bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Numerical simulation of the Io‐torus‐driven radial plasma transport
Authors: Chen C. X.
Published: October 2003

A series of six axis symmetric equilibrium models for Jupiter's inner magnetosphere was constructed, upon which the motion of an Io‐torus‐generated, mass overloaded magnetic flux tube on a meridian plane of the inner Jovian magnetosphere was studied numerically via magnetohydrodynamics approach. The flux tube is represented as a one‐dimensional filament, while the Jovian magnetosphere is represented as a two‐dimensional stationary medium. With only cold plasma included in the model, such heavy filament is unstable. However, when both cold and hot plasma are included in the models, the heavy filament is stabilized by the huge thermal pressure gradient for the Voyager period. For the Galileo period, the situation is less definitive because there is no observation‐based hot plasma pressure data available within 6.75 Jovian radii (RJ). Nevertheless, our simulations in two models suggested that even with both cold and hot plasma included in the models, the heavy filament is still unstable for this period. The filament moves outward toward the middle and/or outer magnetosphere due to the interchange instability. The mass elements in the unstable filament are propelled along its length by the centrifugal force toward the equatorial plane. This filament tends to be more stretched in the outward direction than its neighbors as time elapses. The outward moving speed of the filament within 7.1 RJ is comparable with the Galileo spacecraft's observation in the Io torus on 7 December 1995.
Physical properties and localization investigations associated with the 2003 Mars Exploration rovers
Authors: Arvidson R. E. , Anderson R. C. , Haldemann A. F. C. , Landis G. A. , Li R. , Lindemann R. A. , Matijevic J. R. , Morris R. V. , Richter L. , Squyres S. W. , Sullivan R. J. , Snider N. O.
Published: October 2003

A number of physical properties experiments will be conducted during the NASA 2003 Mars Exploration Rover Mission as the two vehicles explore Meridiani Planum and the floor of Gusev Crater. The investigations will include quantifying dust accumulation and dispersal dynamics by periodically monitoring the rover decks with the Athena Pancam and Mini‐TES instruments. Properties of soil‐like materials will be inferred from analyses of wheel track patterns, depths, and wheel slippage dynamics during traverses. The rovers will be modeled as dynamic mechanical systems to extract along‐track terrain topography and physical properties from times series of rover tilt vectors, wheel encoder counts, azimuths, motor currents, and rocker and bogie angles. Trenches will be excavated using rover wheels to characterize mechanical properties of soil‐like materials with depth and to expose subsurface materials for remote and in situ observations using the Athena Payload. The Rock Abrasion Tools will be used to expose rock subsurfaces for detailed analyses. Motor currents and penetration magnitudes will be compared to a database of rocks excavated by an engineering model of the Rock Abrasion Tool to understand Martian rock mechanical properties. Image‐based localization analyses will be pursued to better understand rover traverse directions and magnitudes and thus rover locations as a function of time. The physical properties and localization investigations, when combined with analyses of the full ensemble of Athena observations, will greatly improve our understanding of Martian surface properties and provide significant technology lessons for future landed missions.
Tectonic and magmatic development of the Salinian Coast Ridge Belt, California
Authors: Kidder Steven , Ducea Mihai , Gehrels George , Patchett P. Jonathan , Vervoort Jeffrey
Published: October 2003

We present new field, structural, petrographic, and geochronologic data on a rare midcrustal (∼25 km) exposure of a Cordilleran arc, the Coast Ridge Belt, located in the Santa Lucia Mountains of central California. The study area is composed primarily of a deformed suite of upper amphibolite to granulite facies rocks (the “Sur Series”), which is dominated by metaigneous tonalites, diorites, and gabbros with subordinate metasedimentary quartzite and marble. Inherited zircons in magmatic rocks suggest that the provenance of framework rocks is drawn heavily from miogeoclinal formations and that sedimentation occurred in the late Paleozoic or later. Minor magmatism in the Coast Ridge Belt began in the Early or Middle Cretaceous, but magmatic activity was most intense during a short period time from 93 to 81 Ma, based on U‐Pb zircon ages of a felsic gneiss and two less‐deformed diorites. The time period 93–81 Ma also brackets a period of extensive thickening and high‐temperature ductile deformation. While a thrusting cause for ductile deformation cannot be ruled out, we favor the hypothesis that the exposed rocks correspond to a zone of return flow of supracrustal rocks locally displaced by granitoid plutons in the shallower crust. Magmatism ended throughout Salinia between 81 and 76 Ma, coincident with the attainment of peak pressure and temperature conditions of 0.75 GPa and 800°C. Exhumation followed immediately, bringing the Coast Ridge Belt to the surface within 8 My at a rate of at least 2–3 mm/yr. Exhumation was coincident with an episode of extensional collapse that has been documented elsewhere in the southern California arc during the early Laramide orogeny and that may be related to underthrusting of the forearc at that time.
The development and validation of an occlusal site‐specific plaque index to evaluate the effects of cleaning by tooth brushes and chewing gum
Authors: Levinkind M. , Owens J. , Morea C. , Addy M. , Lang N. P. , Adair R. , Barton I.
Published: October 2003

Abstract. These studies sought to develop and validate an occlusal site‐specific plaque index to be used to measure plaque removal by brushing or chewing gum. The index divides the occlusal surfaces into imaginary zones from which scores are apportioned on a 0–4 basis dependent on the perceived % plaque coverage of each zone. Examiner calibration was conducted over 2 studies assessing inter‐examiner reproducibility and intra‐examiner repeatibility, respectively. Study 1 involved 2 examiners who recorded scores from the same 3 groups of subjects who had suspended tooth cleaning for 4 days. Analyses for inter‐examiner reproducibility showed no significant mean differences between examiners or no significant differences between variances of the 2 examiners scores. Study 2 involved the same 2 examiners individually scoring 3 groups of subjects 2 × (approximately 60 min apart) for occlusal plaque. Analysis for intra‐examiner repeatability showed no significant mean differences between the 2 scorings of each examiner. Furthermore, there were no significant differences between the variances of each examiner's scores except for 1 examiner in the repeatability exercise for the 1st group of subjects. Study 3 involved groups of subjects at 2 separate clinical sites (Bristol, England and Berne, Switzerland) being scored for occlusal plaque before and after toothbrushing with water or after no toothbrushing. Data from individual examiners and examiners combined revealed a significant reduction in occlusal plaque with brushing compared to no brushing. Study 4 was the same as study 3 but occlusal plaque was scored before and after chewing gum or not chewing gum. The Bristol examiner recorded a significant reduction in plaque by chewing gum compared to not chewing gum but the Berne examiner did not. The latter may have resulted from a considerable disparity in the number of evaluable occlusal surfaces between the two study sites. The index could be employed as part of the overall assessment or oral hygiene or used in clinical trials to study mechanical and chemical plaque control agents.
Acellular dermal matrix allograft used to gain attached gingiva in a case of epidermolysis bullosa
Authors: Buduneli Eralp , İlgenli Tunç , Buduneli Nurcan , Özdemir Fezal
Published: October 2003

Background: Epidermolysis bullosa (EB) is an acquired disease or inherited as either autosomal dominant or recessive with an incidence of 1/50,000. The prominent clinical characteristic of the disease is the development of bullae or vesicles in mucosa or skin in response to minor trauma.

Aim: A female patient with a dystrophic type of EB had been put in a maintenance regimen after completion of the initial phase of periodontal therapy and followed for 7 years. The purpose of this report is to document acellular dermal matrix allograft application to increase the width of the attached gingiva in this patient experiencing difficulty in chewing and performing plaque control due to the dramatic loss of attached gingiva after 7 years of supportive periodontal therapy.

Methods: Under local anaesthesia and antibiotic coverage, the acellular dermal matrix allograft was applied in the anterior region of the upper jaw in order to increase the width of attached gingiva, thereby improving patient comfort.

Results: The healing was uneventful and a significant gain in attached gingiva dimensions was observed 9 months after the periodontal surgery. The procedure avoided a second surgical site, provided satisfactory results from an aesthetic point of view, and improved patient comfort.

Conclusion: Acellular dermal matrix allograft may be regarded as an alternative in the treatment of EB cases to increase the width of attached gingiva and facilitate maintenance of the dentition.
Lyso-glycosphingolipids mobilize calcium from brain microsomes via multiple mechanisms
Authors: LLOYD-EVANS Emyr , PELLED Dori , RIEBELING Christian , FUTERMAN Anthony H.
Published: October 2003

Recently, we demonstrated that the GSL (glycosphingolipid), GlcCer (glucosylceramide), modulates Ca2+ release from intracellular stores and from microsomes by sensitizing the RyaR (ryanodine receptor), a major Ca2+-release channel of the endoplasmic reticulum, whereas the lyso derivative of GlcCer, namely GlcSph (glucosylsphingosine), induced Ca2+ release via a mechanism independent of the RyaR [Lloyd-Evans, Pelled, Riebeling, Bodennec, de-Morgan, Waller, Schiffmann and Futerman (2003) J. Biol. Chem. 278, 23594–23599]. We now systematically examine the mechanism by which GlcSph and other lyso-GSLs modulate Ca2+ mobilization from rat brain cortical and cerebellar microsomes. GlcSph, lactosylsphingosine and galactosylsphingosine all mobilized Ca2+, but at significantly higher concentrations than those required for GlcCer-mediated sensitization of the RyaR. GlcSph-induced Ca2+ mobilization was partially blocked by heparin, an inhibitor of the Ins(1,4,5)P3 receptor, and also partially blocked by thapsigargin or ADP, inhibitors of SERCA (sarcoplasmic/endoplasmic reticulum Ca2+-ATPase), but completely blocked when both acted together. In contrast, neither lactosylsphingosine nor galactosylsphingosine had any effect on Ca2+ release via either the Ins(1,4,5)P3 receptor or SERCA, but acted as agonists of the RyaR. Finally, and surprisingly, all three lyso-GSLs reversed inhibition of SERCA by thapsigargin. We conclude that different lyso-GSLs modulate Ca2+ mobilization via different mechanisms, and discuss the relevance of these findings to the GSL storage diseases in which lyso-GSLs accumulate.
Caspase processing activates atypical protein kinase C ζ by relieving autoinhibition and destabilizes the protein
Authors: SMITH Lucinda , WANG Zhi , SMITH Jeffrey B.
Published: October 2003

Treatment of HeLa cells with tumour necrosis factor α (TNFα) induced caspase processing of ectopic PKC (protein kinase C) ζ, which converted most of the holoenzyme into the freed kinase domain and increased immune-complex kinase activity. The goal of the present study was to determine the basis for the increased kinase activity that is associated with caspase processing of PKC ζ. Atypical PKC ι is largely identical with PKC ζ, except for a 60-amino-acid segment that lacks the caspase-processing sites of the ζ isoform. Replacement of this segment of PKC ζ with the corresponding segment of PKC ι prevented caspase processing and activation of the kinase function. Processing of purified recombinant PKC ζ by caspase 3 in vitro markedly increased its kinase activity. Caspase processing activated PKC ζ in vitro or intracellularly without increasing the phosphorylation of Thr410 of PKC ζ, which is required for catalytic competency. The freed kinase domain of PKC ζ had a much shorter half-life than the holoenzyme in transfected HeLa cells and in non-transfected kidney epithelial cells. Treatment with TNF-α shortened the half-life of the kinase domain protein, and proteasome blockade stabilized the protein. Studies of kinase-domain mutants indicate that a lack of negative charge at Thr410 can shorten the half-life of the freed kinase domain. The present findings indicate that the freed kinase domain has substantially higher kinase activity and a much shorter half-life than the holoenzyme because of accelerated degradation by the ubiquitin–proteasome system.
Rapid agonist-evoked coupling of type II Ins(1,4,5)P3 receptor with human transient receptor potential (hTRPC1) channels in human platelets
Authors: BROWNLOW Sharon L. , SAGE Stewart O.
Published: October 2003

Depletion of intracellular Ca2+ stores results in the activation of SMCE (store-mediated Ca2+ entry) in many cells. The mechanism of activation of SMCE is poorly understood. In human platelets, a secretion-like coupling model may be involved. This proposes that store depletion results in trafficking of portions of the endoplasmic reticulum to the plasma membrane, enabling coupling between proteins in the two membranes. In support of this, we have shown that, in human platelets, agonist-evoked Ca2+ store depletion results in de novo and reversible coupling of the InsP3RII [type II inositol (1,4,5)trisphosphate receptor] with the putative Ca2+ entry channel hTRPC1 [human canonical transient receptor potential 1 (protein); Rosado, Brownlow and Sage (2002) J. Biol. Chem. 277, 42157–42163]. A crucial test of the hypothesis that this coupling activates SMCE is that it should occur rapidly enough to account for agonist-evoked Ca2+ entry. In the present study, we have used quenched- and stopped-flow approaches to determine the latencies of thrombin-evoked coupling of InsP3RII with hTRPC1 and of thrombin-evoked bivalent cation entry using Mn2+ quenching of fura 2 fluorescence. Thrombin-evoked Mn2+ entry was detected with a latency of 0.81±0.07 s (S.E.M., n=7) or 1.36±0.09 s (S.E.M., n=7) at a concentration of 1.0 or 0.1 unit/ml respectively. Coupling between InsP3RII and hTRPC1, assessed at 100 ms intervals, was first detected with a latency of 0.9 or 1.4 s after stimulation with thrombin at a concentration of 1.0 or 0.1 unit/ml respectively. These results support the hypothesis that de novo coupling of InsP3RII with hTRPC1 could activate SMCE in human platelets.
Quadriceps weakness in a family with nemaline myopathy: influence of knee angle
Authors: GERRITS Karin , GOMMANS Inge , VAN ENGELEN Baziel , DE HAAN Arnold
Published: October 2003

Nemaline myopathy is a congenital neuromuscular disorder, which primarily affects the thin filaments. Clinically the most important feature is muscle weakness; however, this weakness is poorly understood. The present investigation aimed to determine the torque angle relationship of the knee extensor muscles during in vivo muscle contractions in a family with a novel phenotype of nemaline myopathy. The results of this study show that quadriceps weakness occurs predominantly at higher knee flexion angles, but relatively normal strength was found at angles closer to full knee extension. When the relative torque angle relationships were considered, torque loss at smaller than optimum knee flexion angle was greater in the patients compared with the controls. In addition, the optimum angle for maximal quadriceps torque production was shifted towards smaller knee flexion angles in the patients. This suggests that a weakness specifically at higher knee flexion angles probably occurs as a result of adaptations consequently to the disease. Furthermore, it is important to assess muscle function at different joint positions to allow adequate interpretation of muscle weakness.
Subclinical left ventricular dysfunction in asymptomatic patients with Type II diabetes mellitus, related to serum lipids and glycated haemoglobin
Authors: VINEREANU Dragos , NICOLAIDES Eleftherios , TWEDDEL Ann C. , MÄDLER Christoph K. , HOLST Ben , BODEN Lucy E. , CINTEZA Mircea , REES Alan E. , FRASER Alan G.
Published: October 2003

The aim of the present study was to measure regional ventricular function at rest and during stress in order to assess if patients with Type II diabetes have subclinical myocardial dysfunction and if it is related to risk factors. Seventy subjects (35 patients with Type II diabetes with no symptoms, signs or history of heart disease, and 35 age- and sex-matched healthy controls) had echocardiography at rest and during dobutamine stress. Myocardial velocities were measured off-line from digital loops of colour tissue Doppler. Subendocardial function was assessed from the mean longitudinal velocities of four basal segments (apical views) and radial function from the velocities of the basal posterior wall (parasternal view). Systolic functional reserve was calculated as the increase in velocity from baseline. Longitudinal peak systolic velocity was lower in patients with diabetes, at rest (5.6±1.4 compared with 6.5±1.1 cm/s) and at peak stress (10.9±2.8 compared with 14.3±2.1 cm/s) (both P<0.01). Functional reserve was impaired in patients with diabetes (+5.4±2.0 compared with +7.7±1.7 cm/s; P<0.01). Radial systolic velocity was higher in patients with diabetes (5.4±1.3 compared with 4.7±1.4 cm/s; P<0.05). Resting longitudinal systolic function correlated inversely with low-density lipoprotein—cholesterol (r=-0.53), glycated haemoglobin (r=-0.48), age (r=-0.41) and diastolic blood pressure (r=-0.38) (all P<0.05). Peak stress systolic velocity correlated inversely with glycated haemoglobin (r=-0.46) and age (r=-0.44) (both P<0.01). In conclusion, patients with Type II diabetes and no clinical heart disease have impaired subendocardial function of the left ventricle at rest and peak stress, which is related to glycated haemoglobin and serum low-density lipoprotein—cholesterol.
The production of 6‐deoxy‐l‐talan from Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans via bacterial coupling in vitro
Authors: Suzuki N. , Nakano Y.
Published: October 2003

A method of producing 6‐deoxy‐l‐talan, the serotype c‐specific polysaccharide antigen (SPA) from Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans,was established using a whole‐cell reaction with two recombinant Escherichia coli strains. The production of serotype c‐SPA was investigated using the dot blot assay with anti‐A. actinomycetemcomitans NCTC 9710 serum after an 18‐h reaction, starting with a solution containing the recombinant E. coli cells, α‐d‐glucose‐1‐phosphate, and dTTP. Moreover, examination of the time course for 6‐deoxy‐l‐talan production proved that this system ran satisfactorily. This paper is the first report of a convenient method to readily produce the exopolysaccharide from A. actinomycetemcomitans in vitro.
Multiple species of the dinophagous dinoflagellate genus Amoebophrya infect the same host species
Authors: Salomon Paulo S. , Janson Sven , Granéli Edna
Published: October 2003

Populations of the dinoflagellate Dinophysis norvegica in the Baltic Sea and in the adjacent North Sea are infected by the endoparasite Amoebophrya sp. The high diversity recently unveiled within the genus Amoebophrya brings uncertainty about their identities. We applied molecular biology techniques – 18S rDNA sequencing and fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH) – to compare this host–parasite system from both environments. The North Sea Amoebophrya sp. 18S rDNA sequence was 89% identical to the previously described Baltic Sea Amoebophrya sp. sequence, suggesting they are different species. In spite of that, a phylogenetical analysis placed the North Sea parasite sequence in a well‐supported cluster with other Amoebophrya sp. sequences. The D. norvegica 18S rDNA sequences from both environments were 100% identical, indicating that the hosts have not evolved independently. A DNA probe designed for the Baltic Sea Amoebophrya sp. 18S rRNA was used in FISH assays on infected D. norvegica populations from both environments. The probe stained all infected cells from the Baltic sample, whereas none from the North Sea were stained. The results indicate that D. norvegica is released from one parasite when entering the Baltic Sea, and become less infected by an alternative parasite species.
Targeting clusters of transferred genes in Thermotoga maritima
Authors: Nesbø Camilla L. , Doolittle W. Ford
Published: October 2003

We screened a Thermotoga sp. strain RQ2 lambda library for genes present in that strain but absent from the closely related completely sequenced relative Thermotoga maritima strain MSB8, by using probes generated in an earlier genomic subtraction study. Five lambda insert fragments were sequenced, containing, respectively, an archaeal type ATPase operon, rhamnose biosynthetic genes, ORFs with similarity to an arabinosidase, a Thermotoga sp. strain RQ2‐specific alcohol dehydrogenase and a novel archaeal Mut‐S homologue. All but one of these fragments contained additional Thermotoga sp. strain RQ2‐specific sequences not screened for, suggesting that many such strain‐specific genes will be found clustered in the genome. Moreover, phylogenetic analyses, phylogenetic distribution and/or G + C content suggests that all the Thermotoga sp. strain RQ2 specific sequences in the sequenced lambda clones have been acquired by lateral gene transfer. We suggest that the use of strain‐specific small insert clones obtained by subtractive hybridization to target larger inserts for sequencing is an efficient, economical way to identify environmentally (or clinically) relevant interstrain differences and novel gene clusters, and will be invaluable in comparative genomics.
Rheumatoid nodulosis: report of two cases
Authors: Gómez MT Bordel , Polo A Mariscal , Romero A Miranda , Gutiérrez J Vega , García G Martínez
Published: October 2003

We present two patients with subcutaneous nodular lesions of several years’ duration. These lesions were well defined and painless and were located next to bony surfaces or in the pulps of fingers and elbows. No other symptoms were observed except for frequent attacks of palindromic rheumatism with no evidence of arthritis or systemic manifestations suggestive of rheumatoid arthritis. Other studies performed were normal with negative results for rheumatoid factor and antinuclear antibodies. Radiographs of affected sites showed no signs of arthritis while the histopathologic study revealed some findings compatible with rheumatoid nodule. One of the patients also presented desquamate papular lesions at the level of elbows while histologically a process of transepidermal elimination of fibrinoid could be observed. Our patients fulfil all the diagnostic criteria for rheumatoid nodulosis as they present multiple rheumatoid nodules confirmed on biopsy, symptoms of palindromic rheumatism, no evidence of arthritis or radiological alterations and negative rheumatoid factor.
Assessment of information and education about topical corticosteroids in dermatology outpatient departments: experience from Turkey
Authors: Basak PY , Ozturk M , Baysal V
Published: October 2003

Background  Topical corticosteroids are commonly used in dermatological practice. The aim of this study was to assess the baseline level of knowledge about topical steroids in a group of dermatology patients and to evaluate the impact of educational materials on patients’ level of information.

Methods  A 10‐item questionnaire was developed, and 126 patients who were prescribed topical steroids for several dermatologic diseases were asked mostly about side‐effects of the drugs. Three different educational methods were used in parallel to the questionnaire: verbal (n = 42), written (n = 42) or verbal and written (n = 42). The same questions were asked again 1 or 2 weeks later.

Results  Only 7.1% of the study group mentioned that they were informed by doctors about the side‐effects of topical steroids before they were administered. The baseline information scores about topical corticosteroids were higher in high school and college graduates and in those who noted side‐effects or who were informed about side‐effects before administration. A statistically significant difference was detected between pre‐ and posteducation scores of patients in the whole group and within the three groups of different educational methods (P < 0.001). Posteducation scores of the combined verbal‐ and written‐educated group were higher than the written‐educated group or the verbal‐educated group.

Conclusion  The present study indicated that patient knowledge is enhanced by any kind of educational method, and particularly written information supported by verbal instructions given in dermatology outpatient departments. Moreover, we conclude that the 10‐item questionnaire can be used in Turkey to assess patients’ knowledge about topical corticosteroids.
Intertriginous lesions in pityriasis versicolor
Authors: Aljabre SHM
Published: October 2003

Background  The well‐recognized sites of involvement in pityriasis versicolor are the upper part of the trunk, the neck and the upper arms. There is little documentation regarding pityriasis versicolor lesions in flexural areas.

Objectives  To study the occurrence and morphology of lesions of pityriasis versicolor in flexural areas.

Methods  One hundred and ten cases of pityriasis versicolor were studied. Sites of lesions and other clinical features were determined.

Results  Flexural lesions in pityriasis versicolor were not uncommon. They were not correlated to age, sex, duration or relapses of the infection.

Conclusion  Thorough inspection and examination of the skin by Wood's light before establishing treatment is prudent in cases of pityriasis versicolor located in typical sites.
BIOLOGICAL INVASIONS IN EUROPE
Authors: Dehnen‐schmutz Katharina , Williamson Mark
Published: October 2003

Books reviewed:

Kowarik I., Biologische Invasionen: Neophyten und Neozoen in Mitteleuropa.
Quality of Life While Dying: A Qualitative Study of Terminally Ill Older Men
Authors: Vig Elizabeth K. , Pearlman Robert A.
Published: October 2003

Objectives: To characterize the experience of quality of life while dying from the perspective of terminally ill men.

Design: Descriptive study involving semistructured interviews.

Setting: Patients attending clinics at two university‐affiliated medical centers were interviewed in a private conference room or in their homes.

Participants: Twenty‐six men identified by their physicians as having terminal heart disease or cancer. Eligible participants acknowledged that they had serious illness.

Measurements: The interview contained open‐ended questions such as: “What are the most important things in your life right now?” The interview also contained closed‐ended questions about symptom intensity, presence of depressed mood, and other items related to overall quality of life. The open‐ended questions were tape‐recorded, transcribed, and analyzed using grounded theory methods. The closed‐ended questions were analyzed using descriptive statistics.

Results: Participants believed that death was near. Participants saw engaging in hobbies and other enjoyable activities as an alternative to moving into the final stage of illness, in which they saw themselves as actively dying. They admitted to occasionally ignoring prescribed diets; these actions improved their overall quality of life but worsened symptoms. New symptoms brought concerns about progression to active dying. They anticipated what their dying would be like and how it would affect others. Participants believed that their actions in the present could improve the quality of their dying and lessen the burden of their deaths on others. Many participants therefore were preparing for death by engaging in such tasks as putting their finances in order and planning their funerals, to relieve anticipated burden on loved ones.

Conclusion: To help terminally ill patients plan for the end of life, clinicians are encouraged to become familiar with their patients' experiences of living with terminal illness, to identify each patient's unique priorities, and to incorporate that information into care plans aimed at maximizing quality of life at the end of life.
Self‐ and Informant Report of Financial Abilities in Patients with Alzheimer's Disease: Reliable and Valid?
Authors: Wadley Virginia G. , Harrell Lindy E. , Marson Daniel C.
Published: October 2003

Objectives: To evaluate the consistency, stability, and accuracy of reports by patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD) and their caregivers regarding the patients' premorbid and current financial abilities.

Design: Consistency of reports was assessed within patient/caregiver dyads and within control/control informant dyads. Stability of reports over a 1‐month interval was assessed for each group: patients with AD, caregivers, controls, and control informants. Accuracy of each group's reports was evaluated in reference to patients' and controls' performance on a direct psychometric measure of financial capacity.

Setting: University medical center.

Participants: Twenty patients with AD and 20 family caregivers; 23 controls and 23 family informants.

Measurements: The Prior Financial Capacity Form (PFCF) and the Current Financial Capacity Form (CFCF) were used. Parallel versions assessed self‐report (patients, controls) and informant report (caregivers, control informants) at two visits 1 month apart. Patients with AD and controls were also administered the Financial Capacity Instrument (FCI), a direct assessment of the same abilities reported on the PFCF and CFCF.

Results: Patients with AD reported that they had more‐intact current abilities than their caregivers reported. Patients with AD and their caregivers showed lower levels of stability over time on the PFCF and CFCF than did controls and their informants. Half of the patients with AD overestimated their current abilities relative to their FCI performance, whereas caregivers demonstrated both underestimation and overestimation errors. Controls and informants evidenced high levels of consistency, stability, and accuracy in PFCF and CFCF ratings.

Conclusion: Patients with AD overestimate their financial abilities in comparison with the reports of their family caregivers. Both patients and caregivers' reports of patients' financial abilities showed limited stability and validity. The reliability and accuracy of self‐ and informant reports of financial abilities may be compromised in the context of dementia and caregiving, underscoring the need for direct assessment methods to augment self‐ and informant report in assessing functional decline in dementia.
Developing a Stroke Unit Using the Acute Care for Elders Intervention and Model of Care
Authors: Allen Kyle R. , Hazelett Susan E. , Palmer Robert R. , Jarjoura David G. , Wickstrom Glenda C. , Weinhardt Jan A. , Lada Robert , Holder Carolyn M. , Counsell Steven R.
Published: October 2003

The Acute Care for Elders (ACE) model of care is a multicomponent intervention that improves outcomes for older patients hospitalized for acute medical illnesses. Likewise, stroke units improve outcomes for patients with acute stroke, yet the descriptions of their structure and approach to stroke management are heterogeneous. The purpose of this article is to describe how implementing the ACE model of care, using a continuous quality‐improvement process, can serve as a foundation for a successful stroke unit aimed at improving stroke care. The ACE intervention (a prepared environment, interdisciplinary team management, patient‐centered nursing care plans, early discharge planning, and review of medical care) was amplified in a community teaching hospital for stroke‐specific care by creating a stroke interdisciplinary team, evidence‐based stroke orders and protocols, and a redesigned environment. Administrative data show that the ACE model can be successfully adapted to create a disease‐specific program for stroke patients, having the potential to improve the process of care and clinical stroke outcomes.
Sarcopenia: Alternative Definitions and Associations with Lower Extremity Function
Authors: Newman Anne B. , Kupelian Varant , Visser Marjolein , Simonsick Eleanor , Goodpaster Bret , Nevitt Michael , Kritchevsky Stephen B. , Tylavsky Frances A. , Rubin Susan M. , Harris Tamara B. ,   on behalf of the Health ABC Study Investigators
Published: October 2003

Objectives: To compare two sarcopenia definitions and examine the relationship between them and lower extrem‐ity function and other health related factors using data from the baseline examination of the Health Aging and Body Composition (Health ABC) Study.

Design: Observational cohort study.

Setting: Two U.S. communities in Memphis, Tennessee, and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

Participants: Participants were aged 70 to 79 (N=2,984, 52% women, 41% black).

Measurements: Participants were assessed using dual energy x‐ray absorptiometry and were classified as sarcopenic using two different approaches to adjust lean mass for body size: appendicular lean mass divided by height‐squared (aLM/ht2) and appendicular lean mass adjusted for height and body fat mass (residuals).

Results: These methods differed substantially in the classification of individuals as being sarcopenic, especially those who were more obese. The former method was highly correlated with body mass index and identified fewer overweight or obese individuals as sarcopenic. In both men and women, none of the obese group would be considered sarcopenic using the aLM/ht2 method, compared with 11.5% of men and 21.0% of women using the residuals method. In men, both classifications of sarcopenia were associated with smoking, poorer health, lower activity, and impaired lower extremity function. Fewer associations with health factors were noted in women, but the classification based on both height and fat mass was more strongly associated with lower extremity functional limitations (odds ratio (OR)=0.9, 95% confidence interval (CI)=0.7–1.2 for low kg/ht2; OR=1.9, 95% CI=1.4–2.5 for lean mass adjusted for height and fat mass).

Conclusion: These findings suggest that fat mass should be considered in estimating prevalence of sarcopenia in women and in overweight or obese individuals.
TRALI after the infusion of marrow cells in a patient with acute lymphoblastic leukemia
Authors: Urahama Norinaga , Tanosaki Ryuji , Masahiro Kami , Iijima Kimiko , Chizuka Aki , Kim Sung‐Won , Hori Akiko , Kojima Rie , Imataki Osamu , Makimito Atsushi , Mineishi Shin , Takaue Yoichi
Published: October 2003

BACKGROUND:  TRALI is one of the most serious, life‐threatening complications after blood transfusion. Antibodies against neutrophils or HLA molecules from the donor are thought to be the primary causative agents. Rarely, antibodies in the recipient may react with transfused neutrophils and initiate the same events, which raises the possibility that TRALI may also occur in an allogeneic PBPC transplantation setting.

CASE REPORT:  A 30‐year‐old Japanese man with acute lymphoblastic leukemia developed TRALI immediately after the infusion of marrow cells from an unrelated donor. The infusion was suspended, and he gradually improved after receiving steroids and oxygen support. The next day, the remaining cells, which were separated to MNCs, were infused with no reactions. He then recovered over 5 days without the use of mechanical ventilation.

RESULTS:  Laboratory evaluation disclosed the presence of antibodies to neutrophils in his sera sampled after transplantation, but not in the donor's marrow graft. Hence, antibodies to neutrophils in the recipient may have reacted with neutrophils in the graft and contributed to the development of TRALI.

CONCLUSION:  This is the first reported case of TRALI after allogeneic BMT. TRALI should be recognized as a rare but serious complication in allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation.
Management of severe VWD with cryoprecipitate collected by repeated apheresis of a single dedicated donor
Authors: Pomper Gregory J. , Rick Margaret E. , Epstein Jay S. , Read Elizabeth J. , Leitman Susan F.
Published: October 2003

BACKGROUND:  Rare and severe forms of VWD are associated with trace or absent VWF. The feasibility of supporting a child with severe VWD from birth through age 12 with cryoprecipitate derived from DDAVP‐stimulated plasma exchange of a single dedicated donor is reported.

STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS:  An infant with excessive hemorrhage at circumcision was found to have Type 3 VWD. His father carried an allele with a mutation at the level of VWF mRNA expression but did not have a history of bleeding. Cryoprecipitate was prepared from serial DDAVP‐stimulated plasma exchanges of the father.

RESULTS:  Repeated plasma‐exchange donations were performed to provide all of the VWF needed for his son. An average of 14 cryoprecipitate units was prepared from each donation, and the units contained markedly elevated levels of FVIII:C. The cryoprecipitate was stored for up to 102 months. Components tested after more than 8 years of storage showed 48 to 130 percent of original FVIII:C activity. Ninety‐seven percent of the bleeding episodes, such as epistaxis, tongue‐biting accidents, and other minor lacerations, were successfully managed with a single 50‐ to 100‐percent replacement dose of FVIII. The patient experienced normal growth and development and is free of any long‐term sequelae attributable to his disease.

CONCLUSIONS:  Cryoprecipitate prepared by repeated plasma exchange of a VWD carrier provided excellent hemostatic function, even after storage intervals of more than a year. Plasma exchange of a committed donor was a cost‐effective and safe option for long‐term management of VWD.
Bounds on dissipation in magnetohydrodynamic problems in plane shear geometry
Authors: Pétrélis F. , Alexakis A. , Doering Charles R. , Morrison P. J.
Published: October 2003

The total dissipation rate for magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) flows in plane geometry with both velocity and magnetic shear is studied. For some boundary conditions it is shown that the lower bound on the dissipation rate is achieved by the equivalent of Stokes flow for MHD. Using the background method [Doering and Constantin, Phys. Rev. Lett. 69, 1648 (1992)] upper bounds for the dissipation rate are calculated. For a shear layer, with both velocity and magnetic shear, parameter dependence of the upper bound is obtained. As a by-product of this calculation, an energy stability domain is calculated. A sheet pinch is also studied, and it is shown that the upper bound tends to zero as the resistivity tends to zero. Thus, an antiturbulence result is obtained.
Core shell excitation of furan at the O1s and C1s edges: An experimental and ab initio study
Authors: Duflot D. , Flament J.-P. , Giuliani A. , Heinesch J. , Hubin-Franskin M.-J.
Published: October 2003

The K-shell spectra of gaseous furan have been measured using the inner-shell electron energy loss spectroscopy (ISEELS) method at the carbon and oxygen thresholds. Large-scale ab initio configuration interaction calculations have been carried out in order to help in the assignments of the observed bands. The spectra are close to previous low resolution ones obtained using ISEELS in the gas phase and photoabsorption with the synchrotron radiation in gaseous and condensed phases. The presence of a new feature located at 287.3 eV in the C1s spectrum and recently detected by photoabsorption with synchrotron radiation is confirmed. At both edges, the calculations confirm the assignments proposed in earlier experimental works, with the exception of several C1s pre-edge features for which a new interpretation is given.
Theory of cyclotron super-radiance from a moving electron bunch under group synchronism condition
Authors: Ginzburg N. S. , Zotova I. V. , Sergeev A. S. , Rozental R. M. , Phelps A. D. R. , Cross A. W. , Ronald K.
Published: October 2003

A theory of cyclotron super-radiance (SR) from a moving electron bunch under a group synchronism condition has been developed. This regime occurs for the propagation of a radiation field in a waveguide or in other dispersive media such as a plasma when the electron bunch translational velocity coincides with the wave group velocity. In the comoving reference frame such emission corresponds to emission at a quasi-cut-off frequency. For a linear approximation it is shown that a bunch of electrons rotating in the magnetic field can be presented as an active resonator which possesses a spectrum of unstable eigenmodes. The gain of these modes defines the gain of the SR instability. To describe the nonlinear stage of the SR instability a time-domain approach based on a combination of a parabolic equation for wave evolution and a non-isochronous oscillator equation to describe electron azimuthal self-bunching was used. Profiles of SR pulses were found first in the comoving reference frame and then transferred into the laboratory reference frame using a Lorentz transformation. Both linear and nonlinear analyses demonstrated the advantage of SR in the regime of group synchronism as compared to cyclotron SR in free space. The fast drop of the SR pulse amplitude by detuning the magnetic field from the grazing condition was observed using the three-dimensional particle-in-cell code KARAT.
A variable-coefficient unstable nonlinear Schrödinger model for the electron beam plasmas and Rayleigh–Taylor instability in nonuniform plasmas: Solutions and observable effects
Authors: Gao Yi-Tian , Tian Bo
Published: October 2003

A variable-coefficient unstable nonlinear Schrödinger model is hereby investigated, which arises in such applications as the electron-beam plasma waves and Rayleigh–Taylor instability in nonuniform plasmas. With computerized symbolic computation, families of exact analytic dark- and bright-soliton-like solutions are found, of which some previously published solutions turn out to be the special cases. Similarity solutions also come out, which are expressible in terms of the elliptic functions and the second Painlevé transcendent. Some observable effects caused by the variable coefficient are predicted, which may be detected in the future with the relevant space or laboratory plasma experiments with nonuniform background existing.
Random magnetic fields on line graphs
Authors: Nakano Fumihiko , Nomura Yuji
Published: October 2003

We study the spectral and transport properties of Schrödinger operators on line graphs with random magnetic fields. We show that it has a pure point spectrum with exponentially decaying eigenfunctions on spectral edges, whereas there appears an eigenvalue with infinite multiplicity due to the structure of line graphs. We compute the electrical conductivity which is zero on spectral edges, but is nonzero and finite on the isolated eigenvalue mentioned above. Some related problems are also discussed.
The role of plasma–wall interactions in thermal instabilities at the tokamak edge
Authors: Tokar M. Z. , Kelly F. A.
Published: October 2003

Plasma–wall interaction leads to the release of impurities and neutrals of the working gas, which contribute significantly to the energy losses from the plasma edge, and therefore, crucially affects the development of thermal instabilities in fusion devices. An analytical model for impurity radiation is proposed, which takes into account the erosion mechanisms of wall material and the motion of impurity particles across magnetic surfaces. The temperature dependence of radiation losses is found to be very different from that predicted by the coronal approximation often used in considering thermal instabilities. The consequences for the development of poloidally symmetric detachment and multi-faceted asymmetric radiation from the edge (MARFE) are analyzed. It is demonstrated that the MARFE threshold principally depends on the mechanism by which working gas neutrals are released from the wall and on the neutral’s properties, e.g., their ionization rate. The results of density limit experiments in Tokamak Experiment for Technology Oriented Research [Proceedings of the 16th IEEE Symposium on Fusion Engineering, 1995 (Institute for Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Piscataway, NJ, 1995), p. 470] and Joint European Torus [Rebut et al., Fusion Eng. Des. 22, 7 (1993)] are interpreted.
Fourth International Conference on Cryocrystals and Quantum Crystals (CC 2002). Preface
Authors: Bondybey Vladimir E. , Savchenko Elena V.
Published: October 2003

The conference on Cryocrystals and Quantum Crystals, CC 2002, was a continuation of a series of conferences started in 1995 in Almaty, Kazakstan by Prof. Andrei Drobyschev. The original intent of the conference was to provide a platform for scientists from the former Soviet Union and the countries of Eastern Europe to meet and exchange information with their Western colleagues, and, in particular, to make it possible for the younger investigators to become acquainted directly with the most recent research and results in their respective fields from elsewhere in the world. With nearly a hundred participants, the conference was a resounding success, and it was therefore decided to organize a second, similar conference two years later, this time chaired by Prof. Andrzei Jeżowski in Polanica-Zdroj, Poland.
Equilibrium helium film in the thick-film limit
Authors: Klier J. , Schletterer F. , Leiderer P. , Shikin V.
Published: October 2003

There are still some open questions about how the thickness of a liquid or solid quantum film, such as liquid helium or solid hydrogen, develops in certain limits. One of these is the thick-film limit, i.e., the crossover from the thick film to the bulk. We have performed measurements in this range using the surface plasmon resonance technique and an evaporated Ag film deposited on a glass substrate. The thickness of the adsorbed helium film is varied by changing the distance h of the bulk reservoir to the surface of the substrate. In the limiting case when h→0 the film thickness approaches about 100 nm, following the van der Waals law in the retarded regime. The film thickness and its dependence on h is determined precisely and modeled theoretically. The behavior of the equilibrium film thickness is discussed in detail. The agreement between theory and experiment is very good.
Conductivity of a 2D electron crystal over liquid helium in the region of coupled electron–ripplon resonances
Authors: Syvokon V. , Kovdrya Y.
Published: October 2003

The spectrum of the coupled electron–ripplon oscillations of a 2D electron crystal over liquid helium is studies as a function of the holding electric field at a temperature much lower than the temperature of melting. An analysis of the spectrum near the main resonance (0,1) allowed finding both the real and imaginary components of the crystal conductivity. The imaginary part of the conductivity is shown to be in good agreement with theoretical estimates. At the same time, additional theoretical and experimental studies are necessary to clear up the possible reasons for energy losses in the electron crystal.