude. The dynamic modulation of the level response area and level selectivity of AI neurons might be related to several tasks confronting the central auditory system.
Kinematic and Dynamic Synergies of Human Precision-Grip Movements
Authors: Grinyagin I. V. , Biryukova E. V. , Maier M. A.
Published: May 2005

We analyzed the adaptability of human thumb and index finger movement kinematics and dynamics to variations of precision grip aperture and movement velocity. Six subjects performed precision grip opening and closing movements under different conditions of movement velocity and movement aperture (thumb and index finger tip-to-tip distance). Angular motion of the thumb and index finger joints was recorded with a CyberGlove and a three-dimensional biomechanical model was used for solving the inverse dynamics problem during precision grip movements, i.e., for calculating joint torques from experimentally obtained angular variations. The time-varying joint angles and joint torques were analyzed by principal-component analysis to quantify the contributions of individual joints in kinematic and dynamic synergies. At the level of movement kinematics, we found subject-specific angular contributions. However, the adaptation to large aperture, achieved by an increase of the relative contribution of the proximal joints, was subject-invariant. At the level of movement dynamics, the adaptation of thumb-index finger movements to task constraints was similar among all subjects and required the linear scaling of joint torques, the synchronization of joint torques under high velocity conditions, and a flexible redistribution of joint torques between the proximal joint of the thumb and that of the index finger. This work represents one of the first attempts at calculating the joint torques during human precision-grip movements and indicates that the dynamic synergies seem to be remarkably simple compared with the synergies found for movement kinematics.
Cloning, ontogenesis, and localization of an atypical uncoupling protein 4 inXenopus laevis
Authors: Keller Patrick A. , Lehr Lorenz , Giacobino Jean-Paul , Charnay Yves , Assimacopoulos-Jeannet Françoise , Giovannini Natalia
Published: May 2005

Uncoupling protein 1 (UCP1) is the first UCP described. It belongs to the family of mitochondrial carrier proteins and is expressed mainly in brown adipose tissue. Recently, the family of the UCPs has rapidly been growing due to the successive cloning of UCP2, UCP3, UCP4, and UCP5, also called brain mitochondrial carrier protein 1. Phylogenetic studies suggest that UCP1/UCP2/UCP3 on one hand and UCP4/UCP5 on the other hand belong to separate subfamilies. In this study, we report the cloning from a frog Xenopus laevis (Xl) oocyte cDNA library of a novel UCP that was shown, by sequence homology, to belong to the family of ancestral UCP4. This cloning provides a milestone in the gap between Drosophila melanogaster or Caenorhabditis elegans on one hand and mammalian UCP4 on the other. Xl UCP4 is already expressed in the oocyte, being the first UCP described in germ cell lineage. During development, it segregates in the neural cord, and, in the adult, in situ hybridization shows its expression in the neurons and also in the choroid plexus of the brain. By RT-PCR analysis, it was found that Xl UCP4 is present in all the subdivisions of the brain and also that it differs from mammalian UCP4 by a very high relative level of expression in peripheral tissues such as the liver and kidney. The peripheral tissue distribution of Xl UCP4 reinforces the hypothesis that UCP4 might be the ancestral UCP from which other UCPs diverged from.
Pooling samples within microarray studies: a comparative analysis of rat liver transcription response to prototypical toxicants
Authors: Jolly Robert A. , Goldstein Keith M. , Wei Tao , Gao Hong , Chen Peining , Huang Shuguang , Colet Jean-Marie , Ryan Timothy P. , Thomas Craig E. , Estrem Shawn T.
Published: May 2005

Combining or pooling individual samples when carrying out transcript profiling using microarrays is a fairly common means to reduce both the cost and complexity of data analysis. However, pooling does not allow for statistical comparison of changes between samples and can result in a loss of information. Because a rigorous comparison of the identified expression changes from the two approaches has not been reported, we compared the results for hepatic transcript profiles from pooled vs. individual samples. Hepatic transcript profiles from a single-dose time-course rat study in response to the prototypical toxicants clofibrate, diethylhexylphthalate, and valproic acid were evaluated. Approximately 50% more transcript expression changes were observed in the individual (statistical) analysis compared with the pooled analysis. While the majority of these changes were less than twofold in magnitude (∼80%), a substantial number were greater than twofold (∼20%). Transcript changes unique to the individual analysis were confirmed by quantitative RT-PCR, while all the changes unique to the pooled analysis did not confirm. The individual analysis identified more hits per biological pathway than the pooled approach. Many of the transcripts identified by the individual analysis were novel findings and may contribute to a better understanding of molecular mechanisms of these compounds. Furthermore, having individual animal data provided the opportunity to correlate changes in transcript expression to phenotypes (i.e., histology) observed in toxicology studies. The two approaches were similar when clustering methods were used despite the large difference in the absolute number of transcripts changed. In summary, pooling reduced resource requirements substantially, but the individual approach enabled statistical analysis that identified more gene expression changes to evaluate mechanisms of toxicity. An individual animal approach becomes more valuable when the overall expression response is subtle and/or when associating expression data to variable phenotypic responses.
Inscribing closed non‐σ‐lower porous sets into Suslinnon‐σ‐lower porous sets
Authors: Zajíček Luděk , Zelený Miroslav
Published: May 2005

The main aim of this paper is to prove that every
non‐σ‐lower porous Suslin set in a topologically complete
metric space contains a closed non‐σ‐lower porous subset.
In fact, we prove a general result of this type on “abstract
porosities.” This general theorem is also applied to ball small
sets in Hilbert spaces and to σ‐cone‐supported sets in separable Banach spaces.
Geometric properties of Banach spaces and the existence of nearestand farthest points
Authors: Cobzaş Stefan
Published: May 2005

The aim of this paper is to present some generic existence results
for nearest and farthest points in connection with some geometric
properties of Banach spaces.
On a weighted Toeplitz operator and its commutant
Authors: Lauric Vasile
Published: May 2005

We study the structure of a class of weighted Toeplitz operators
and obtain a description of the commutant of each operator in this
class. We make some progress towards proving that the only operator in the
commutant which is not a scalar multiple of the identity operator
and which commutes with a nonzero compact operator is zero. The
proof of the main statement relies on a conjecture
which is left as an open problem.
Volume growth and closed geodesics on Riemannian manifolds ofhyperbolic type
Authors: Ezin Jean-Pierre , Ogouyandjou Carlos
Published: May 2005

We study the volume growth function of geodesic spheres in the
universal Riemannian covering of a compact manifold of
hyperbolic type. Furthermore, we investigate the growth rate
of closed geodesics in compact manifolds of hyperbolic type.
Some new Brunn‐Minkowski‐type inequalities in convex bodies
Authors: Chang-Jian Zhao , Gangsong Leng , Debnath Lokenath
Published: May 2005

We establish some analogues of the Brunn‐Minkowski inequalities on convex bodies and the Minkowski inequality and their inverse versions. As an application, we generalize and improve some interrelated results.
On strong commutativity‐preserving maps
Authors: Samman M. S.
Published: May 2005

We identify some strong commutativity‐preserving maps on
semiprime rings. Among other results, we prove the following.
(i) A centralizing homomorphism f of a semiprime ring R onto itself is strong commutativity preserving. (ii) A
centralizing antihomomorphism f of a 2‐torsion‐free
semiprime ring R onto itself is strong
commutativity preserving.
Strong stability of weighted sums of NA random variables
Authors: Shixin Gan
Published: May 2005

We study the almost sure (strong) stability of weighted sums of NA random variables and obtain some new results which extend earlier results of Matula (1992), Chow and Teicher (1971), Jamison et al. (1965), and Petrov (1975).
A Sound Spectrogram Analysis of Children’s Crying after Painful Stimuli during the First Year of Life
Authors: Runefors P. , Arnbjörnsson E.
Published: May 2005

In a prospective study we tested the hypothesis that a cry from an infant can be used as part of an instrument to measure pain. Ten healthy newly born infants were subjected to painful stimuli on four occasions during their first year of life. The sound of the crying was analysed with regard to duration. With the help of a sound spectrogram, the fundamental frequencies of the first five crying sounds were analysed. The number of crying sounds decreased with age. There was a considerable difference between the 10 children, and also between the different pricking occasions for the respective children. We conclude that if crying is to be used as part of an instrument for measuring pain, the child’s age has to be taken into account.
Efficacy of Conservative Voice Treatment in Male-to-Female Transsexuals
Authors: Mészáros Krisztina , Csokonai Vitéz Lajos , Szabolcs István , Góth Miklós , Kovács László , Görömbei Zoltán , Hacki Tamás
Published: May 2005

A voice assessment was performed before and after conservative voice treatment in 3 male-to-female transsexuals and in 2 nontreated transsexuals serving as control persons. The characteristics studied were voice quality, habitual speaking pitch, vocal pitch range, vocal intensity range, maximum phonation time and ‘communicative impairment’, a subjective self-estimation by the patient. Based on these parameters the Friedrich dysphonia index (DI) was calculated. The habitual speaking pitch of the 3 transsexuals who had received voice treatment became female, in contrast to that of the nontreated transsexuals, which remained in the so-called ‘indifferent pitch range’. The DI of the treated patients was close to the normal value, in contrast to the DI of controls, which continued to be pathological. Even based on this small population, study results reflected the effectiveness of voice therapy in transsexuals.
Muscular Tension and Body Posture in Relation to Voice Handicap and Voice Quality in Teachers with Persistent Voice Complaints
Authors: Kooijman P.G.C. , de Jong F.I.C.R.S. , Oudes M.J. , Huinck W. , van Acht H. , Graamans K.
Published: May 2005

The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between extrinsic laryngeal muscular hypertonicity and deviant body posture on the one hand and voice handicap and voice quality on the other hand in teachers with persistent voice complaints and a history of voice-related absenteeism. The study group consisted of 25 female teachers. A voice therapist assessed extrinsic laryngeal muscular tension and a physical therapist assessed body posture. The assessed parameters were clustered in categories. The parameters in the different categories represent the same function. Further a tension/posture index was created, which is the summation of the different parameters. The different parameters and the index were related to the Voice Handicap Index (VHI) and the Dysphonia Severity Index (DSI). The scores of the VHI and the individual parameters differ significantly except for the posterior weight bearing and tension of the sternocleidomastoid muscle. There was also a significant difference between the individual parameters and the DSI, except for tension of the cricothyroid muscle and posterior weight bearing. The score of the tension/posture index correlates significantly with both the VHI and the DSI. In a linear regression analysis, the combination of hypertonicity of the sternocleidomastoid, the geniohyoid muscles and posterior weight bearing is the most important predictor for a high voice handicap. The combination of hypertonicity of the geniohyoid muscle, posterior weight bearing, high position of the hyoid bone, hypertonicity of the cricothyroid muscle and anteroposition of the head is the most important predictor for a low DSI score. The results of this study show the higher the score of the index, the higher the score of the voice handicap and the worse the voice quality is. Moreover, the results are indicative for the importance of assessment of muscular tension and body posture in the diagnosis of voice disorders.
Prolonged Time until Seroconversion among Hemodialysis Patients: The Need for HCV PCR
Authors: Schroeter Matthias , Zoellner Bernhard , Polywka Susanne , Laufs Rainer , Feucht Heinz-Hubert
Published: May 2005

Objective: Patients on maintenance hemodialysis are known to have an elevated risk of acquiring hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. Therefore, a reliable diagnosis of HCV infection is essential in order to prevent the spread of the disease in dialysis units. However, whether PCR examination is dispensable in hemodialysis patients has been debated. Methods: From 1995 to 2002, serum samples from all hemodialysis patients at our hospital (n = 1,774) were screened by serological assays and by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Results: In 25 of these patients acute HCV infection was observed and in 11 patients HCV seroconversion was delayed for 3–16 months. During this time the infection was exclusively detectable by PCR. Conclusion: Despite the growing demand for cost-effectiveness in the health system, HCV PCR examination must remain an essential part of the routine screening in hemodialysis patients.
Prediction of Treatment Outcome in Chronic Hepatitis C Patients Based on Early Viral Dynamics during High-Dose Induction Interferon and Ribavirin Therapy
Authors: Kim Tae Hun , Kim Kyung A. , Lim Young Seok , Gwak Geum-youn , Yoon Jung-Hwan , Kang Gyeong Hoon , Lee Hyo-Suk
Published: May 2005

Objective:In chronic hepatitis C, early viral load decline after interferon administration is dose dependent and reflects the intrinsic viral susceptibility to the antiviral action of interferon. We examined whether the augmented suppression of susceptible viral loads by high-dose induction interferon could possibly discriminate responsive patients from non-responsive patients at an early stage of treatment. Methods: Fifty-nine chronic hepatitis C patients were randomly allocated to receive one of two treatment regimens; 3 MU interferon three times weekly plus ribavirin 1,000 mg/day for 24 weeks in the CR group (n = 30), and the same regimen as in the CR group except 10 MU interferon daily for the first week in the HR group (n = 29). Changes in viral loads during the first week of treatment were analyzed in terms of sustained virological response (SVR). Results: The positive predictive values of undetectable (<100 IU/ml) or low serum HCV RNA (<2,000 IU/ml) after 1 week of treatment for SVR were 100% in both treatment groups, whereas the negative predictive values of the low viral titer were 91% in the HR group and 70% in the CR group. Conclusion: One-week virological response to high-dose induction interferon/ribavirin combination therapy is more predictive of SVR than conventional combination therapy in chronic hepatitis C.
Full Genomic Analysis of Hepatitis Delta Virus Prevalent on Miyako Island, Japan
Authors: Moriyama Mitsuhiko , Taira Masaaki , Matsumura Hiroshi , Aoki Hiroshi , Arakawa Yasuo , Kaneko Miki , Shioda Atsuo , Tanaka Naohide , Arakawa Yasuyuki
Published: May 2005

The aims of this study were to determine the full-length genome sequences of hepatitis delta virus (HDV) in HDV RNA-positive subjects, and to elucidate the molecular specificity of the HDVs that are clustered on a distant island in Japan. This study included 3 subjects with chronic hepatitis who were positive for hepatitis B surface (HBs) antigen and HDV RNA, and who were admitted to the Okinawa Prefectural Miyako Hospital in 1998. The full-length genome sequence of HDV was determined by nested polymerase chain reaction (PCR) using four kinds of primer sets. The genomic length of HDV was 1,675, 1,679 and 1,681 base pairs, respectively. There was 90–92% nucleotide homology between each pair of isolates. In comparison with HDV isolates in geographically neighboring regions, the nucleotide homology of the 3 HDV isolates were 73–75% with the China isolate of genotype I; 77–78% with the Taiwan isolate of genotype I; 83–84% with a Japan isolate of genotype IIa; 85–87% with the Taiwan isolate of genotype IIa, and 87–88% with the Taiwan isolates of genotype IIb. Therefore, the Miyako Island isolates had high homology with the Taiwan isolate of genotype IIa and IIb. Phylogenetic analysis of the full-length genome sequences of HDV revealed that the two Miyako Island isolates were classified into a genotype IIb’. The other one was classified as genotype IIb. In conclusion, the HDV of Miyako Island isolates can be classified as a novel subgroup of genotype IIb, designated type IIb’, and genotype IIb.
Inactivation of Hantaan Virus-Containing Samples for Subsequent Investigations outside Biosafety Level 3 Facilities
Authors: Kraus Annette A. , Priemer Christina , Heider Harald , Krüger Detlev H. , Ulrich Rainer
Published: May 2005

Objectives: The potential risk of accidental infection by hantaviruses in a clinical or research laboratory necessitates special precautionary measures. A biosafety program must address handling and disposal of infectious materials as well as appropriate virus inactivation or depletion procedures to permit necessary further processing of specimens outside the biosafety level 3 laboratory. Methods: To study the elimination of hantavirus infectivity, the effects of different chemical and physical inactivation and depletion procedures were investigated on Hantaan virus-containing materials. An infectivity assay for hantaviruses was utilised to verify these procedures which are commonly preceding investigations such as ELISA, flow cytometry analysis, Western blot or immunofluorescence assay. Results: Chemical inactivation with methanol, paraformaldehyde, acetone/methanol and detergent-containing lysis buffer as well as physical forces such as UV irradiation and filtration efficiently reduced viral infectivity in infected cells and their supernatants below the detection limit. Conclusion: The virus inactivation and depletion methods described herein are suitable to prepare non-infectious samples for further use in immunological, virological and cell-biological assays.
Efficacy and Tolerability of Almotriptan in Controlled Clinical Trials
Authors: Mathew Ninan T.
Published: May 2005

Seven triptans are now available for the acute treatment of migraine. While all of these agents have been shown to be safe and more or less well tolerated, they differ in ways that are clinically relevant to individual patients. Almotriptan has been investigated in approximately 3,500 patients enrolled in short-term clinical trials and 1,500 patients enrolled in long-term open-label trials. In a meta-analysis of placebo-controlled almotriptan trials (n = 2,294), treatment with almotriptan 12.5 mg results in a 2-hour pain-relief rate of 63.7% and a 2-hour pain-free rate of 36.4%. Almotriptan is associated with a rapid onset of action, with 30-min pain-relief and pain-free rates significantly better than placebo (p < 0.05). Direct comparator studies show the efficacy of almotriptan 12.5 mg to be comparable to that of sumatriptan but almotriptan is associated with superior tolerability. Trials assessing the efficacy of almotriptan over multiple attacks show that this agent is associated with a consistent and persistent response, not differing from the first to the last attack, an important property for a medication used to treat a chronic condition such as migraine. Early intervention with almotriptan enhances the activity of this agent. Treatment of mild pain with almotriptan has resulted in 2-hour pain-free rates of 84 and 77% and a sustained pain-free rate of 67%. Early treatment (within 1 h) of moderate to severe headaches with almotriptan also improves outcomes. In conclusion, clinical trials and post hoc analyses of such trials have shown almotriptan to be effective and well tolerated for the acute treatment of migraine. Its placebo-like tolerability makes it a good choice for early intervention, a strategy associated with better patient outcomes.
Migraine, Allodynia, Sensitisation and All of That ...
Authors: Goadsby Peter J.
Published: May 2005

Migraine is the most common form of disabling primary headache. One common and often troublesome feature of the disorder is an abnormal sensory state where normally innocuous stimuli are felt as painful: allodynia. This occurs in about two-thirds of patients and manifests as common complaints, such as pain when touching the hair. The neurophysiological correlate of allodynia is sensitisation, an increased afferent barrage for an unchanged peripheral stimulus. Sensitisation may be peripheral, central or disinhibitory. The potential mechanisms of each of these and their possible manipulation by treatments of the acute attack are considered.
Almotriptan in Migraine Patients Who Respond Poorly to Oral Sumatriptan: A Double-Blind, Randomized Trial
Authors: Diener Hans-Christoph , Gendolla Astrid , Gebert Irmingard , Beneke Manfred
Published: May 2005

Objective: To investigate the efficacy and tolerability of almotriptan 12.5 mg in migraine patients who respond poorly to sumatriptan 50 mg. Background: Poor response to sumatriptan therapy for acute migraine attacks has been documented in the literature, but few controlled trials have investigated the efficacy of an alternative triptan in this subgroup of patients. Methods: Patients with an International Headache Society diagnosis of migraine who self-described as experiencing at least two unsatisfactory responses to sumatriptan treated their first migraine attack with open-label sumatriptan 50 mg. Patients who did not achieve 2-hour pain relief (improvement of headache from moderate/severe to mild/no headache) were then randomized to treat their second attack with almotriptan 12.5 mg or placebo under double-blind conditions. Results: In the first attack, 221 of 302 participants (73%) did not achieve 2-hour pain relief with sumatriptan and were randomized to treatment of their second attack with almotriptan 12.5 mg or placebo. Of the 198 sumatriptan nonresponders who treated their second attack (99 almotriptan; 99 placebo), 70% had severe headache pain at baseline. Two-hour pain-relief rates were significantly higher with almotriptan compared to placebo (47.5 vs. 23.2%; p < 0.001). A significant treatment effect for almotriptan was also seen in pain-free rates at 2 h (33.3 vs. 14.1%; p < 0.005) and sustained freedom from pain (20.9 vs. 9.0%; p < 0.05). In the second attack, 7.1% of patients in the almotriptan group experienced adverse events compared to 5.1% in the placebo group (p = 0.77). Conclusions: Almotriptan 12.5 mg is an effective and well-tolerated alternative for patients who respond poorly to sumatriptan 50 mg. A poor response to one triptan does not predict a poor response to other agents in that class.
Borges's Elimination of Past and Future: A Paradox
Authors: Helm Bertrand
Published: May 2005

Given the influence of fiction and fantasy about time travel in popular literature, there is a certain urgency to overhauling human attitudes toward time. A first step appears in Walter Benjamin?s Illuminations. He works through the seemingly upside down thesis that facts only become historical posthumously. A sturdier, complementary approach to despatializing time is worked out by Jorges L. Borges in his paradoxical argument that the future emerges prematurely.Across several of his essays, Borges analyzes several overlapping idealistic claims made by the likes of Berkeley, Hume, Leibniz and Schopenhauer, in achieving the composite view that the future in addition to the past are willful projects tossed off from our present condition. Future and past are not bookends for the present, but are modes of a human presence. These modes arise as we recast our present ordeals into forms that are most auspicious for maintaining a limited tenancy in selfhood.
At the Boundaries of Religious Identity: Native American Religions and American Legal Culture
Authors: Staiger Gooding Susan
Published: May 2005

This essay looks briefly at legal discourses about Native American religions in the late 19th and late 20th centuries, juxtaposing them in order to view the historical trends they represent—the role played by legal discourse in transforming Native American ceremonial practices and the role played by Native American religious discourses in transforming the law.
Construction and Reconstruction of Sacred Space in Vārānasī
Authors: Bakker Hans
Published: May 2005

It is widely believed that Vārānasī (Benares) ranks among the oldest holy cities on earth. Archaeological and textual sources, however, begin only to testify to the construction of sacred space in the first millennium AD. A significant discrepancy is found between the archaeological data (mainly seals) and early textual sources belonging to the 5th to 8th centuries. While seals provide us with the names of temples that apparently were frequented by the ordinary pilgrim, the oldest Māhātmya text that has recently become available, three chapters of the ‘original’ Skandapurāna, depicts Vārānasī as a place of ascetics and yogis. The spheres of devotion and world-renouncing are further complicated in the 11th and 12th centuries, when Vārānasī is made the political capital of the Gāhadavāla dynasty. Inscriptions reveal yet another dimension of sacred space, that of state ritual. After the destruction of the town by the Muslim conquerors, a process of reconstruction sets in during the 13th and 14th centuries, resulting eventually in the sacred Vārānasī as we know it today.