bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Fibreoptic endoscopic evaluation of swallowing and videofluoroscopy: does examination type influence perception of pharyngeal residue severity?1
Authors: Kelly A.M. , Leslie P. , Beale T. , Payten C. , Drinnan M.J.
Published: October 2006

Objectives:  The aim of the study was to investigate whether the type of instrumental swallowing examination (Fibreoptic Endoscopic Evaluation of Swallowing (FEES) or videofluoroscopy) influences perception of post‐swallow pharyngeal residue.

Design:  Prospective, single‐blind assessment of residue from simultaneous videofluoroscopy and FEES recordings. All raters were blind to participant details, to the pairing of the videofluoroscopy and FEES examinations and to the other raters’ scores.

Setting:  Tertiary specialist ENT teaching hospital.

Participants:  Fifteen adult participants consecutively recruited; seven women and eight men aged between 22 and 73, mean age 53. All participants underwent one FEES examination and one videofluoroscopy examination performed simultaneously. Inclusion criteria: referred to speech and language therapy for assessment of dysphagia. Exclusion criteria: nil by mouth or judged to be at high risk of aspiration.

Main outcome measures:  The FEES and videofluoroscopy examinations were recorded simultaneously. Fifteen speech and language therapists independently scored pharyngeal residue as none, coating, mild, moderate or severe. All examinations were scored twice by all raters.

Results:  Intra‐ and inter‐rater agreement were similar for both examinations. There were significant differences between FEES and videofluoroscopy pharyngeal residue severity scores (anova, P < 0.001). FEES residue scores were consistently higher than videofluoroscopy residue scores.

Conclusions:  Pharyngeal residue was consistently perceived to be greater from FEES than from videofluoroscopy. These findings have significant clinical implications as FEES and videofluoroscopy findings are used to judge aspiration risk and to make recommendations for oral intake. Further research is required to examine the impact of FEES and videofluoroscopy examinations on treatment decisions.
Interrelations between Glycine Betaine Catabolism and Methionine Biosynthesis in
Sinorhizobium meliloti
Strain 102F34
Authors: Barra Lise , Fontenelle Catherine , Ermel Gwennola , Trautwetter Annie , Walker Graham C. , Blanco Carlos
Published: October 2006

Methionine is produced by methylation of homocysteine.
Sinorhizobium
meliloti
102F34 possesses only one methionine synthase, which catalyzes the transfer of a methyl group from methyl tetrahydrofolate to homocysteine. This vitamin B
12
-dependent enzyme is encoded by the
metH
gene. Glycine betaine can also serve as an alternative methyl donor for homocysteine. This reaction is catalyzed
by betaine-homocysteine methyl transferase (BHMT), an enzyme that has been characterized in humans and rats. An
S. meliloti
gene whose product is related to the human BHMT enzyme has been identified and named
bmt
. This enzyme is closely related to mammalian BHMTs but has no homology with previously described bacterial betaine
methyl transferases. Glycine betaine inhibits the growth of an
S. meliloti bmt
mutant in low- and high-osmotic strength media, an effect that correlates with a decrease in the catabolism of glycine betaine. This inhibition was not observed with other betaines, like homobetaine, dimethylsulfoniopropionate, and trigonelline. The addition
of methionine to the growth medium allowed a
bmt
mutant to recover growth despite the presence of glycine betaine. Methionine also stimulated glycine betaine catabolism in a
bmt
strain, suggesting the existence of another catabolic pathway. Inactivation of
metH
or
bmt
did not affect the nodulation efficiency
of the mutants in the 102F34 strain background. Nevertheless, a
metH
strain was severely defective in competing with the
wild-type strain in a coinoculation
experiment.
Time-Dependent Proteome Alterations under Osmotic Stress during Aerobic and Anaerobic Growth in
Escherichia coli
Authors: Weber Arnim , Kögl Stephanie A. , Jung Kirsten
Published: October 2006

Escherichia coli
lives in the mammalian gastrointestinal tract anaerobically at high osmolarity as well as in the soil aerobically at varying osmolarities. Adaptation to these varying environmental conditions is crucial for growth and survival of
E. coli
. Two-dimensional protein gels were used to visualize global time-dependent changes (10 to 60 min) in the proteome of cells responding to osmotic stress (0.4 M NaCl or 0.7 M sorbitol) under aerobic or anaerobic conditions. The protein profiles revealed an induction of 12 proteins (Dps, HchA, HdhA, InfB, OsmC, OsmY, ProX, KatE, PspA, TalA, TktB, and TreF) under osmotic stress in an aerobic milieu. Eleven additional proteins (OtsB, YceI, YciE, YciF, YgaU, YjbJ, AcnA, MetL, PoxB, Ssb, and YhbO) were induced by osmotic stress imposed by NaCl. Most of the accumulated proteins were cross-protecting proteins (e.g., OsmY, OsmC, Dps, and KatE) which are regulated at the transcriptional level predominantly by RpoS and other regulators (e.g., integration host factor, OxyR, H-NS, LRP, and FIS). Comparative analysis of the proteome of
E. coli
grown under aerobic or anaerobic conditions under osmotic stress (NaCl) revealed an overlap of the up-regulated proteins of more than 50%. Ten proteins (PoxB, AcnA, TalA, TktB, KatE, PspA, Ssb, TreF, MetL, and YhbO) were detectable only under aerobic, high-osmolality conditions. Time-dependent alterations of the proteome were monitored, allowing classification of the up-regulated proteins into early, middle, and long-term phases of adaptation. Only a few proteins were found to be down-regulated upon osmotic stress.
FtsZ from Divergent Foreign Bacteria Can Function for Cell Division inEscherichia coli
Authors: Osawa Masaki , Erickson Harold P.
Published: October 2006

FtsZs fromMycoplasma pulmonis(MpuFtsZ) andBacillus subtilis(BsFtsZ) are only 46% and 53% identical in amino acid sequence to FtsZ fromEscherichia coli(EcFtsZ). In the present study we show that MpuFtsZ and BsFtsZ can function for cell division inE. coliprovided we make two modifications. First, we replaced their C-terminal tails with that fromE. coli, giving the foreign FtsZ the binding site forE. coliFtsA and ZipA. Second, we selected for mutations in theE. coligenome that facilitated division by the foreign FtsZs. These suppressor strains arose at a relatively high frequency of 10−3to 10−5, suggesting that they involve loss-of-function mutations in multigene pathways. These pathways may be negative regulators of FtsZ or structural pathways that facilitate division by slightly defective FtsZ. Related suppressor strains were obtained for EcFtsZ containing certain point mutations or insertions of yellow fluorescent protein. The ability of highly divergent FtsZs to function for division inE. coliis consistent with a two-part mechanism. FtsZ assembles the Z ring, and perhaps generates the constriction force, through self interactions; the downstream division proteins remodel the peptidoglycan wall by interacting with each other and the wall. The C-terminal peptide of FtsZ, which binds FtsA, provides the link between FtsZ assembly and peptidoglycan remodeling.
Comparative Phylogenomics of
Clostridium difficile
Reveals Clade Specificity and Microevolution of Hypervirulent Strains
Authors: Stabler R. A. , Gerding D. N. , Songer J. G. , Drudy D. , Brazier J. S. , Trinh H. T. , Witney A. A. , Hinds J. , Wren B. W.
Published: October 2006

Clostridium difficile
is the most frequent cause of nosocomial diarrhea worldwide, and recent reports suggested the emergence of a hypervirulent strain in North America and Europe. In this study, we applied comparative phylogenomics (whole-genome comparisons using DNA microarrays combined with Bayesian phylogenies) to model the phylogeny of
C. difficile
, including 75 diverse isolates comprising hypervirulent, toxin-variable, and animal strains. The analysis identified four distinct statistically supported clusters comprising a hypervirulent clade, a toxin A
−
B
+
clade, and two clades with human and animal isolates. Genetic differences among clades revealed several genetic islands relating to virulence and niche adaptation, including antibiotic resistance, motility, adhesion, and enteric metabolism. Only 19.7% of genes were shared by all strains, confirming that this enteric species readily undergoes genetic exchange. This study has provided insight into the possible origins of
C. difficile
and its evolution that may have implications in disease control strategies.
Threonine-978 in the Transmembrane Segment of the Multidrug Efflux Pump AcrB of
Escherichia coli
Is Crucial for Drug Transport as a Probable Component of the Proton Relay Network
Authors: Takatsuka Yumiko , Nikaido Hiroshi
Published: October 2006

Escherichia coli
AcrB is a multidrug efflux transporter that recognizes multiple toxic chemicals and expels them from cells. It is a proton antiporter belonging to the resistance-nodulation-division (RND) superfamily. Asp407, Asp408, Lys940, and Arg971 in transmembrane (TM) helices of this transporter have been identified as essential amino acid residues that probably function as components of the proton relay system. In this study, we identified a novel residue in TM helix 11, Thr978, as an essential residue by alanine scanning mutagenesis. Its location close to Asp407 suggests that it is also a component of the proton translocation pathway, a prediction confirmed by the similar conformations adopted by T978A, D407A, D408A, and K940A mutant proteins (see the accompanying paper). Sequence alignment of 566 RND transporters showed that this threonine residue is conserved in about 96% of cases. Our results suggest the hypotheses that Thr978 functions through hydrogen bonding with Asp407 and that protonation of the latter alters the salt bridging and hydrogen bonding pattern in the proton relay network, thus initiating a series of conformational changes that ultimately result in drug extrusion.
Identification and Sequence of a
tet
(M) Tetracycline Resistance Determinant Homologue in Clinical Isolates of
Escherichia coli
Authors: Jones C. Hal , Tuckman Margareta , Murphy Ellen , Bradford Patricia A.
Published: October 2006

The presence of the tetracycline resistance determinant
tet
(M) in human clinical isolates of
Escherichia coli
is described for the first time in this report. The homologue was >99% identical to the
tet
(M) genes reported to occur in
Lactobacillus plantarum
,
Neisseria meningitidis
, and
Streptococcus agalactiae
, and 3% of the residues in its deduced amino acid sequence diverge from
tet
(M) of
Staphylococcus aureus
. Sequence analysis of the regions immediately flanking the gene revealed that sequences upstream of
tet
(M) in
E. coli
have homology to Tn
916
; however, a complete IS
26
insertion element was present immediately upstream of the promoter element. Downstream from the termination codon is an insertion sequence that was homologous to the IS
Vs1
element reported to occur in a plasmid from
Vibrio salmonicida
that has been associated with another tetracycline resistance determinant,
tet
(E). Results of mating experiments demonstrated that the
E. coli tet
(M) gene was on a mobile element so that resistance to tetracycline and minocycline could be transferred to a susceptible strain by conjugation. Expression of the cloned
tet
(M) gene, under the control of its own promoter, provided tetracycline and minocycline resistance to the
E. coli
host.
Molecular and Biochemical Characterization of α-Glucosidase and α-Mannosidase and Their Clustered Genes from the Thermoacidophilic Archaeon
Picrophilus torridus
Authors: Angelov Angel , Putyrski Mateusz , Liebl Wolfgang
Published: October 2006

The genes encoding a putative α-glucosidase (
aglA
) and an α-mannosidase (
manA
) appear to be physically clustered in the genome of the extreme acidophile
Picrophilus torridus
, a situation not found previously in any other organism possessing
aglA
or
manA
homologs. While archaeal α-glucosidases have been described, no α-mannosidase enzymes from the archaeal kingdom have been reported previously. Transcription start site mapping and Northern blot analysis revealed that despite their colinear orientation and the small intergenic space, the genes are independently transcribed, both producing leaderless mRNA.
aglA
and
manA
were cloned and overexpressed in
Escherichia coli
, and the purified recombinant enzymes were characterized with respect to their physicochemical and biochemical properties. AglA displayed strict substrate specificity and hydrolyzed maltose, as well as longer α-1,4-linked maltooligosaccharides. ManA, on the other hand, hydrolyzed all possible linkage types of α-glycosidically linked mannose disaccharides and was able to hydrolyze α3,α6-mannopentaose, which represents the core structure of many triantennary N-linked carbohydrates in glycoproteins. The probable physiological role of the two enzymes in the utilization of exogenous glycoproteins and/or in the turnover of the organism's own glycoproteins is discussed.
Defining the
Pseudomonas aeruginosa
SOS Response and Its Role in the Global Response to the Antibiotic Ciprofloxacin
Authors: Cirz Ryan T. , O'Neill Bryan M. , Hammond Jennifer A. , Head Steven R. , Romesberg Floyd E.
Published: October 2006

Pseudomonas aeruginosa
infections can be virtually impossible to eradicate, and the evolution of resistance during antibiotic therapy is a significant concern. In this study, we use DNA microarrays to characterize the global transcriptional response of
P. aeruginosa
to clinical-like doses of the antibiotic ciprofloxacin and also to determine the component that is regulated by LexA cleavage and the SOS response. We find that genes involved in virtually every facet of metabolism are down-regulated in response to ciprofloxacin. The LexA-controlled SOS regulon identified by microarray analysis includes only 15 genes but does include several genes that encode proteins involved in recombination and replication, including two inducible polymerases known to play a role in mutation and the evolution of antibiotic resistance in other organisms. The data suggest that the inhibition of LexA cleavage during therapy might help combat this pathogen by decreasing its ability to adapt and evolve resistance.
The σ
E
Cell Envelope Stress Response of
Streptomyces coelicolor
Is Influenced by a Novel Lipoprotein, CseA
Authors: Hutchings Matthew I. , Hong Hee-Jeon , Leibovitz Emmanuelle , Sutcliffe Iain C. , Buttner Mark J.
Published: October 2006

We have investigated the role of CseA in the σ
E
cell envelope stress response of the gram-positive bacterium
Streptomyces coelicolor
. σ
E
is an extracytoplasmic function RNA polymerase sigma factor required for normal cell envelope integrity in
S. coelicolor
. σ
E
is encoded within a four-gene operon that also encodes CseA, a protein of unknown function, CseB, a response regulator and CseC, a transmembrane sensor histidine kinase (Cse represents
c
ontrol of
s
igma
E
). Previous work has shown that transcription of the
sigE
gene is completely dependent on the CseBC two-component system and that the CseBC-σ
E
signal transduction system is induced by a wide variety of cell-wall-damaging agents. Here we address the role of CseA, a protein with no homologues outside the streptomycetes. We show that CseA is a novel lipoprotein localized to the extracytoplasmic face of the cell membrane and that loss of CseA results in upregulation of the
sigE
promoter.
The Rgg Regulator of
Streptococcus pyogenes
Influences Utilization of Nonglucose Carbohydrates, Prophage Induction, and Expression of the NAD-Glycohydrolase Virulence Operon
Authors: Dmitriev Alexander V. , McDowell Emily J. , Kappeler Kyle V. , Chaussee Michelle A. , Rieck Lindsey D. , Chaussee Michael S.
Published: October 2006

The expression of many virulence-associated genes in
Streptococcus pyogenes
is controlled in a growth phase-dependent manner. Unlike the model organisms
Escherichia coli
and
Bacillus subtilis
, such regulation is apparently not dependent upon alternative sigma factors but appears to rely on complex interactions among several transcriptional regulators, including Rgg. The purpose of this study was to identify changes in gene expression associated with inactivation of the
rgg
gene in
S. pyogenes
strain NZ131 (serotype M49). To this end, the transcriptomes of wild-type and
rgg
mutant strains were analyzed during both the exponential and postexponential phases of growth using Affymetrix NimbleExpress gene chips. Genomewide differences in transcript levels were identified in both phases of growth. Inactivation of
rgg
disrupted coordinate expression of genes associated with the metabolism of nonglucose carbon sources, such as fructose, mannose, and sucrose. The changes were associated with an inability of the mutant strain to grow using these compounds as the primary carbon source. Bacteriophage transcript levels were also altered in the mutant strain and were associated with decreased induction of at least one prophage. Finally, transcripts encoding virulence factors involved in cytolysin-mediated translocation of NAD-glycohydrolase, including the immunity factor IFS and the cytolysin (streptolysin O [SLO]), were more abundant in the mutant strain, which correlated with the amount of NADase and SLO activities in culture supernatant fluids. The results provide further evidence that Rgg contributes to growth phase-dependent gene regulation in strain NZ131.
Replisome Localization in Vegetative and Aerial Hyphae of
Streptomyces coelicolor
Authors: Ruban-Ośmiałowska Beata , Jakimowicz Dagmara , Smulczyk-Krawczyszyn Aleksandra , Chater Keith F. , Zakrzewska-Czerwińska Jolanta
Published: October 2006

Using a functional fusion of DnaN to enhanced green fluorescent protein, we examined the subcellular localization of the replisome machinery in the vegetative mycelium and aerial mycelium of the multinucleoid organism
Streptomyces coelicolor
. Chromosome replication took place in many compartments of both types of hypha, with the apical compartments of the aerial mycelium exhibiting the highest replication activity. Within a single compartment, the number of “current” ongoing DNA replications was lower than the expected chromosome number, and the appearance of fluorescent foci was often heterogeneous, indicating that this process is asynchronous within compartments and that only selected chromosomes undergo replication.
PERTURBATIVE INVARIANTS OF LENS SPACES ASSOCIATED WITH COHOMOLOGY CLASSES
Authors: SATO CHIFUMI
Published: October 2006

The quantum SO(3)-invariants of ℚ-homology 3-spheres can be perturbatively expanded to the Ohtsuki invariant in number theory. On the other hand, it is known that the quantum SU(2)-invariants of 3-manifolds M admits a refinement involving a mod 2 cohomology class of M. A motivation of this paper is to study whether a perturbative expansion can be derived from the refinement. In this paper, we shall prove to be able to derive the perturbative expansion in the case of lens spaces by a concrete calculation, and shall define the perturbative invariant. Furthermore we obtain some properties for the perturbative invariant for covering spaces and connected sums of lens spaces.
ON AXIOMS OF BIQUANDLES
Authors: STANOVSKÝ DAVID
Published: October 2006

We prove that the two conditions from the definition of a biquandle by Fenn, Jordan-Santana, Kauffman [1] are equivalent and thus answer a question posed in the paper. We also construct a weak biquandle, which is not a biquandle.
Targeting Antioxidants to Mitochondria by Conjugation to Lipophilic Cations
Authors: Murphy Michael P. , Smith Robin A.J.
Published: October 2006

Mitochondrial oxidative damage contributes to a range of degenerative diseases. Consequently, the selective inhibition of mitochondrial oxidative damage is a promising therapeutic strategy. One way to do this is to invent antioxidants that are selectively accumulated into mitochondria within patients. Such mitochondria-targeted antioxidants have been developed by conjugating the lipophilic triphenylphosphonium cation to an antioxidant moiety, such as ubiquinol or α-tocopherol. These compounds pass easily through all biological membranes, including the blood-brain barrier, and into muscle cells and thus reach those tissues most affected by mitochondrial oxidative damage. Furthermore, because of their positive charge they are accumulated several-hundredfold within mitochondria driven by the membrane potential, enhancing the protection of mitochondria from oxidative damage. These compounds protect mitochondria from damage following oral delivery and may therefore form the basis for mitochondria-protective therapies. Here we review the background and work to date on this class of mitochondria-targeted antioxidants.
Role of Na+and K+in Enzyme Function
Authors: Page Michael J. , Di Cera Enrico
Published: October 2006

Metal complexation is a key mediator or modifier of enzyme structure and function. In addition to divalent and polyvalent metals, group IA metals Na+and K+play important and specific roles that assist function of biological macromolecules. We examine the diversity of monovalent cation (M+)-activated enzymes by first comparing coordination in small molecules followed by a discussion of theoretical and practical aspects. Select examples of enzymes that utilize M+as a cofactor (type I) or allosteric effector (type II) illustrate the structural basis of activation by Na+and K+, along with unexpected connections with ion transporters. Kinetic expressions are derived for the analysis of type I and type II activation. In conclusion, we address evolutionary implications of Na+binding in the trypsin-like proteases of vertebrate blood coagulation. From this analysis, M+complexation has the potential to be an efficient regulator of enzyme catalysis and stability and offers novel strategies for protein engineering to improve enzyme function.
Mechanisms for Cellular Cholesterol Transport: Defects and Human Disease
Authors: Ikonen Elina
Published: October 2006

This review summarizes the mechanisms of cellular cholesterol transport and monogenic human diseases caused by defects in intracellular cholesterol processing. In addition, selected mouse models of disturbed cholesterol trafficking are discussed. Current pharmacological strategies to prevent atherosclerosis are largely based on altering cellular cholesterol balance and are introduced in this context. Finally, because of the organizing potential of cholesterol in membranes, disturbances in cellular cholesterol transport have implications for a wide variety of human diseases, of which selected examples are given.
(Patho)physiological Significance of the Serum- and Glucocorticoid-Inducible Kinase Isoforms
Authors: Lang Florian , Böhmer Christoph , Palmada Monica , Seebohm Guiscard , Strutz-Seebohm Nathalie , Vallon Volker
Published: October 2006

The serum- and glucocorticoid-inducible kinase-1 (SGK1) is ubiquitously expressed and under genomic control by cell stress (including cell shrinkage) and hormones (including gluco- and mineralocorticoids). Similar to its isoforms SGK2 and SGK3, SGK1 is activated by insulin and growth factors via phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase and the 3-phosphoinositide-dependent kinase PDK1. SGKs activate ion channels (e.g., ENaC, TRPV5, ROMK, Kv1.3, KCNE1/KCNQ1, GluR1, GluR6), carriers (e.g., NHE3, GLUT1, SGLT1, EAAT1–5), and the Na+-K+-ATPase. They regulate the activity of enzymes (e.g., glycogen synthase kinase-3, ubiquitin ligase Nedd4–2, phosphomannose mutase-2) and transcription factors (e.g., forkhead transcription factor FKHRL1, β-catenin, nuclear factor κB). SGKs participate in the regulation of transport, hormone release, neuroexcitability, cell proliferation, and apoptosis. SGK1 contributes to Na+retention and K+elimination of the kidney, mineralocorticoid stimulation of salt appetite, glucocorticoid stimulation of intestinal Na+/H+exchanger and nutrient transport, insulin-dependent salt sensitivity of blood pressure and salt sensitivity of peripheral glucose uptake, memory consolidation, and cardiac repolarization. A common (∼5% prevalence) SGK1 gene variant is associated with increased blood pressure and body weight. SGK1 may thus contribute to metabolic syndrome. SGK1 may further participate in tumor growth, neurodegeneration, fibrosing disease, and the sequelae of ischemia. SGK3 is required for adequate hair growth and maintenance of intestinal nutrient transport and influences locomotive behavior. In conclusion, the SGKs cover a wide variety of physiological functions and may play an active role in a multitude of pathophysiological conditions. There is little doubt that further targets will be identified that are modulated by the SGK isoforms and that further SGK-dependent in vivo physiological functions and pathophysiological conditions will be defined.
On the Time Course of Visual Word Recognition: An Event-related Potential Investigation using Masked Repetition Priming
Authors: Holcomb Phillip J. , Grainger Jonathan
Published: October 2006

The present study used event-related potentials (ERPs) to examine the time course of visual word recognition using a masked repetition priming paradigm. Participants monitored target words for occasional animal names, and ERPs were recorded to nonanimal critical items that were full repetitions, partial repetitions, or unrelated to the immediately preceding masked prime word. The results showed a strong modulation of the N400 and three earlier ERP components (P150, N250, and the P325) that we propose reflect sequential overlapping steps in the processing of printed words.
The Anatomy of Category-specific Object Naming in Neurodegenerative Diseases
Authors: Brambati S. M. , Myers D. , Wilson A. , Rankin K. P. , Allison S. C. , Rosen H. J. , Miller B. L. , Gorno-Tempini M. L.
Published: October 2006

Neuropsychological studies suggest that knowledge about living and nonliving objects is processed in separate brain regions. However, lesion and functional neuroimaging studies have implicated different areas. To address this issue, we used voxel-based morphometry to correlate accuracy in naming line drawings of living and nonliving objects with gray matter volumes in 152 patients with various neurodegenerative diseases. The results showed a significant positive correlation between gray matter volumes in bilateral temporal cortices and total naming accuracy regardless of category. Naming scores for living stimuli correlated with gray matter volume in the medial portion of the right anterior temporal pole, whereas naming accuracy for familiarity-matched nonliving items correlated with the volume of the left posterior middle temporal gyrus. A previous behavioral study showed that the living stimuli used here also had in common the characteristic that they were defined by shared sensory semantic features, whereas items in the nonliving group were defined by their action-related semantic features. We propose that the anatomical segregation of living and nonliving categories is the result of their defining semantic features and the distinct neural subsystems used to process them.
It's Early: Event-related Potential Evidence for Initial Interaction of Syntax and Prosody in Speech Comprehension
Authors: Eckstein Korinna , Friederici Angela D.
Published: October 2006

Psycholinguistic theories assume an interaction between prosody and syntax during language processing. Based on studies using mostly off-line methods, it is unclear whether an interaction occurs at later or initial processing stages. Using event-related potentials, the present study provides neurophysiological evidence for a prosody and syntax interaction in initial processing. The sentence material contained mere prosodic and syntactic as well as combined prosodic-syntactic violations. For the syntax violation, the critical word appeared after a preposition. The suffix of the critical word either indicated a noun fulfilling the syntactic requirements of the preceding preposition or a verb causing a word category violation. For the prosodic manipulation, congruent critical words were normally intonated (signaling sentence continuation) while prosodically incongruent critical words signaled sentence end. For the mere prosodic incongruity, a broadly distributed negativity was observed at the critical word-stem (300–500 msec aligned to word onset). In response to a mere syntactic error, a left temporal negativity was elicited in an early time window (200–400 msec aligned to suffix onset), taken to reflect initial phrase structure building processes. In contrast, in response to the combined prosodic-syntactic violation, an early temporal negativity showed up bilaterally at the suffix in the same time window. Our interpretation is that the process of initial structure building as reflected in the early left anterior negativity recruits additional right hemispheric neural resources when the critical word contains both syntactic and prosodic violations. This suggests the immediate influence of phrasal prosody during the initial parsing stage in speech processing.
Local Regimes of Atmospheric Variability: A Case Study of Southern California
Authors: Conil Sebastien , Hall Alex
Published: October 2006

The primary regimes of local atmospheric variability are examined in a 6-km regional atmospheric model of the southern third of California, an area of significant land surface heterogeneity, intense topography, and climate diversity. The model was forced by reanalysis boundary conditions over the period 1995–2003. The region is approximately the same size as a typical grid box of the current generation of general circulation models used for global climate prediction and reanalysis product generation, and so can be thought of as a laboratory for the study of climate at spatial scales smaller than those resolved by global simulations and reanalysis products. It is found that the simulated circulation during the October–March wet season, when variability is most significant, can be understood through an objective classification technique in terms of three wind regimes. The composite surface wind patterns associated with these regimes exhibit significant spatial structure within the model domain, consistent with the complex topography of the region. These regimes also correspond nearly perfectly with the simulation’s highly structured patterns of variability in hydrology and temperature, and therefore are the main contributors to the local climate variability. The regimes are approximately equally likely to occur regardless of the phase of the classical large-scale modes of atmospheric variability prevailing in the Pacific–North American sector. The high degree of spatial structure of the local regimes and their tightly associated climate impacts, as well as their ambiguous relationship with the primary modes of large-scale variability, demonstrate that the local perspective offered by the high-resolution model is necessary to understand and predict the climate variations of the region.
Multimodel Multisignal Climate Change Detection at Regional Scale
Authors: Zhang Xuebin , Zwiers Francis W. , Stott P. A.
Published: October 2006

Using an optimal detection technique and climate change simulations produced with two versions of two GCMs, we have assessed the causes of twentieth-century temperature changes from global to regional scales. Our analysis is conducted in nine spatial domains: 1) the globe; 2) the Northern Hemisphere; four large regions in the Northern Hemispheric midlatitudes covering 30°–70°N including 3) Eurasia, 4) North America, 5) Northern Hemispheric land only, 6) the entire 30°–70°N belt; and three smaller regions over 7) southern Canada, 8) southern Europe, and 9) China. We find that the effect of anthropogenic forcing on climate is clearly detectable at global through regional scales.

The effect of combined greenhouse gases and sulfate aerosol forcing is detectable in all nine domains in annual and seasonal mean temperatures observed during the second half of the twentieth century. The effect of greenhouse gases can also be separated from that of sulfate aerosols over this period at continental and regional scales. Uncertainty in these results is larger in the smaller spatial domains. Detection is improved when an ensemble of models is used to estimate the response to anthropogenic forcing and the underlying internal variability of the climate system. Our detection results hold after removal of North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO)-related variability in temperature observations—variability that may or may not be associated with anthropogenic forcing. They also continue to hold when our estimates of natural internal climate variability are doubled.
Intercomparison of Arctic Regional Climate Models: Modeling Clouds and Radiation for SHEBA in May 1998
Authors: Inoue Jun , Liu Jiping , Pinto James O. , Curry Judith A.
Published: October 2006

To improve simulations of the Arctic climate and to quantify climate model errors, four regional climate models [the Arctic Regional Climate System Model (ARCSYM), the Coupled Ocean–Atmosphere Mesoscale Prediction System (COAMPS), the High-Resolution Limited-Area Model (HIRHAM), and the Rossby Center Atmospheric Model (RCA)] have simulated the annual Surface Heat Budget of the Arctic Ocean (SHEBA) under the Arctic Regional Climate Model Intercomparison Project (ARCMIP). The same lateral boundary and ocean surface boundary conditions (i.e., ice concentration and surface temperature) drive all of the models. This study evaluated modeled surface heat fluxes and cloud fields during May 1998, a month that included the onset of the surface icemelt. In general, observations agreed with simulated surface pressure and near-surface air properties. Simulation errors due to surface fluxes and cloud effects biased the net simulated surface heat flux, which in turn affected the timing of the simulated icemelt. Modeled cloud geometry and precipitation suggest that the RCA model produced the most accurate cloud scheme, followed by the HIRHAM model. Evaluation of a relationship between cloud water paths and radiation showed that a radiative transfer scheme in ARCSYM was closely matched with the observation when liquid clouds were dominant. Clouds and radiation are of course closely linked, and an additional comparison of the radiative transfer codes for ARCSYM and COAMPS was performed for clear-sky conditions, thereby excluding cloud effects. Overall, the schemes for radiative transfer in ARCSYM and for cloud microphysics in RCA potentially have some advantages for modeling the springtime Arctic.
Soil Moisture Feedbacks to Precipitation in Southern Africa
Authors: Cook Benjamin I. , Bonan Gordon B. , Levis Samuel
Published: October 2006

The effects of increased soil moisture on wet season (October–March) precipitation in southern Africa are investigated using the Community Climate System Model version 3 (CCSM3). In the CTRL case, soil moisture is allowed to interact dynamically with the atmosphere. In the MOIST case, soil moisture is set so that evapotranspiration is not limited by the supply of water. The MOIST scenario actually results in decreased precipitation over the region of perturbed soil moisture, compared to CTRL. The increased soil moisture alters the surface energy balance, resulting in a shift from sensible to latent heating. This manifests in two ways relevant for precipitation processes. First, the shift from sensible to latent heating cools the surface, causing a higher surface pressure, a reduced boundary layer height, and an increased vertical gradient in equivalent potential temperature. These changes are indicative of an increase in atmospheric stability, inhibiting vertical movement of air parcels and decreasing the ability of precipitation to form. Second, the surface changes induce anomalous surface divergence and increased subsidence. This causes a reduction in cloud cover and specific humidity above 700 hPa and results in a net decrease of column-integrated precipitable water, despite the increased surface water flux, indicating a reduction in moisture convergence. Based on this and a previous study, soil moisture may act as a negative feedback to precipitation in southern Africa, helping to buffer the system against any external forcing of precipitation (e.g., ENSO).
Probabilistic Multimodel Regional Temperature Change Projections
Authors: Greene Arthur M. , Goddard Lisa , Lall Upmanu
Published: October 2006

Regional temperature change projections for the twenty-first century are generated using a multimodel ensemble of atmosphere–ocean general circulation models. The models are assigned coefficients jointly, using a Bayesian linear model fitted to regional observations and simulations of the climate of the twentieth century. Probability models with varying degrees of complexity are explored, and a selection is made based on Bayesian deviance statistics, coefficient properties, and a classical cross-validation measure utilizing temporally averaged data. The model selected is shown to be superior in predictive skill to a naïve model consisting of the unweighted mean of the underlying atmosphere–ocean GCM (AOGCM) simulations, although the skill differential varies regionally. Temperature projections for the A2 and B1 scenarios from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Special Report on Emissions Scenarios are presented.
Exploring the Difference Between Male and Female Intimate Partner Homicides
Authors: Swatt Marc L. , He Ni "Phil"
Published: October 2006

This research examines the role of situational factors in differentiating between male- and female-perpetrated intimate partner homicide. Applying concepts from Luckenbill’s theory of homicide as a situated transaction, an intimate partner homicide is seen as an amorphous event where the role of offender and victim emerge during the transaction. When adopting this framework, it is possible to treat the sex of the offender as a dependent variable and examine situational factors that may differentiate between male and female intimate partner homicide offenders. The data used in this analysis come from the lethal sample of the Chicago Women’s Health Risk Study, 1995 to 1998. These data consist of records for 85 heterosexual intimate homicide incidents that occurred in Chicago in 1995 and 1996. Logistic regression analyses indicate that the presence of a prehomicide injury and whether the offender used a knife differentiate between male and female offenders. Implications for future research are discussed.
Economic Inequality, Legitimacy, and Cross-National Homicide Rates
Authors: Chamlin Mitchell B. , Cochran John K.
Published: October 2006

This research is concerned with explicating and modeling the causal linkages from economic inequality to homicide among nation-states. Specifically, the authors posit that the effect of economic inequality on cross-national homicide rates is mediated by the perceived legitimacy of the system of stratification; that is, the effect of economic inequality on cross-national homicide rates should be substantially attenuated once perceived legitimacy is controlled. The authors test this hypothesis with data from 33 of the 44 nation-states that participated in the third wave of the World Values Survey. Negative binomial regression analyses reveal that perceptions of legitimacy do not mediate the effects of economic inequality on homicide. However, they do indicate that the impact of economic, and political, illegitimacy on homicide depends on the level of modernity. The implications of these findings for the economic inequality-homicide relationship are explored.
Battered Women Who Kill
Authors: Herzog Sergio
Published: October 2006

Criminal statutes on murder are usually cited as supporting the consensus model of criminal law (i.e., accurately representing public sentiment). Innovatively, Israel recently modified law to recognize motive as a mitigating factor with murder following prolonged domestic abuse. This article presents and discusses the results of a national sample survey of Israeli respondents assessing the extent to which this modification of law reflects public attitudes toward the seriousness of such cases. The survey, based on a factorial design methodology, assessed public perceptions of seriousness of and appropriate punishment for killings committed by battered partners against their abuser and compared them to perceived seriousness of and appropriate punishment for other homicide cases committed because of other motives. The findings—broad consensus regarding the extreme seriousness of most murders and the lesser seriousness of domestic abuse murders—support the consensus model of crime in relation to the recently modified Israeli homicide law. Implications are discussed.
Review Essay: The Murderer Next Door: Why the Mind is Designed to Kill
Authors: van der Dennen Johan M. G.
Published: October 2006

Buss postulates that the human mind has developed adaptations for killing (killing or homicide modules), that murder is qualitatively different from all other forms of violence, and that homicidal ideation (fantasies) almost invariably precedes carried-out kills, and he claims that Daly & Wilson’s slip-up argument fails because premeditated mate (spouse, partner) killing cannot result from the mere slip-ups central to the by-product (of ever more desperate strategies of mate guarding) hypothesis. In this review a number of alternative interpretations are presented: Normal distribution and coincidental status striving theory, special taxon of substrate dysfunctions, phylogenetic regression theory, and overcontrol theory. Finally, the problematic mate-killing module (as allegedly “superior” to the by-product theory) and the obscure role of homicidal ideation are critically assessed.
Use of the Broselow Tape May Result in the Underresuscitation of Children
Authors: Nieman Carolyn T. , Manacci Christopher F. , Super Dennis M. , Mancuso Charlene , Fallon William F.
Published: October 2006

Objectives The purpose of this study was to determine the concordance of the Broselow tape with the measured heights and weights of a community‐based population of children, especially in light of the increase in obesity in today's children.

Methods The authors examined more than 7,500 children in a cross‐sectional, descriptive study in two different cohorts of children to compare their actual weight with their predicted weight by a color‐coded tape measure.

Results In all patients, the percent agreement and κ values of the Broselow color predicted by height versus the actual color by weight for the 2002A tape were 66.2% and 0.61, respectively. The concordance was best in infants, followed by school‐age children, toddlers, and preschoolers (κ= 0.66, 0.44, 0.39, and 0.39, respectively; percent agreement, 81.3%, 58.2%, 60.7%, and 64.0%, respectively). The tapes accurately predicted (within 10%) medication dosages for resuscitation in 55.3%–60.0% of the children. The number of children who were underdosed (by ≥10%) exceeded those who were overdosed (by ≥10%) by 2.5 to 4.4 times (p < 0.05). The tapes accurately predicted uncuffed endotracheal tube sizes when compared with age‐based guidelines in 71% of the children, with undersizing (≥0.5 mm) exceeding oversizing by threefold to fourfold (p < 0.05).

Conclusions The Broselow tape color‐coded system inaccurately predicted actual weight in one third of children. Caregivers need to take into consideration the accuracy of this device when estimating children's weight during the resuscitation of a child.
Developing a Valid Evaluation for Interpersonal and Communication Skills
Authors: Reisdorff Earl J. , Hughes Mary Jo , Castaneda Carlos , Carlson Dale J. , Donohue William A. , Fediuk Thomas A. , Hughes William P.
Published: October 2006

Objectives The Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education requires that residency programs evaluate the acquisition of six general competencies, including Interpersonal and Communication Skills (ICS). To develop a 360‐degree method for accomplishing this, a semantic‐differentiation matrix for various communication traits for nurses to evaluate physician ICS was developed. The authors sought to determine whether this evaluation method could discriminate between more experienced medical communicators (faculty) and less experienced medical communicators (residents).

Methods A 98‐item questionnaire measured several communication dimensions by using an eight‐element semantic‐differentiation scale. In addition, global assessment ratings assessed nursing perceptions of physician ICS skills. This process was repeated for various clinical scenarios.

Results There were 26 nurse evaluators, 19 emergency medicine (EM) residents (EM2 and EM3), and 30 EM faculty. Each physician received five independent evaluations (total, 245 evaluations). All EM residents (EM2 and EM3) were compared with the EM faculty. All eight items on the semantic‐differentiation scale were compared. Likewise, the global assessment scores were compared. In every category, the faculty scored higher (Mann‐Whitney U: p < 0.001).

Conclusions An evaluation process integrating a semantic‐differentiation matrix was applied to various clinical scenarios (as well as global assessment items) and demonstrated discriminatory results. Faculty physicians scored significantly higher than resident physicians. The ability to provide discriminatory results is a requisite in the development of a valid evaluation process. The described semantic‐differentiation matrix and global assessment questions may be valid measurements of ICS.
Ascorbate Oxidase-catalyzed Electrochemical Reduction of Dioxygen Using 2,6-Dichloroindophenol as an Electron-transfer Mediator
Authors: Murata Kenichi , Sugihara Misa , Nakamura Nobuhumi , Ohno Hiroyuki
Published: October 2006

Electrochemical reduction of dioxygen to water proceeds through the 2,6-dichloroindophenol (DCIP)-mediated and Acremonium sp. HI-25 ascorbate oxidase (ASOM)-catalyzed reaction. The optimum pH of the reaction has been proven to be neutral pH 7.5.
n-Type and Ambipolar FET Characteristics Using Pyrazinophenanthrolines Linked with Oligothiophenes
Authors: Nishida Jun-ichi , Murakami Shigeki , Tada Hirokazu , Yamashita Yoshiro
Published: October 2006

Phenanthroline rings were used to generate n-type FET properties for the first time. A FET device based on a pyrazinophenanthroline with a quinquethiophene unit showed clear ambipolar FET characteristics.
An analysis of 46 static telecytology cases over a period of two years
Authors: Jialdasani Rajasa , Desai Sangeeta , Gupta Monica , Kothari Ashok , Deshpande Ruta , Shet Tanuja , Ramadwar Mukta , Kane Shubhada , Chinoy Roshni
Published: October 2006

We analysed 46 telecytology cases sent from two rural hospitals about 500 km from a tertiary cancer centre. The cases were submitted for second opinion over a period of two years and evaluated using a static store and forward telecytology approach. A total of 715 digital images were studied (average 15 per case). Forty-one of the 46 cases (89%) were reported within 3 days and 54% of cases were reported within one working day. The aspiration smears and images were found to be of diagnosable quality in 89 and 93% of the cases, respectively. The diagnostic concordance was assessed by comparing the telecytology diagnosis, glass slide diagnosis and final histopathology diagnosis (when available). A clinically useful diagnosis was rendered in 91% cases with 74% complete concordance. Five out of 46 cases (11%) were deferred for glass slide review. Store and forward telecytology using the Internet is a rapid and effective method of providing expert diagnosis in cytology.