bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
FOREST DYNAMICS IN OREGON LANDSCAPES: EVALUATION AND APPLICATION OF AN INDIVIDUAL‐BASED MODEL
Authors: Busing Richard T. , Solomon Allen M. , McKane Robert B. , Burdick Connie A.
Published: October 2007

The FORCLIM model of forest dynamics was tested against field survey data for its ability to simulate basal area and composition of old forests across broad climatic gradients in western Oregon, USA. The model was also tested for its ability to capture successional trends in ecoregions of the west Cascade Range. It was then applied to simulate present and future (1990–2050) forest landscape dynamics of a watershed in the west Cascades. Various regimes of climate change and harvesting in the watershed were considered in the landscape application. The model was able to capture much of the variation in forest basal area and composition in western Oregon even though temperature and precipitation were the only inputs that were varied among simulated sites. The measured decline in total basal area from tall coastal forests eastward to interior steppe was matched by simulations. Changes in simulated forest dominants also approximated those in the actual data. Simulated abundances of a few minor species did not match actual abundances, however. Subsequent projections of climate change and harvest effects in a west Cascades landscape indicated no change in forest dominance as of 2050. Yet, climate‐driven shifts in the distributions of some species were projected. The simulation of both stand‐replacing and partial‐stand disturbances across western Oregon improved agreement between simulated and actual data. Simulations with fire as an agent of partial disturbance suggested that frequent fires of low severity can alter forest composition and structure as much or more than severe fires at historic frequencies.
POSTFIRE STAND STRUCTURE IN A SEMIARID SAVANNA: CROSS‐SCALE CHALLENGES ESTIMATING BIOMASS
Authors: Huang Cho-ying , Marsh Stuart E. , McClaran Mitchel P. , Archer Steven R.
Published: October 2007

Algorithms relating remotely sensed woody cover to biomass are often the basis for large‐scale inventories of aboveground carbon stocks. However, these algorithms are commonly applied in a generic fashion without consideration of disturbances that might alter vegetation structure. We compared field and remote sensing estimates of woody biomass on savannas with contrasting disturbance (fire) histories and assessed potential errors in estimating woody biomass from cover without considering fire history. Field surveys quantified multilayer cover (MLC) of woody and succulent plants on sites experiencing wildfire in 1989 or 1994 and on nearby unburned (control) sites. Remote sensing estimates of the woody cover fraction (WCF) on burned and control sites were derived from contemporary (2005) dry‐season Landsat Thematic Mapper imagery (during a period when herbaceous cover was senescent) using a probabilistic spectral mixture analysis model. Satellite WCF estimates were compared to field MLC assessments and related to aboveground biomass using allometry.

Field‐based MLC and remotely sensed WCFs both indicated that woody cover was comparable on control areas and areas burned 11–16 years ago. However, biomass was approximately twofold higher on control sites. Canopy cover was a strong predictor of woody biomass on burned and control areas, but fire history significantly altered the linear cover–biomass relationship on control plots to a curvilinear relationship on burned plots. Results suggest predictions of woody biomass from “generic” two‐dimensional (2‐D) cover algorithms may underestimate biomass in undisturbed stands and overestimate biomass in stands recovering from disturbance. Improving the accuracy of woody‐biomass estimates from field and/or remotely sensed cover may therefore require disturbance‐specific models or detection of vegetation height and transforming 2‐D vegetation cover to 3‐D vegetation volume.
POACHING, ENFORCEMENT, AND THE EFFICACY OF MARINE RESERVES
Authors: Byers James E. , Noonburg Erik G.
Published: October 2007

Marine reserves are promoted as an effective supplement to traditional fishery management techniques of harvest quotas and effort limitation. However, quantitative fishery models have ignored the impact of noncompliance (poaching). Here we link a model of a harvested fish population to a game‐theoretic representation of fisherman behavior to quantify the effect of poaching on fishery yield and the enforcement effort required to maintain any desired level of reserve effectiveness. Although higher fish densities inside reserves will typically entice fishermen to poach, we show that the initial investment in enforcement efforts provides the greatest return on maintaining the benefits of the reserve to the fishery. Furthermore, we find that poaching eliminates the positive effect of fish dispersal on yield that is predicted by traditional models that ignore fisherman behavior. Our results broaden a fundamental insight from previous models of marine reserves, the effective equivalence of the harvest quota and reserve fraction, to the more realistic scenario in which fishermen attempt to maximize their economic payoffs.
TCF7L2 Is Not a Major Susceptibility Gene for Type 2 Diabetes in Pima Indians
Authors: Guo Tingwei , Hanson Robert L. , Traurig Michael , Li Muller Yunhua , Ma Lijun , Mack Janel , Kobes Sayuko , Knowler William C. , Bogardus Clifton , Baier Leslie J.
Published: October 2007

OBJECTIVE— The transcription factor 7-like 2 (TCF7L2) gene was initially reported to be associated with type 2 diabetes in Icelandic, Danish, and U.S. populations. We investigated whether TCF7L2 also has a role in type 2 diabetes susceptibility in Pima Indians.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS— The six variants reported to be associated with type 2 diabetes in the Icelandic study were genotyped in a population-based sample of 3,501 Pima Indians (1,561 subjects had type 2 diabetes, and 1,940 did not have diabetes). In addition, the coding and promoter regions of TCF7L2 were sequenced in 24 Pima subjects. The one variant identified by sequencing, 35 additional database variants positioned in introns, and the six variants reported in the Icelandic study were genotyped in Pima families to determine the haplotype structure of TCF7L2 among Pima Indians. Fourteen representative variants were selected and genotyped in 3,501 Pima Indians.

RESULTS— The six variants initially reported to be associated with type 2 diabetes were less common in Pima Indians compared with samples of European origin, and none were associated with type 2 diabetes. One representative variant, rs1225404, was nominally associated with type 2 diabetes in a general model (additive P = 0.03, dominant P = 0.005) but not in a within-family analysis (additive P = 0.2, dominant P = 0.07). However, several variants were associated with BMI; in particular, rs12255372 was associated in both general and within-family analyses (both P = 0.0007). Modest associations were also found with traits predictive for type 2 diabetes.

CONCLUSIONS— Variation within TCF7L2 does not confer major risk for type 2 diabetes among the Pima Indian population.
Are NCLB’s Measures, Incentives, and Improvement Strategies the Right Ones for the Nation’s Low-Performing High Schools?
Authors: Balfanz Robert , Legters Nettie , West Thomas C. , Weber Lisa M.
Published: October 2007

This article examines the extent to which adequate yearly progress (AYP) is a valid and reliable indicator of improvement in low-performing high schools. For a random subsample of 202 high schools, the authors investigate the school characteristics and the federal and state policy contexts that influence their AYP status. Logistic regression models reveal that the strongest predictors of AYP status in low-performing high schools are the number of student subgroups for which schools are accountable and their No Child Left Behind improvement status. Analysis of state report card data further paints a confusing landscape in which improving low-performing high schools are sanctioned whereas similar schools showing less improvement are not.
The Changing Roles of Teachers in an Era of High-Stakes Accountability
Authors: Valli Linda , Buese Daria
Published: October 2007

This article examines the impact of federal, state, and local policies on the roles that elementary school teachers are asked to assume inside and outside the classroom. Through a detailed analysis of changes in teacher tasks over a 4-year period, the authors determined that role expectations increased, intensified, and expanded in four areas: instructional, institutional, collaborative, and learning. These changes had unanticipated, and often negative, consequences for teachers’ relationships with students, pedagogy, and sense of professional well-being. The authors use one policy directive, differentiated instruction, to illustrate the complexity of role demands currently made of teachers, and they draw implications for policy and research.
Der Natur abgeschaut: β‐Faltblatt‐Oligopeptide und Analoga organisieren Blockcopolymere
Authors: König Hannah M. , Kilbinger Andreas F. M.
Published: October 2007

Die Strukturen von Knäuel‐Knäuel‐Diblockcopolymeren in Lösung lassen sich durch die selektive Solvatation einzelner Blöcke erklären und sind mittlerweile gut untersucht. In den meisten Fällen verfügen diese relativ einfach aufgebauten Blockcopolymere über keinerlei spezifische attraktive Wechselwirkungen, die einen Aggregationsprozess unterstützen könnten. Demgegenüber sind in der Natur unzählige Beispiele definierter polymerer Architekturen zu finden, die hierarchisch über nichtkovalente Wechselwirkungen aufgebaut sind. Hoch definierte Strukturen, wie sie etwa die Proteine bilden, sind für synthetische Polymere bislang unbekannt. Ein relativ junges Forschungsgebiet der Polymerchemie widmet sich daher dem Ansatz, die in der Natur geltenden Prinzipien der Überstrukturbildung mit der Polymerchemie zu kombinieren, indem man Peptide mit β‐Faltblattstruktur an synthetische Polymere konjugiert. Von besonderem Interesse ist hierbei die supramolekulare Organisation der Polymere, die ausschließlich über die attraktiven Wechselwirkungen zwischen den Peptidsträngen hervorgerufen wird. Solche Peptid‐Polymer‐Hybridstrukturen sind eine interessante neue Materialklasse, die es zudem ermöglicht, wichtige Einblicke in natürlich vorkommende Selbstorganisationsprozesse zu erlangen.
Learning from Nature: β‐Sheet‐Mimicking Copolymers Get Organized
Authors: König Hannah M. , Kilbinger Andreas F. M.
Published: October 2007

The solution structures formed by coil–coil copolymers arise from the selective solvation of one of the two blocks and have been well described. In most cases in such relatively simple synthetic structures there are no specific attractive forces that can aid the aggregation process. Nature, however, provides plenty of inspiring polymeric architectures that are shaped and ordered hierarchically by noncovalent forces. The high level of structural definition displayed by proteins, for example, is unmatched by synthetic polymers. An emerging area of interest in polymer science tries to combine the best of both worlds, the natural and the synthetic, by conjugating synthetic polymers and β‐sheet‐forming peptides. Understanding the supramolecular organization of the block copolymers driven exclusively by the intermolecular attractive forces of the peptide sequence is of particular interest. Not only do these peptide–polymer hybrid structures present an interesting new class of materials, they can also provide important insights into self‐organization processes prevalent in nature.
Vinyl polymerization of norbornene by nickel(II) complexes bearing β‐diketiminate ligands
Authors: Li Yongfei , Gao Meili , Wu Qing
Published: October 2007

Norbornene polymerizations were carried out using nickel(II) bromide complexes CH{C(R)NAr}2NiBr (1, R = CH3, Ar = 2, 6 − iPr2C6H3; 2, R = CH3, Ar = 2, 6‐Me2C6H3; 3, R = CF3, Ar = 2, 6 − iPr2C6H3; 4, R = CF3, Ar = 2, 6‐Me2C6H3) in the presence of methylaluminoxane. Compound 3 is the most active norbornene polymerization catalyst of all the nickel complexes tested. The activity of theses catalysts increases with increases in steric bulk of the substituents on the aryl rings. The electronic nature of the ligand backbone also affects the activity. The resulting polynorbornenes are vinyl type by IR and NMR analyses. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Rifalazil and Other Benzoxazinorifamycins in the Treatment of Chlamydia‐Based Persistent Infections
Authors: Rothstein David M. , van Duzer John , Sternlicht Andrew , Gilman Steven C.
Published: October 2007

Rifalazil is a benzoxazinorifamycin which inhibits bacterial DNA‐dependent RNA polymerase. The benzoxazine ring endows benzoxazinorifamycins with unique physical and chemical characteristics which favor the use of rifalazil and derivatives in treating diseases caused by the obligate intracellular pathogens of the genus chlamydia. Minimal inhibitory concentrations of benzoxazinorifamycins against chlamydia are in the pg/mL range. These compounds have potential as monotherapeutic agents to treat chlamydia‐associated disease because they retain activity against chlamydia strains resistant to currently approved rifamycins such as rifampin. A pivotal clinical trial with rifalazil has been initiated for the treatment of peripheral arterial disease. The rationale for this innovative use of rifalazil, including the association of C. pneumoniae in atherosclerotic plaque formation, as well as rifalazil's potency and efficacy against chlamydia in both preclinical and clinical studies, is discussed. Other benzoxazino derivatives may have utility as stand‐alone topical antibacterials or combination antibacterials to treat serious Gram‐positive infections. None of the benzoxaminorifamycins examined to date induce the cytochrome P450 3A4 enzyme. This is in contrast to currently approved rifamycins which are strong inducers of P450 enzymes, resulting in drug–drug interactions that limit the clinical utility of this drug class.
Linking Two Distinct Layered Networks of Nanosized {Ln18} and {Cu24} Wheels through Isonicotinate Ligands
Authors: Cheng Jian‐Wen , Zhang Jie , Zheng Shou‐Tian , Yang Guo‐Yu
Published: October 2007

A new series of heterolanthanide(III)‐copper(I) wheel‐cluster complexes [Ln6(μ3‐O)2](IN)18[Cu8(μ4‐I)2(μ2‐I)3]⋅H3O (IN=isonicotinate; Ln=Y 1, Nd 2, Dy 3, Gd 4, Sm 5, Eu 6, Tb 7) were prepared by hydrothermal reaction at low pH. X‐ray crystallographic studies reveal that two unusual trinuclear [Ln3(μ3‐O)] and tetranuclear [Cu4(μ4‐I)] cores are successfully used as secondary building units to make two different nanosized wheels [Ln18(μ3‐O)6(CO2)48]6−, {Ln18}, and [Cu24(μ4‐I)6(μ2‐I)12]6+, {Cu24}, with 12‐rings and a diameter of 26.7 and 26.4 Å, respectively. The wheels are further assembled into two‐dimensional (2D) {Ln18} and {Cu24} networks, the linkages between two distinct layered networks of {Ln18} and {Cu24} wheels by IN pillars along the c axis giving a series of unprecedented three‐dimensional (3D) sandwich frameworks. To our knowledge, compounds 1–7 are the first examples containing two different layered networks of nanosized Ln and transition metal (TM) wheels in wheel‐cluster chemistry. The IR, UV/Vis, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), luminescent, and magnetic properties of these complexes were also studied.
Chemical and morphological alterations of spines within the hippocampus and entorhinal cortex precede the onset of Alzheimer's disease pathology in double knock‐in mice
Authors: Aoki Chiye , Mahadomrongkul Veeravan , Fujisawa Sho , Habersat Rebecca , Shirao Tomoaki
Published: October 2007

Mice with knock‐in of two mutations that affect beta amyloid processing and levels (2xKI) exhibit impaired spatial memory by 9–12 months of age, together with synaptic plasticity dysfunction in the hippocampus. The goal of this study was to identify changes in the molecular and structural characteristics of synapses that precede and thus could exert constraints upon cellular mechanisms underlying synaptic plasticity. Drebrin A is one protein reported to modulate spine sizes and trafficking of proteins to and from excitatory synapses. Thus, we examined levels of drebrin A within postsynaptic spines in the hippocampus and entorhinal cortex. Our electron microscopic immunocytochemical analyses reveal that, by 6 months, the proportion of hippocampal spines containing drebrin A is reduced and this change is accompanied by an increase in the mean size of spines and decreased density of spines. In the entorhinal cortex of 2xKI brains, we detected no decrement in the proportion of spines labeled for drebrin A and no significant change in spine density at 6 months, but rather a highly significant reduction in the level of drebrin A immunoreactivity within each spine. These changes are unlike those observed for the somatosensory cortex of 2xKI mice, in which synapse density and drebrin A immunoreactivity levels remain unchanged at 6 months and older. These results indicate that brains of 2xKI mice, like those of humans, exhibit regional differences of vulnerability, with the hippocampus exhibiting the first signatures of structural changes that, in turn, may underlie the emergent inability to update spatial memory in later months. J. Comp. Neurol. 505:352–362, 2007. © 2007 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Distribution of corticotropin‐releasing hormone in the developing zebrafish brain
Authors: Chandrasekar Gayathri , Lauter Gilbert , Hauptmann Giselbert
Published: October 2007

Corticotropin‐releasing hormone (CRH) plays a central role in the physiological regulation of the hypothalamus‐pituitary‐adrenal/interrenal axis mediating endocrine, behavioral, autonomic, and immune responses to stress. Despite the wealth of knowledge about the physiological roles of CRH, the genetic mechanisms by which CRH neurons arise during development are poorly understood. As a first step toward analyzing the molecular and genetic pathways involved in CRH lineage specification, we describe the developmental distribution of CRH neurons in the embryonic zebrafish, a model organism for functional genomics and developmental biology. We searched available zebrafish expressed sequence tag (EST) databases for CRH‐like sequences and identified one EST that contained the complete zebrafish CRH open reading frame (ORF). The CRH precursor sequence contained a signal peptide, the CRH peptide, and a cryptic peptide with a conserved sequence motif. RT‐PCR analysis showedcrhexpression in a wide range of adult tissues as well as during embryonic and larval stages. By whole‐mount in situ hybridization histochemistry, discretecrh‐expressing cell clusters were found in different parts of the embryonic zebrafish brain, including telencephalon, preoptic region, hypothalamus, posterior tuberculum, thalamus, epiphysis, midbrain tegmentum, and rostral hindbrain and in the neural retina. The localization ofcrhmRNA within the preoptic region is consistent with the central role of CRH in the teleost stress response through activation of the hypothalamic‐pituitary‐interrenal axis. The widespread distribution of CRH‐synthesizing cells outside the preoptic region suggests additional functions of CRH in the embryonic zebrafish brain. J. Comp. Neurol. 505:337–351, 2007. © 2007 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
The potassium channel KCNQ5/Kv7.5 is localized in synaptic endings of auditory brainstem nuclei of the rat
Authors: Caminos Elena , Garcia‐Pino Elisabet , Martinez‐Galan Juan Ramon , Juiz José M.
Published: October 2007

KCNQ, also called Kv7, is a family of voltage‐dependent potassium channels with important roles in excitability regulation. Of its five known subunits, KCNQ5/Kv7.5 is extensively expressed in the central nervous system and it contributes to the generation of M‐currents. The distribution of KCNQ5 was analyzed in auditory nuclei of the rat brainstem by high‐resolution immunocytochemistry. Double labeling with anti‐KCNQ5 antibodies and anti‐synaptophysin or anti‐syntaxin, which mark synaptic endings, or anti‐microtubule‐associated protein 2 (MAP2) antibodies, which mark dendrites, were used to analyze the subcellular distribution of KCNQ5 in neurons in the cochlear nucleus, superior olivary complex, nuclei of the lateral lemniscus, and inferior colliculus. An abundance of KCNQ5 labeling in punctate structures throughout auditory brainstem nuclei along with colocalization with such synaptic markers suggests that a preferred localization of KCNQ5 is in synaptic endings in these auditory nuclei. Punctate KCNQ5 immunoreactivity virtually disappeared from the cochlear nucleus after cochlea removal, which strongly supports localization of this channel in excitatory endings of the auditory nerve. Actually, neither glycinergic endings, labeled with an anti‐glycine transporter 2 (GlyT2) antibody, nor γ‐aminobutyric acid (GABA)ergic endings, labeled with an anti‐glutamic acid decarboxylase (GAD65) antibody, contained KCNQ5 immunoreactivity, suggesting that KCNQ5 is mostly in excitatory endings throughout the auditory brainstem. Overlap of KCNQ5 and MAP2 labeling indicates that KCNQ5 is also targeted to dendritic compartments. These findings predict pre‐ and postsynaptic roles for KCNQ5 in excitability regulation in auditory brainstem nuclei, at the level of glutamatergic excitatory endings and in dendrites. J. Comp. Neurol. 505:363–378, 2007. © 2007 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Effects of inflammation on the ultrastructural localization of spinal cord dorsal horn group I metabotropic glutamate receptors
Authors: Pitcher Mark H. , Ribeiro‐Da‐Silva Alfredo , Coderre Terence J.
Published: October 2007

Inflammatory pain is thought to induce functional plasticity of spinal dorsal horn neurons and may produce changes in glutamate receptor expression. Plasticity of group I metabotropic glutamate receptors (mGluR1 and mGluR5) is important in various neuronal systems, and these receptors are also known to modulate nociceptive neurotransmission in the spinal dorsal horn. The present study aimed at determining whether persistent inflammatory pain produces alterations in intracellular and plasma membrane‐associated mGluR1α and mGluR5 in spinal cord dorsal horn. Persistent inflammation was induced in male Long Evans rats by a unilateral intraplantar injection of 100 μL of complete Freund's adjuvant (CFA). Three days after the CFA injection thermal withdrawal latencies were obtained prior to processing of transverse spinal cord sections for preembedding immunogold labeling after incubation in primary antibody for mGluR1α or mGluR5. Using electron microscopy, we quantified immunogold‐labeled mGluR1α and mGluR5 profiles, located in lamina V and I–II, respectively, of both CFA‐treated rats and untreated control rats. Compared to untreated rats, CFA‐treated rats had a significant increase in the number of plasma membrane‐associated mGluR5 immunogold‐labeled particles in lamina I–II neurons of the spinal cord. Although no changes to mGluR1α expression were found in CFA‐treated rats, plasma membrane‐associated mGluR1α was significantly closer to the synapse. Therefore, in CFA‐treated rats there was a specific increase in the ratio of plasma membrane‐associated versus intracellular immunogold‐labeled particles for mGluR5, and lateral movement of mGluR1α toward the synapse, indicating that peripheral inflammation‐induced trafficking of group I mGluRs in spinal dorsal horn neurons may be an important factor in the development of plastic changes associated with inflammation‐induced chronic pain. J. Comp. Neurol. 505:412–423, 2007. © 2007 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Spatial and temporal activation of brain regions in hibernation: c‐fos expression during the hibernation bout in thirteen‐lined ground squirrel
Authors: Bratincsák András , McMullen David , Miyake Shinichi , Tóth Zsuzsanna E. , Hallenbeck John M. , Palkovits Miklós
Published: October 2007

Hibernation results in dramatic changes in body temperature and metabolism; however, the central nervous system remains active during deep torpor. By cloning c‐fos cDNA from the 13‐lined ground squirrel (Spermophilus tridecemlineatus) and using squirrel c‐fos mRNA probe for in situ hybridization histochemistry, we systematically analyzed and identified specific brain regions that were activated during six different phases of the hibernation bout. During entrance into torpor, we detected activation of the ventrolateral subdivision of the medial preoptic area (‘thermoregulatory center’), and the reticular thalamic nucleus, which is known to inhibit the somatomotor cortex. During torpor, c‐fos expression in the cortex was suppressed while the reticular thalamic nucleus remained uniformly active. Throughout torpor the suprachiasmatic nucleus (‘biological clock’) showed increasing activity, likely participating in phase‐change regulation of the hibernation bout. Interestingly, during torpor very strong c‐fos activation was seen in the epithelial cells of the choroid plexus and in tanycytes at the third ventricle, both peaking near the beginning of arousal. In arousal, activity of the suprachiasmatic and reticular thalamic nuclei and choroid epithelial cells diminished, while ependymal cells in the lateral and fourth ventricles showed stronger activity. Increasing body temperature during arousal was driven by the activation of neurons in the medial part of the preoptic area. In interbout awake animals, we demonstrated the activation of hypothalamic neurons located in the arcuate nucleus and the dorsolateral hypothalamus, areas involved in food intake. Our observations indicate that the hibernation bout is closely regulated and orchestrated by specific regions of the central nervous system. J. Comp. Neurol. 505:443–458, 2007. © 2007 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Atypical embryonic synapses fail to regenerate in adulthood
Authors: Kloos Anne D. , Muller Kenneth J. , Modney Barbara K.
Published: October 2007

Functional recovery following central nervous system (CNS) injury in adult animals may depend on the reestablishment of the precise pattern of connections made during development. When the nervous system is injured during embryonic development, functional recovery may involve the formation of atypical connections. Can such atypical synapses regenerate in adults, particularly in a nervous system known for its capacity for repair? When the S interneuron in one segmental ganglion of the leech Hirudo is killed during development, two neighboring S cells extend their axons into the ganglion and restore function by making electrical synapses with the usual synaptic targets of the killed S cell. Although adult S‐cell axons reliably regenerated their usual synaptic connections, the novel synapses induced following embryonic injury failed to regenerate in adults. In these preparations severed S‐cell axons did not reach the denervated ganglion but grew close to it, independent of the distance required to grow. Thus, the developmental changes that permit aberrant but functional connections in embryos do not lead to a similar change in the capacity for axon growth and subsequent synapse regeneration in adults. J. Comp. Neurol. 505:404–411, 2007. © 2007 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Transition‐Metal Porous Coordination Polymers with a Podand Ligand: Structure of Discrete Water Clusters and Variable‐Temperature Magnetism
Authors: Neogi Subhadip , Sañudo E. Carolina , Bharadwaj Parimal K.
Published: October 2007

The podand ligand tris(4‐carboxy‐2‐phenoxyethyl)amine (ptaH3) readily reacts with CoII, MnII and NiII salts at room temperature to afford porous coordination polymers, {Co(ptaH)·5H2O}n (1), {[Mn(ptaH)(H2O)]·4H2O}n (2), and {[Ni(ptaH)(4H2O)]·6H2O}n, (3). Crystallographic studies performed on these systems reveal that their structures are based on infinite chains of interlinked metallacycles. The bridging carboxylate groups extend the open framework structures, with oval‐shaped voids. Supramolecularly assembled water clusters of different sizes, whose structures are proportionate with the size and shape of the MOFs, fill these voids. While discrete (H2O)10 clusters are present in 1 and 2, both (H2O)2 and (H2O)16 clusters occupy the voids in 3. Magnetic susceptibility measurements, in the temperature range 2–300 K, on 1 and 2 reveal that the metal centers are antiferromagnetically coupled in each case. (© Wiley‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, 69451 Weinheim, Germany, 2007)
A Triphenylamine/Bis(terpyridine)IrIII Dyad for the Assembly of Charge‐Separation Constructs with Improved Performances
Authors: Flamigni Lucia , Ventura Barbara , Baranoff Etienne , Collin Jean‐Paul , Sauvage Jean‐Pierre
Published: October 2007

A new dyad DII‐Ir consisting of a triphenylamine donor and a bis(terpyridine)IrIII acceptor separated by a bridge composed of two benzamide groups has been synthesized. The electrochemical and photophysical properties of the dyad have been compared to those of a corresponding dyad D‐Ir characterized by a bridge connecting the donor and the acceptor consisting of a single benzamide unit. We show that, whereas the charge‐separation steps are still very efficient in the long dyad (≥99 %), charge recombination is slowed by a factor of three with respect to the short dyad. This encourages the use of this dyad in the assembly of a more elaborate array DII‐Ir‐A, expected to overcome the disappointingly low charge‐separation yield of a previously studied D‐Ir‐A short triad. (© Wiley‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, 69451 Weinheim, Germany, 2007)
A CIP/multi‐moment finite volume method for shallow water equations with source terms
Authors: Akoh R. , Ii S. , Xiao F.
Published: October 2007

A novel finite volume method has been presented to solve the shallow water equations. In addition to the volume‐integrated average (VIA) for each mesh cell, the surface‐integrated average (SIA) is also treated as the model variable and is independently predicted. The numerical reconstruction is conducted based on both the VIA and the SIA. Different approaches are used to update VIA and SIA separately. The SIA is updated by a semi‐Lagrangian scheme in terms of the Riemann invariants of the shallow water equations, while the VIA is computed by a flux‐based finite volume formulation and is thus exactly conserved. Numerical oscillation can be effectively avoided through the use of a non‐oscillatory interpolation function. The numerical formulations for both SIA and VIA moments maintain exactly the balance between the fluxes and the source terms. 1D and 2D numerical formulations are validated with numerical experiments. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Use of instrumental variables in the presence of heterogeneity and self‐selection: an application to treatments of breast cancer patients
Authors: Basu Anirban , Heckman James J. , Navarro‐Lozano Salvador , Urzua Sergio
Published: October 2007

Instrumental variable (IV) methods are widely used in the health economics literature to adjust for hidden selection biases in observational studies when estimating treatment effects. Less attention has been paid in the applied literature to the proper use of IVs if treatment effects are heterogeneous across subjects and individuals select treatments based on expected idiosyncratic gains or losses from treatments. In this paper we compare conventional IV analysis with alternative approaches that use IVs to estimate treatment effects in models with response heterogeneity and self‐selection. Instead of interpreting IV estimates as the effect of treatment at an unknown margin of patients, we identify the marginal patients and we apply the method of local IVs to estimate the average treatment effect and the effect on the treated on 5‐year direct costs of breast‐conserving surgery and radiation therapy compared with mastectomy in breast cancer patients. We use a sample from the Outcomes and Preferences in Older Women, Nationwide Survey which is designed to be representative of all female Medicare beneficiaries (aged 67 or older) with newly diagnosed breast cancer between 1992 and 1994. Our results reveal some of the advantages and limitations of conventional and alternative IV methods in estimating mean treatment effect parameters. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Giving greater financial independence to hospitals—does it make a difference? The case of English NHS Trusts
Authors: Marini Giorgia , Miraldo Marisa , Jacobs Rowena , Goddard Maria
Published: October 2007

In 2003 a new type of provider organisation, the Foundation Trust (FT), was introduced in England, and the best performing NHS hospitals were able to apply for ‘Foundation status’. FTs enjoy greater financial flexibility and are subject to less central monitoring and control. The phased introduction of FTs represents an opportunity to examine whether the new financial structures facing FTs have produced any differences in financial performance compared with non‐FTs. We use difference in difference methods to examine whether Foundation status had a significant effect on financial management. We find that Foundation status has had a limited impact in terms of acting as an instrument to signal strong financial management of FTs. This result may reflect the relatively early stage of the FT process or may be due to the fact that all types of Trusts are experiencing a challenging financial environment, including the introduction of a prospective payment system. However, we explore the nature of the trends emerging over time and discuss the implications of our findings for policy. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Do maternal stress and home environment mediate the relation between early income‐to‐need and 54‐months attentional abilities?
Authors: Dilworth‐Bart Janean E. , Khurshid Ayesha , Vandell Deborah Lowe
Published: October 2007

Using Ecological Systems Theory and stage sequential modelling procedures for detecting mediation, this study examined how early developmental contexts impact preschoolers' performances on a measure of sustained attention and impulse control. Data from 1273 European‐American and African‐American participants in the NICHD Study of Early Child Care were used to identify the potential mediators of the relation between early household income‐to‐need (INR) and 54‐month impulsivity and inattention. Exploratory analyses were also conducted to determine whether the relationships between early income, home environment, parenting stress, and the outcome variables differ for African‐American versus European‐American‐American children. We found modest support for the study hypothesis that 36‐month home environment quality mediated the INR/attention relationship. INR accounted for more home environment score variance and home environment accounted for more Impulsivity score variance for African‐American children. Home environments were related to inattention in the European‐American, but not African‐American, group. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Gene expression analysis of estrogenic compounds in the liver of common carp (Cyprinus carpio) using a custom cDNA microarray
Authors: Moens Lotte N. , van der Ven K. , Van Remortel P. , Del‐Favero J. , De Coen W. M.
Published: October 2007

Exposure to a variety of compounds with estrogenic activity has been shown to interfere with normal developmental and reproductive processes in various vertebrate species. The aim of this study was to determine the transcriptional profile of the natural estrogen, 17 beta‐estradiol, and three synthetic estrogenic compounds (4‐nonylphenol, bisphenol A, ethinylestradiol) in the liver of common carp, using a custom cDNA microarray. For that purpose, fish were aqueously exposed to three concentrations of each chemical for 24 or 96 h. Microarray analysis revealed that a total of 185 different gene transcripts were differentially expressed following exposure to at least one of the estrogen(‐like) concentrations. We were able to identify a common set of 28 gene fragments, whose expression was significantly modified in the same way by the three xenoestrogens and 17 beta‐estradiol. Although several of these gene expression effects corroborated past literature data, we also discovered some novel target genes of (xeno)estrogen exposure, providing interesting insights into the molecular basis of estrogenic effects. In addition, each of the four compounds induced gene expression changes that were not, or only partially, shared by the other chemicals, suggesting that not all chemicals with estrogenic activity act alike. These results demonstrate the potential of our customCyprinus carpiomicroarray to detect common estrogen‐like activity as well as to identify unique compound‐associated effects of (estrogenic) endocrine disruptors in fish. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biochem Mol Toxicol 21:299–311, 2007; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/jbt.20190
Using a comparative in vivo DNase I footprinting technique to analyze changes in protein–DNA interactions following phthalate exposure
Authors: Kuhl Adam J. , Ross Susan M. , Gaido Kevin W.
Published: October 2007

Exposure to environmental chemicals often induces changes in gene expression leading to a variety of developmental and physiological problems. Understanding the underlying mechanism of these changes will aid in assessing human risk to these chemicals. Traditional methods for analyzing protein–DNA interactions include in vivo footprinting and chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP). However, ChIP does not provide binding location, and conventional footprinting is too subjective and time consuming for comparing protein binding in toxicological studies. Here, in vivo DNase I footprinting is adapted for use with the automated DNA sequencer to provide a semiquantitative map of changes in DNA–protein interactions in the promoter of steroidogenic acute regulatory (StAR) protein. StAR is the rate‐limiting step in testosterone biosynthesis and is downregulated following in utero di‐butyl phthalate (DBP) treatment in rats through an unknown mechanism. In vivo footprinting identified three regions of altered DNase digestibility following DBP treatment, and EMSA identified the corresponding transcription factors as SF‐1, c/ebp β, and GATA4. ChIP assays confirmed changes in protein‐binding activity of SF‐1 and c/ebp β, but only c/ebp β gesponds to only DBP. This suggests that c/ebp β ginding is involved in DBP‐induced transcriptional changes. By tailoring in vivo footprinting for toxicological studies, it can provide a detailed and accurate map of protein–DNA interactions and is an excellent first step in determining the changes in the structure of transcriptional machinery following an exogenous chemical treatment. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biochem Mol Toxicol 21:312–322, 2007; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/jbt.20192
Mineralogical and chemical properties of FGD gypsum from Florina, Greece
Authors: Koukouzas Nikolaos , Vasilatos Charalampos
Published: October 2007

BACKGROUND:The aim of this work is to define the chemical and mineralogical composition of the fuel gas desulphurization (FGD) gypsum produced from the Meliti thermal power plant in the region of Florina in North West Greece, in order to investigate potential uses in the cement industry. Mineralogical and microprobe analyses were carried out on FGD gypsum samples collected from the Meliti 330 MW lignite‐fired power plant.

RESULTS:Results show that the main component of the FGD gypsum is pure mineral gypsum (CaSO4·2H2O). The particle size of the gypsum ranges from 5 to 50 µm and the crystals are mainly of rhomboid shape. Microprobe analysis shows that the concentration of CaO and SO3, which are the main components, range from 31.9%–32.5% and from 45.90–46.40%, respectively.

CONCLUSION:This FGD gypsum can easily substitute the natural gypsum used in the production of cement. Copyright © 2007 Society of Chemical Industry
Impact of ozonation on subsequent treatment of azo dye solutions
Authors: Khare Umesh K , Bose Purnendu , Vankar Padma S
Published: October 2007

BACKGROUND: Aqueous solutions of four azo‐dyes, Acid Red 14 (AR14), Congo Red (CR), Reactive Black 5 (RB5), and Reactive Violet 5 (RV5) were treated with ozone, and the impact of ozonation on their subsequent treatability by aerobic biodegradation processes was investigated.

RESULTS: In all cases, ozonation at the highest ozone doses investigated could remove more than 96% of the original dye, and the corresponding residual colour of the azo dye solutions declined to less than 20 on the Pt‐Co scale. Ozonation also resulted in reduction of chemical oxygen demand (COD), total organic carbon (TOC) the COD/TOC ratio and pH, while in all cases electrical conductivity of the dye solutions increased. Activity of the microbial colonies present in domestic wastewater was not inhibited when un‐ozonized solutions of these dyes were mixed in a 1:1 volumetric ratio with domestic wastewater, although the dyes themselves were not degraded. Also, no significant inhibition of microbial activity was observed in 1:1 mixtures of ozonized dye solutions and domestic wastewater, especially when the initial dye concentration was low and the applied ozone dose was high. In almost all cases, progressively enhanced BOD exertion was observed in mixtures containing dye solutions ozonized with progressively higher doses. This indicated that some ozonation by‐products of the above dyes could be degraded by microorganisms present in domestic wastewater.

CONCLUSIONS: It was concluded that the above dye solutions, after ozonation for partial or complete colour removal, could be mixed with domestic wastewater for subsequent treatment by aerobic biological processes, with no adverse impact on the activity of the microbial colonies present in domestic wastewater. Copyright © 2007 Society of Chemical Industry
Influence of extracellular polymeric substances on microbial activity and cell hydrophobicity in biofilms
Authors: Gao Baoyu , Zhu Xiaobiao , Xu Chunhua , Yue Qinyan , Li Weiwei , Wei Jincheng
Published: October 2007

BACKGROUND: Over the last few decades, the emphasis in studies on extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) has been on the extraction and quantitative analysis methods relating to activated sludge. However, little is currently known about the relationship between EPS and microbial activity and cell hydrophobicity in heterogeneous biofilms. This paper aims to reveal the relationship between them.

RESULTS: Experimental results indicated that EPS content and components varied with depth in the aerobic biofilter. Protein was the main component of EPS at all depths within the biofilter, and the ratio of protein to polysaccharide was higher in the upper media than that in the lower media. Most active biomass was present in the bottom 25% of the biofilter near the inlet. By means of repeatedly washing intact cells, a sharp decline of EPS content of washed cells was obtained, while active biomass rarely decreased. Microbial activity as well as cell hydrophobicity at different filter depths decreased with the decline of EPS.

CONCLUSION: Results indicated that EPS on cell surfaces are essential for microbial metabolism as well as for the formation and stability of biofilm, and it is possible to take EPS into consideration for biofilter control and microbial activity assessment. Copyright © 2007 Society of Chemical Industry
Baring the soul: Paul Bindrim, Abraham Maslow and ‘Nude psychotherapy’
Authors: Nicholson Ian
Published: October 2007

Nude psychotherapy is one of the most flamboyant therapeutic techniques ever developed in American psychology. Largely forgotten today, the therapy was an academic and popular sensation upon its introduction in 1967. Developed by psychologist Paul Bindrim, the therapy promised to guide clients to their authentic selves through the systematic removal of clothing. This paper explores the intellectual, cultural and ethical context of nude therapy and its significance as a form of unchurched spirituality. Although nude therapy has an indisputable tabloid character, it is also rooted in a long‐standing academic search for authenticity and ultimate meaning through science. Bindrim's career demonstrates the historically long‐standing interweaving of spirituality and science within American psychology while simultaneously highlighting the field's extraordinary capacity for adaptive reinvention. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Production of L2 lipase by Bacillus sp. strain L2: nutritional and physical factors
Authors: Shariff Fairolniza Mohd. , Leow Thean Chor , Mukred A. D. , Salleh Abu Bakar , Basri Mahiran , Rahman Raja Noor Zaliha Raja Abd.
Published: October 2007

A thermophilic bacterium, Bacillus sp. strain L2 was isolated from a hot spring in Perak, Malaysia. An extracellular lipase activity was detected through plate and broth assays at 70 °C after 28 h of incubation. The L2 lipase production was growth dependent as revealed by a number of factors affecting the secretion of extracelullar lipase. As for nutritional factors, casamino acids, trehalose, Ca2+ and Tween 60 were found to be more effective for lipase production. The optimum physical condition for L2 lipase production was obtained at 70 °C after 28 h of cultivation time, at pH 7.0, 150 rpm of agitation rate and 1% of starting inoculum size. The activity staining of crude L2 lipase revealed a clearing zone at 39 kDa. (© 2007 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Mutations and environmental factors affecting regulation of riboflavin synthesis and iron assimilation also cause oxidative stress in the yeast Pichia guilliermondii
Authors: Boretsky Yuriy R. , Protchenko Olga V. , Prokopiv Tetiana M. , Mukalov Igor O. , Fedorovych Daria V. , Sibirny Andriy A.
Published: October 2007

Iron deficiency causes oversynthesis of riboflavin in several yeast species, known as flavinogenic yeasts. However, the mechanisms of such regulation are not known. We found that mutations causing riboflavin overproduction and iron hyperaccumulation (rib80, rib81 and hit1), as well as cobalt excess or iron deficiency all provoke oxidative stress in the Pichia guilliermondii yeast. Iron content in the cells, production both of riboflavin and malondialdehyde by P. guilliermondii wild type and hit1 mutant strains depend on a type of carbon source used in cultivation media. The data suggest that the regulation of riboflavin biosynthesis and iron assimilation in P. guilliermondii are linked with cellular oxidative state. (© 2007 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Characterization of the growth behavior of Leishmania tarentolae – a new expression system for recombinant proteins
Authors: Fritsche Claudia , Sitz Mandy , Weiland Norman , Breitling Reinhard , Pohl Hans‐Dieter
Published: October 2007

Biotechnological production of recombinant proteins for human therapy requires a cultivation of the host organism in a nutrient medium free of animal substances. Therefore, various nutrient media for the new expression system Leishmania tarentolae were developed and examined according to their cultivation conditions as static suspension culture and agitated culture. Investigations resulted in the development of a serum‐free but hemin containing medium, based on yeast extract and buffer salts. Here we report that a high and stable specific growth rate of 0.103 h–1 and a maximal cell density of 1 × 109 cells ml–1 is obtained in an alternative medium, the YE‐medium. For the newly developed medium, the successful expression of enhanced green fluorescent protein and the adaptation of the cultivation from the agitated culture to the bioreactor could be shown. Furthermore, an analytical method for detection of the essential, organic iron source hemin was established. The consumption of hemin was monitored because hemin is a potentially important process parameter for bioprocess control. With knowledge of these results, an improved expression system is available as an alternative to commonly used cell cultures for the production of recombinant proteins. (© 2007 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)