bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Dietary fat intakes for pregnant and lactating women
Authors: Koletzko Berthold , Cetin Irene , Thomas Brenna J. ,   for the Perinatal Lipid Intake Working Group
Published: August 2007

Consensus recommendations on behalf of the European Commission research projects Perinatal Lipid Metabolism (PeriLip;www.perilip.org) and Early Nutrition Programming (EARNEST;www.metabolic-programming.org), developed jointly with representatives of the Child Health Foundation (Stiftung Kindergesundheit;www.kindergesundheit.de), the Diabetic Pregnancy Study Group (DPSG;www.medfak.uu.se/dpsg), the European Association of Perinatal Medicine (EAPM;www.europerinatal.com), the European Society for Clinical Nutrition and Metabolism (ESPEN;www.espen.org), the European Society for Paediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition, Committee on Nutrition (ESPGHAN;www.espghan.org), the International Federation of Placenta Associations (IFPA;http://aculeate.hopto.org/IFPA) and the International Society for the Study of Fatty Acids and Lipids (ISSFAL; emailwww.issfal.org.uk).

Members of the Perinatal Lipid Intake Working Group

Gioia Alvino, Juliana von Berlepsch, Hans Konrad Biesalski, Tom Clandinin, Hildegard Debertina, Tamás Decsi, Hans Demmelmaira, Gernot Desoyebc, Veronika Dietz, Peter Dodds, Pauline Emmett, Fabio Facchinettid, Matthew W. Gillman, Joachim Heinrich, Emilio Herrerab, Irene Hoesli, William C. Heird, Matthew Hyde, Kirsi Laitinen, John Laws, Elvira Larqué Daza, Iliana Lopez-Soldado, Maria Makrides, Kim Fleischer Michaelsene, Sjurdur Olsen, Henar Ortega, Guy Putet, Imogen Rogers, Paola Roggero, Lubos Sobotkaf, Hania Szajewskag, Hope Weiler.

(Representing:aChild Health Foundation,bDPSG,cIFPA,dEAPM,eISSFAL,fESPEN,gESPGHAN.)

Dietary fat intake in pregnancy and lactation affects pregnancy outcomes and child growth, development and health. The European Commission charged the research project PERILIP, jointly with the Early Nutrition Programming Project, to develop recommendations on dietary fat intake in pregnancy and lactation. Literature reviews were performed and a consensus conference held with international experts in the field, including representatives of international scientific associations. The adopted conclusions include: dietary fat intake in pregnancy and lactation (energy%) should be as recommended for the general population; pregnant and lactating women should aim to achieve an average dietary intake of at least 200 mg DHA/d; intakes of up to 1 g/d DHA or 2·7 g/dn-3 long-chain PUFA have been used in randomized clinical trials without significant adverse effects; women of childbearing age should aim to consume one to two portions of sea fish per week, including oily fish; intake of the DHA precursor, α-linolenic acid, is far less effective with regard to DHA deposition in fetal brain than preformed DHA; intake of fish or other sources of long-chainn-3 fatty acids results in a slightly longer pregnancy duration; dietary inadequacies should be screened for during pregnancy and individual counselling be offered if needed.
On the relation between infrasound, seismicity, and small pyroclastic explosions at Karymsky Volcano
Authors: Johnson Jeffrey B.
Published: August 2007

Ground‐ and atmospheric‐propagating elastic waves are integrated with digitized video to reconstruct important parameters during the onset of eruptions at Karymsky Volcano in 1999. Muzzle velocities, which range from 10 to 55 m/s for 34 analyzed explosive events, are found to be very well correlated with eruption velocities synthesized from infrasonic trace data. Acoustic modeling proposed here invokes a linear acoustic source consistent with a 3‐m piston that accelerates upwards. Timing of acoustic arrivals relative to video records of material emission is used to constrain fragmentation sources depths, which are assumed to be coincident with infrasound generation. These sources are generally shallow, with an observed vertical range of about 15 m. Systematic changes in source depth are observed during two nights of data collection and are attributed to variations in the depth of the magma free surface. Relative timing of acoustic and seismic arrivals is used to identify the presence of seismicity prior to fragmentation. This seismicity is emergent and low intensity, but significant because it precedes the presumed fragmentation events by variable amounts up to 4 s. The primary short‐period seismic phases appear coincident with the initiation of fragmentation and infrasound generation. Because of the complexity of the seismic Green's function, it is not possible to correlate amplitude from a specific seismic pulse with observed eruption intensity.
Streaming potentials of granular media: Influence of the Dukhin and Reynolds numbers
Authors: Bolève A. , Crespy A. , Revil A. , Janod F. , Mattiuzzo J. L.
Published: August 2007

Laboratory experiments are performed to understand the controlling parameters of the electrical field associated with the seepage of water through a porous material. We use seven glass bead packs with varying mean grain size in an effort to obtain a standard material for the investigation of these electrical potentials. The mean grain size of these samples is in the range 56–3000 μm. We use pure NaCl electrolytes with conductivity in the range 10−4 to 10−1 S m−1 at 25°C. The flow conditions cover viscous and inertial laminar flow conditions but not turbulent flow. In the relationship between the streaming potential coupling coefficient and the grain size, three distinct domains are defined by the values of two dimensionless numbers, the Dukhin and the Reynolds numbers. The Dukhin number represents the ratio between the surface conductivity of the grains (due to conduction in the electrical double layer coating the surface of the grains) and the pore water electrical conductivity. At high Dukhin numbers (≫1) and low Reynolds numbers (≪1), the magnitude of the streaming potential coupling coefficient decreases with the increase of the Dukhin number and depends on the mean grain diameter (and therefore permeability) of the medium. At low Dukhin and Reynolds numbers (≪1), the streaming potential coupling coefficient becomes independent of the microstructure and is given by the well‐known Helmholtz‐Smoluchowski equation widely used in the literature. At high Reynolds numbers, the magnitude of the streaming potential coupling coefficient decreases with the increase of the Reynolds number in agreement with a new model developed in this paper. A numerical application is made illustrating the relation between the self‐potential signal and the intensity of seepage through a leakage in an embankment.
Three‐dimensional indirect boundary element method for deformation and gravity changes in volcanic areas: Application to Teide volcano (Tenerife, Canary Islands)
Authors: Charco María , Luzón Francisco , Fernández José , Tiampo Kristy F. , Sánchez‐Sesma Francisco J.
Published: August 2007

Most deformation models of volcanoes assume that the Earth is a linear, elastic, isotropic and homogeneous half‐space, although some volcanic areas are associated with significant relief. We investigate the effects of topography on surface deformation and gravity changes caused by a magma intrusion in the Earth's crust. A three‐dimensional (3‐D) indirect boundary element method (IBEM) that incorporates realistic topographic features is developed in order to perform this analysis. Our results show that the topography alters both the magnitude and pattern of the deformation and gravity signal. As an example of realistic topography, we consider a spherical source of dilatation located at 4 km depth below Teide volcano summit (Tenerife, Canary Islands) in order to simulate the deformation and gravity changes that could be observed at Tenerife if a hypothetical intrusion occurred in the volcanic system. This approach gives a picture of the 3‐D topographic effect at Teide that can provide insight in order to improve the geodetic monitoring of the volcano.
Thin Lithosphere Beneath the Ethiopian Plateau Revealed by a Joint Inversion of Rayleigh Wave Group Velocities and Receiver Functions
Authors: Dugda Mulugeta T. , Nyblade Andrew A. , Julia Jordi
Published: August 2007

The seismic velocity structure of the crust and upper mantle beneath Ethiopia and Djibouti has been investigated by jointly inverting receiver functions and Rayleigh wave group velocities to obtain new constraints on the thermal structure of the lithosphere. Most of the data for this study come from the Ethiopia broadband seismic experiment, conducted between 2000 and 2002. Shear velocity models obtained from the joint inversion show crustal structure that is similar to previously published models, with crustal thicknesses of 35 to 44 km beneath the Ethiopian Plateau, and 25 to 35 km beneath the Main Ethiopian Rift (MER) and the Afar. The lithospheric mantle beneath the Ethiopian Plateau has a maximum shear wave velocity of about 4.3 km/s and extends to a depth of ∼70–80 km. Beneath the MER and Afar, the lithospheric mantle has a maximum shear wave velocity of 4.1–4.2 km/s and extends to a depth of at most 50 km. In comparison to the lithosphere away from the East African Rift System in Tanzania, where the lid extends to depths of ∼100–125 km and has a maximum shear velocity of 4.6 km/s, the mantle lithosphere under the Ethiopian Plateau appears to have been thinned by ∼30–50 km and the maximum shear wave velocity reduced by ∼0.3 km/s. Results from a 1D conductive thermal model suggest that the shear velocity structure of the Ethiopian Plateau lithosphere can be explained by a plume model, if a plume rapidly thinned the lithosphere by ∼30–50 km at the time of the flood basalt volcanism (c. 30 Ma), and if warm plume material has remained beneath the lithosphere since then. About 45–65% of the 1–1.5 km of plateau uplift in Ethiopia can be attributed to the thermally perturbed lithospheric structure.
Sounding of the Atmosphere using Broadband Emission Radiometry observations of daytime mesospheric O2(1Δ) 1.27 μm emission and derivation of ozone, atomic oxygen, and solar and chemical energy deposition rates
Authors: Mlynczak Martin G. , Marshall B. Thomas , Martin‐Torres F. Javier , Russell James M. , Thompson R. Earl , Remsberg Ellis E. , Gordley Larry L.
Published: August 2007

We report observations of the daytime O2(1Δ) airglow emission at 1.27 μm recorded by the Sounding of the Atmosphere using Broadband Emission Radiometry (SABER) instrument on the NASA Thermosphere‐Ionosphere‐Mesosphere Energetics and Dynamics (TIMED) satellite. The measured limb radiances are inverted to yield vertical profiles of the volume emission rate of energy from the O2 molecule. From these emission rates we subsequently derive the mesospheric ozone concentrations using a nonlocal thermodynamic equilibrium (non‐LTE) radiative and kinetic model. Rates of energy deposition due to absorption of ultraviolet radiation in the Hartley band of ozone are also derived, independent of knowledge of the ozone abundance and solar irradiances. Atomic oxygen concentrations are obtained from the ozone abundance using photochemical steady state assumptions. Rates of energy deposition due to exothermic chemical reactions are also derived. The data products illustrated here are from a test day (4 July 2002) of SABER Version 1.07 data which are now becoming publicly available. This test day illustrates the high quality of the SABER O2(1Δ) airglow and ozone data and the variety of fundamental science questions to which they can be applied.
Water dynamics in a gradually nonhomogeneous soil described by the linearized Richards equation
Authors: Barontini S. , Ranzi R. , Bacchi B.
Published: August 2007

In order to investigate the influence of the soil vertical nonhomogeneity on the dynamics of the water in the upper soil layer, an analytical solution of the linearized Richards equation was derived. Here the hydraulic conductivity Ks at saturation is assumed to decrease exponentially with depth, in accordance with field data reported in the literature and collected during our surveys in mountain catchments. Gardner's constitutive laws were assumed for the hydraulic conductivity and water retention characteristics K(s) and Ψ(s). The resulting one‐dimensional Richards equation is linear, and its coefficients decrease exponentially with depth. An analytical solution was found by using the method of Laplace transform and compared with some test cases both analytically and numerically. The soil water content profile exhibits a maximum at one point in the domain. Moreover, it accounts for a different behavior in the water dynamics, depending on the prevailing role of diffusive effects, related to the soil water retention, or of the transport effects, related to the hydraulic conductivity profile.
Abrupt climate change in southeast tropical Africa influenced by Indian monsoon variability and ITCZ migration
Authors: Tierney Jessica E. , Russell James M.
Published: August 2007

The timing and magnitude of abrupt climate change in tropical Africa during the last glacial termination remains poorly understood. High‐resolution paleolimnological data from Lake Tanganyika, Southeast Africa show that wind‐driven seasonal mixing in the lake was reduced during the Younger Dryas, Inter‐Allerød Cool Period, Older Dryas, and Heinrich Event 1, suggesting a weakened southwest Indian monsoon and a more southerly position of the Inter‐Tropical Convergence Zone over Africa during these intervals. These events in Lake Tanganyika, coeval with millennial and centennial‐scale climate shifts in the high latitudes, suggest that changes in ITCZ location and Indian monsoon strength are important components of abrupt global climate change and that their effects are felt south of the equator in Africa. However, we observe additional events in Lake Tanganyika of equal magnitude that are not correlated with high‐latitude changes, indicating the potential for abrupt climate change to originate from within tropical systems.
Cold wake of Hurricane Frances
Authors: D'Asaro Eric A. , Sanford Thomas B. , Niiler P. Peter , Terrill Eric J.
Published: August 2007

An array of instruments air‐deployed ahead of Hurricane Frances measured the three‐dimensional, time dependent response of the ocean to this strong (60 ms−1) storm. Sea surface temperature cooled by up to 2.2°C with the greatest cooling occurring in a 50‐km‐wide band centered 60–85 km to the right of the track. The cooling was almost entirely due to vertical mixing, not air‐sea heat fluxes. Currents of up to 1.6 ms−1 and thermocline displacements of up to 50 m dispersed as near‐inertial internal waves. The heat in excess of 26°C, decreased behind the storm due primarily to horizontal advection of heat away from the storm track, with a small contribution from mixing across the 26°C isotherm. SST cooling under the storm core (0.4°C) produced a 16% decrease in air‐sea heat flux implying an approximately 5 ms−1 reduction in peak winds
First discovery of meteoritic events in deep Antarctic (EPICA‐Dome C) ice cores
Authors: Narcisi Biancamaria , Petit Jean Robert , Engrand Cécile
Published: August 2007

Two distinct dust layers in the EPICA‐Dome C ice core (75°06′S, 123°21′E, East Antarctic Plateau) have been shown to relate to individual meteoritic events. Particles forming these layers, investigated by electron microprobe, show peculiar textural, mineralogical and geochemical features and closely resemble extraterrestrial debris in deep‐sea sediments and polar caps. Preliminary estimates of cosmic debris input at the studied layers, obtained from Coulter Counter measurements, are 4–5 orders of magnitude greater than the yearly micrometeorite flux in East Antarctic snow and ice. The cosmic events are accurately dated through glaciological models at 434 ± 6 and 481 ± 6 ka, respectively and are located in the core climatic stratigraphy near the “Mid‐Brunhes Event”. This is the first report of well‐dated cosmic horizons in deep Antarctic ice cores. It significantly improves the extraterrestrial record of Antarctica and opens new correlation perspectives between long climatic records of the South polar region.
Changes in winter snowfall/precipitation ratio in the contiguous United States
Authors: Feng Song , Hu Qi
Published: August 2007

The precipitation falling as rain or snow has different impact on regional water resources and their annual distribution. Shift from solid to liquid form of precipitation following the increase of the surface air temperatures could be quite important because such change could influence the timing of spring runoff and cause water shortage in summer. In this study, the ratio of snowfall to precipitation (S/P) for November–March in the contiguous United States is analyzed and temperature effects on the changes of S/P are examined for 1949–2005. Major results show that the S/P ratio has been decreasing strongly in the Pacific Northwest and the central United States. The S/P decreased slightly in the eastern United States. In the Pacific Northwest, the changes of S/P are attributed to decrease of both snowfall and precipitation with snowfall decreasing at a greater rate. In the central United States, decrease of the S/P ratio resulted primarily from the decrease of snowfall and increase of the winter precipitation. Averaged over the contiguous United States, the changes of S/P are mainly related to the changes of the snowfall and with little effect from changes of winter precipitation. Decreases of the S/P ratio are largest in March and least in January. The significant decreases of the S/P ratio are associated with large increase in mean winter wet‐day temperatures in the western and central United States. Weak warming in the eastern United States concurred with weak and no change of S/P.
A tool to improve space weather forecasts: Kilometric radio emissions from Wind/WAVES
Authors: Cremades H. , St. Cyr O. C. , Kaiser M. L.
Published: August 2007

For decades, space environment forecasters have used the appearance of metric Type II radio emission as a proxy for eruptions in the solar corona. The drift rate of these near‐Sun emissions is often turned into a speed, commonly assumed to be that of an MHD shock. However, their utility to forecast shock arrival times has not proved to be conclusive. Metric emissions can be detected by ground‐based antennae, while lower‐frequency components of these slowly drifting emissions can also be tracked by spacecraft in interplanetary space, as far down in frequency as that of the local plasma frequency. For a spacecraft at L1, this corresponds to about 25 kHz, or an electron density of about 7 cm−3 in the ambient solar wind. Here we report a recent study that aims to improve the predictions of shock arrival time at L1 by means of the low‐frequency emissions detected by WIND/WAVES. This technique, implemented on an extensive sample of hectometric and kilometric type II radio bursts, has yielded promising results.
Correction to constrained coupled cluster doubles models based on the second coupled cluster central moment
Authors: Small David W. , Head-Gordon Martin
Published: August 2007

We develop a correction for the coupled cluster version of the perfect pairing (PP) model. The correction is based on finding modified values of the PP amplitudes such that the second coupled cluster central moment defined in the space of all valence single and double substitutions vanishes and, subject to this constraint, minimizing the deviation between the modified and unmodified PP amplitudes with respect to a chosen metric. We discuss how this correction can be generalized to other constrained doubles models, such as local correlation and active-space models. While the correction is not strictly size consistent and retains some of the deficiencies of the PP model, numerical results indicate that much of the missing active-space coupled cluster singles and doubles correlation energy is recovered.
Total energy evaluation in the Strutinsky shell correction method
Authors: Zhou Baojing , Wang Yan Alexander
Published: August 2007

We analyze the total energy evaluation in the Strutinsky shell correction method (SCM) of Ullmo et al. [Phys. Rev. B 63, 125339 (2001)], where a series expansion of the total energy is developed based on perturbation theory. In agreement with Yannouleas and Landman [Phys. Rev. B 48, 8376 (1993)], we also identify the first-order SCM result to be the Harris functional [Phys. Rev. B 31, 1770 (1985)]. Further, we find that the second-order correction of the SCM turns out to be the second-order error of the Harris functional, which involves the a priori unknown exact Kohn-Sham (KS) density, ρKS(r). Interestingly, the approximation of ρKS(r) by ρout(r), the output density of the SCM calculation, in the evaluation of the second-order correction leads to the Hohenberg-Kohn-Sham functional. By invoking an auxiliary system in the framework of orbital-free density functional theory, Ullmo et al. designed a scheme to approximate ρKS(r), but with several drawbacks. An alternative is designed to utilize the optimal density from a high-quality density mixing method to approximate ρKS(r). Our new scheme allows more accurate and complex kinetic energy density functionals and nonlocal pseudopotentials to be employed in the SCM. The efficiency of our new scheme is demonstrated in atomistic calculations on the cubic diamond Si and face-centered-cubic Ag systems.
Elastic coefficient of a single polymer chain by using Brownian dynamics analysis
Authors: Horinaka J. , Maniwa T. , Oharada K. , Takigawa T.
Published: August 2007

The elastic coefficient of a single polystyrene chain has been experimentally evaluated by using Brownian dynamics analysis. The Brownian motion of the chain is probed using a particle trapped by optical tweezers with a negligibly small spring constant. The displacement of the particle due to Brownian motion is measured by an interferometer assembled using the same laser beam as the optical tweezers. Two methods are employed for Brownian dynamics analysis: (1) the analysis of the time course of the displacement of the particle and (2) the fitting of the power spectrum of Brownian motion with a Lorentzian. The elastic constant of a polystyrene chain in dichloromethane at 21°C is estimated to be 6.4×10−6 and 1.1×10−5N∕m when methods (1) and (2) are employed, respectively. The elastic constant obtained by approximating the polystyrene chain to a freely jointed chain is in agreement with the experimentally evaluated elastic constant.
Relaxed, high-quality InP on GaAs by using InGaAs and InGaP graded buffers to avoid phase separation
Authors: Quitoriano Nathaniel J. , Fitzgerald Eugene A.
Published: August 2007

Using compositionally graded buffers, we demonstrate InP on GaAs suitable for minority carrier devices, exhibiting a threading dislocation density of 1.2×106∕cm2 determined by plan-view transmission electron microscopy. To further quantify the quality of this InP on GaAs, a photoluminescence (PL) structure was grown to compare the InP on graded buffer quality to bulk InP. Comparable room and low temperature (20K) PL was attained. (The intensity from the PL structure grown on the InP on GaAs was ∼70% of that on bulk InP at both temperatures.) To achieve this, graded buffers in the InGaAs, InGaP, InAlAs, and InGaAlAs materials systems were explored. In each of these systems, under certain growth conditions, microscopic compositional inhomogeneities blocked dislocation glide and led to threading dislocation densities sometimes >109∕cm2. These composition variations are caused by surface-driven, phase separated, Ga-rich regions. As the phase separation blocked dislocation glide and led to high threading dislocation densities, conditions for avoiding phase separation were explored and identified. Composition variations could be prevented in InxGa1−xAs graded buffers grown at 725°C to yield low dislocation densities of 9×105∕cm2 for x<0.34, accommodating ∼70% of the lattice mismatch between GaAs and InP. Compositional grading in the InyGa1−yP (0.8<y<1.0) materials system grown at 700°C was found to accommodate the remaining lattice mismatch to achieve high-quality InP on GaAs with little rise in threading dislocation density by avoiding phase separation.
Reduction of the Casimir force using aerogels
Authors: Esquivel-Sirvent R.
Published: August 2007

By using silicon oxide based aerogels we show numerically that the Casimir force can be reduced several orders of magnitude, making its effect negligible in nanodevices. This decrease in the Casimir force is also present even when the aerogels are deposited on metallic substrates. To calculate the Casimir force we model the dielectric function of silicon oxide aerogels using an effective medium dielectric function such as the Clausius–Mossotti approximation. The results show that both the porosity of the aerogel and its thickness can be used as control parameters to reduce the magnitude of the Casimir force.
Local stability analysis of a class of endoreversible heat pumps
Authors: Huang Yuewu , Sun Dexing , Kang Yanming
Published: August 2007

The purpose of this paper is to present a local stability analysis of an endoreversible heat pump operating at the minimum input power P for given heating load qH to the high-temperature reservoir, for different thermal conductances α and β, in the isothermal couplings of the working fluid with the heat reservoirs TH and TL(TH>TL). An endoreversible heat pump system that is modeled by the differential equation may depend on the numerical values of certain parameters that appear in the equation. From the local stability analysis we find that a critical point of an almost linear system is a stable node. After a small perturbation the system state exponentially decays to steady state with either of two relaxation times that are a function of α, β, qH, TH, and the heat capacity C. We can exhibit qualitatively the behavior of solutions of the system by sketching its phase portrait. One eigenvector in a phase portrait is the nonzero constant vector, and the other is a function of α, β, qH, TH, and TL. Finally, we discuss the local stability and energetic properties of the endoreversible heat pump.
Transport properties of functionally graded materials
Authors: Wang Moran , Meng Fankong , Pan Ning
Published: August 2007

This paper presents a numerical method to predict the effective transport properties of multiphase functionally graded materials, accounting for the effects of random phase distribution and multiphase interactions. Firstly, the multiphase microstructures of such graded materials are reproduced by a random generation-growth algorithm, and then the corresponding transport governing equations are solved using a high-efficiency lattice Boltzmann method. The predicted effective electric and thermal conductivities agree well with the existing experimental data for both two- and three-phase functionally graded materials. Furthermore when the methodology is extended to other transport and even nontransport physical properties of multiphase composites, our simulated results still agree much better with the available experimental data than the existing theoretical models. This may exhibit the robusticity and wider applicability of the present approach.
Thermoelectric properties and crystal structure of type-III clathrate compounds in the Ba–Al–Ge system
Authors: Kim Jung-Hwan , Okamoto Norihiko L. , Kishida Kyosuke , Tanaka Katsushi , Inui Haruyuki
Published: August 2007

The thermoelectric properties of type-III clathrate compounds in the Ba–Al–Ge system have been investigated as a function of Al content. The solid solubility of Al in the type-III clathrate compounds is determined to be slightly less than X=12 when expressed with the formula of Ba24AlXGe100−X. As the Al content increases, values of electrical resistivity and Seebeck coefficient increase, while that of lattice thermal conductivity decreases. The changes in electrical resistivity and Seebeck coefficient with the Al content are explained in terms of the change in the number of excess electrons upon alloying with Al, which can be described with the simple Zintl concept. The changes in lattice thermal conductivity with the Al content are explained in terms of the very low vibration frequency for the rattling motion of the Ba guest atom, which is caused by the increased size of the encapsulating cage of open dodecahedron upon alloying with Al.
Aerosol charging and capture in the nanoparticle size range (6–15nm) by direct photoionization and diffusion mechanisms
Authors: Jiang Jingkun , Hogan Christopher J. , Chen Da-Ren , Biswas Pratim
Published: August 2007

Aerosol charging in the 6–15nm size range by photoionization and diffusion mechanisms was studied numerically and experimentally. By comparing the charging rate of both mechanisms, their relative importance was determined as a function of nanoparticle size and charge. A photoionization expression derived from the Fowler-Nordheim equation was used and found to be applicable not only for metal particles (silver), but also for organic particles (sucrose). Photoemission yield enhancement from small nanoparticles was validated and the size dependent photoemission constant in the Fowler-Nordheim equation was determined by comparing numerical results to experimental data. For both silver and sucrose nanoparticles, the photoemission constant increased by a factor of 2 as the particle diameter decreased from 15to6nm, consistent with theoretical results reported in the literature. The enhancement of the photoemission constant with decreasing particle size increases the relative importance of photocharging compared to diffusion charging. Using these size dependent photoemission constant values, the charging dynamics and capture of silver and sucrose nanoparticles by both photoionization and diffusion charging were examined numerically. Numerical results were in excellent agreement with the experimental data, and the charging and capture efficiency of both silver and sucrose in 6–15nm size range decreased with decreasing particle size.
Raman scattering measurements within a flat plate boundary layer in an inductively coupled plasma wind tunnel
Authors: Studer Damien , Vervisch Pierre
Published: August 2007

High temperature air chemistry is a crucial issue concerning next reusable space vehicle thermal protection system. The aim of this paper is to measure N2 and O2 densities and characteristic temperatures thanks to spontaneous Raman scattering within the boundary layer of a stainless steel flat plate cooled down at 300K. This shear-flow test configuration is considered as a nonequilibrium air plasma test case. Vibrational and rotational temperatures are determined by comparing experimental spectra with computed ones. The density calculation is performed using the ratio of first vibrational transition intensities for both cases with and without plasma at 38hPa. Several sections were investigated between 15 and 40mm from the leading edge. All these sections exhibit a classical boundary layer pattern. The rotational temperature is completely in equilibrium with the plate and reaches 2500K at the outer edge of the boundary layer. On the contrary, the vibrational temperature drops to 1500K near of the plate and is about 5000K in the freestream. Molecular densities are smaller than expected at equilibrium, about 60% of the equilibrium value in the freestream for N2.
Mechanism of and requirement for estrogen-regulated
MYB
expression in estrogen-receptor-positive breast cancer cells
Authors: Drabsch Yvette , Hugo Honor , Zhang Rui , Dowhan Dennis H. , Miao Yu Rebecca , Gewirtz Alan M. , Barry Simon C. , Ramsay Robert G. , Gonda Thomas J.
Published: August 2007

MYB (the human ortholog of c-
myb
) is expressed in a high proportion of human breast tumors, and that expression correlates strongly with estrogen receptor (ER) positivity. This may reflect the fact that
MYB
is a target of estrogen/ER signaling. Because in many cases
MYB
expression appears to be regulated by transcriptional attenuation or pausing in the first intron, we first investigated whether this mechanism was involved in estrogen/ER modulation of
MYB
. We found that this was the case and that estrogen acted directly to relieve attenuation due to sequences within the first intron, specifically, a region potentially capable of forming a stem–loop structure in the transcript and an adjacent poly(dT) tract. Secondly, given the involvement of
MYB
in hematopoietic and colon tumors, we also asked whether
MYB
was required for the proliferation of breast cancer cells. We found that proliferation of ER
+
but not ER
−
breast cancer cell lines was inhibited when
MYB
expression was suppressed by using either antisense oligonucleotides or RNA interference. Our results show that
MYB
is an effector of estrogen/ER signaling and provide demonstration of a functional role of
MYB
in breast cancer.
The AKAP Yu is required for olfactory long-term memory formation in
Drosophila
Authors: Lu Yubing , Lu Yi-Sheng , Shuai Yichun , Feng Chunhua , Tully Tim , Xie Zuoping , Zhong Yi , Zhou Hai-Meng
Published: August 2007

Extensive neurogenetic analysis has shown that memory formation depends critically on cAMP-protein kinase A (PKA) signaling. Details of how this pathway is involved in memory formation, however, remain to be fully elucidated. From a large-scale behavioral screen in
Drosophila
, we identified the
yu
mutant to be defective in one-day memory after spaced training. The
yu
mutation disrupts a gene encoding an A-kinase anchoring protein (AKAP). AKAPs comprise a family of proteins, which determine the subcellular localization of PKAs and thereby critically restrict cAMP signaling within a cell. Further behavioral characterizations revealed that long-term memory (LTM) was disrupted specifically in the
yu
mutant, whereas learning, short-term memory and anesthesia-resistant memory all appeared normal. Another independently isolated mutation of the
yu
gene failed to complement the LTM defect associated with the
yu
mutation, and this phenotypic defect could be rescued by induced acute expression of a
yu
+
transgene, suggesting that
yu
functions physiologically during memory formation. AKAP Yu is expressed preferentially in the mushroom body (MB) neuroanatomical structure, and expression of a
yu
+
transgene to the MB, but not to other brain regions, is sufficient to rescue the LTM defect of the
yu
mutant. These observations lead us to conclude that proper localization of PKA by Yu AKAP in MB neurons is required for the formation of LTM.
Meiotic crossover hotspots contained in haplotype block boundaries of the mouse genome
Authors: Kauppi Liisa , Jasin Maria , Keeney Scott
Published: August 2007

Fertility requires successful chromosome segregation in meiosis, which in most sexual organisms depends on the formation of appropriately placed crossovers. The nonrandom genome-wide distributions of meiotic recombination events have been examined at the molecular level experimentally in yeast and by inference from linkage disequilibrium patterns in humans. Thus far, no method has existed for pinpointing sites of crossing-over on a genome-wide scale in an experimentally tractable animal whose genome size and complexity models that of humans. Here, we present a genomic approach to identify mouse crossover hotspots, based on targeting haplotype block boundaries. This represents a previously undescribed method potentially applicable to large-scale mouse hotspot identification. Using this method, we have successfully predicted the location of two previously uncharacterized crossover hotspots in male mice. As increasing amounts of single-nucleotide polymorphism data emerge, this approach will be useful for investigating the recombination landscape of the mouse genome.
The tight junction protein, MUPP1, is up-regulated by hypertonicity and is important in the osmotic stress response in kidney cells
Authors: Lanaspa Miguel A. , Almeida Nestor E. , Andres-Hernando Ana , Rivard Christopher J. , Capasso Juan M. , Berl Tomas
Published: August 2007

Antibody array proteomics was used to detect differentially expressed proteins in inner medullary collecting duct 3 (IMCD3) cells grown under isotonic and chronic hypertonic conditions. Of 512 potential proteins, >90% were unchanged in expression. Noteworthy was the up-regulation of several tight junction-related proteins, including MUPP1 (multi-PDZ protein-1), ZO1 (zonula occludens 1), and Af6. The most robustly up-regulated protein under hypertonic conditions was MUPP1 (7.2×,
P
< 0.001). Changes in expression for MUPP1 were verified by quantitative PCR for message and Western blot for protein. In mouse kidney tissues, MUPP1 expression was substantial in the papilla and was absent in the cortex. Furthermore, MUPP1 expression increased 253% (
P
< 0.01) in the papilla upon 36 h of thirsting. Localization of MUPP1 protein expression was confirmed by immunocytochemical analysis demonstrating only minor staining under isotonic conditions and the substantial presence in chronically adapted cells at the basolateral membrane. Message and protein half-life in IMCD3 cells were 26.2 and 17.8 h, respectively. Osmotic initiators of MUPP1 expression included NaCl, sucrose, mannitol, sodium acetate, and choline chloride but not urea. Stable IMCD3 clones silenced for MUPP1 expression used the pSM2-MUPP1 vector. In cell viability experiments, clones silenced for MUPP1 demonstrated only a minor loss in cell survival under acute sublethal osmotic stress compared with empty vector control cells. In contrast, a 24% loss (
P
< 0.02) in transepithelial resistance for monolayers of MUPP1-silenced cells was determined as compared with controls. These results suggest that MUPP1 specifically, and potentially tight junction complexes in general, are important in the renal osmoadaptive response.
Conserved P-TEFb-interacting domain of BRD4 inhibits HIV transcription
Authors: Bisgrove Dwayne A. , Mahmoudi Tokameh , Henklein Peter , Verdin Eric
Published: August 2007

We have identified a conserved region in the C-terminal domain of bromodomain-containing protein 4 (BRD4) that mediates its specific interaction with positive transcription elongation factor b (P-TEFb). This domain is highly conserved in testis-specific bromodomain protein (BRDT) and
Drosophila
fs(
1
)h. Both BRDT and fs(
1
)h specifically interact with P-TEFb in mammalian cells, and this interaction depends on their C-terminal domains. Overexpression of the BRD4 P-TEFb-interacting domain disrupts the interaction between the HIV transactivator Tat and P-TEFb and suppresses the ability of Tat to transactivate the HIV promoter. Incubation of cells with a synthetic peptide containing the C-terminal domain of BRD4 interferes with transactivation of the HIV promoter by the Tat protein.
Kautilya on Administration of Justice During the Fourth Century B.C.
Authors: Sihag Balbir S.
Published: August 2007

Vishnugupta Chanakya Kautilya wrote a treatise called The Arthashastra, which means “science of wealth.” It contains three parts, which deal with issues related to economic development, administration of justice, and foreign relations. It has 150 chapters, which are distributed into fifteen books. Book three, which has twenty chapters and book four, which has thirteen chapters, are devoted to the administration of justice. Kautilya's Judicial System called “Dandaniti,” “the science of law enforcement” is an important part of The Arthashastra. Kautilya codified, modified, and created new laws related to: loans, deposits, pledges, mortgages etc., sale and purchase of property, inheritance and partition of ancestral property, labor contracts, partnership, defamation and assault, theft and violent robbery, and sexual offenses. He dealt with law and justice issues relating to both the civil law and the criminal law. He offered a truly comprehensive system of justice, which not only incorporated all the salient elements of a twenty-first century system but also contained a few additional invaluable insights.
Hepatoprotective Activity of Licorice Water Extract against Cadmium‐Induced Toxicity in Rats
Authors: Lee Jong Rok , Park Sook Jahr , Lee Hyeung-Sik , Jee Seon Young , Seo Jungcheol , Kwon Young Kyu , Kwon Taeg Kyu , Kim Sang Chan
Published: August 2007

Licorice is commonly used as a cure for digestive disorders and as a detoxification agent in East Asia. This study investigated the protective effect of licorice water extract against cadmium (CdCl2, Cd)‐induced liver toxicity in rats. To induce acute toxicity, Cd (4 mg/kg body weight) was dissolved in normal saline and intravenously (i.v.) injected into rats. The rats then received either a vehicle or licorice water extract (50, 100 mg/kg/day) for 3 days, and were subsequently exposed to a single injection of Cd 24 h after the last licorice/vehicle treatment. Alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) were significantly increased by Cd treatment. In contrast, pretreatment with licorice reduced ALT, AST and LDH. In histopathological analysis, licorice decreased the central necrosis around central veins, the peripheral hemorrhage around portal triads, the percentage of degenerative hepatic regions (%/mm2 hepatic parenchyma) and the number of degenerative hepatic cells (N/100 hepatic cells). Licorice also inhibited the increment of Bad (a BH3 domain‐containing protein) translocation by Cd in liver cells. These results demonstrate that licorice could have a hepatoprotective effect by inhibiting the translocation of Bad to the mitochondria in Cd‐intoxificated rats.
Raising the estimate of functional human sequences: Figure 1.
Authors: Pheasant Michael , Mattick John S.
Published: August 2007

While less than 1.5% of the mammalian genome encodes proteins, it is now evident that the vast majority is transcribed, mainly into non-protein-coding RNAs. This raises the question of what fraction of the genome is functional, i.e., composed of sequences that yield functional products, are required for the expression (regulation or processing) of these products, or are required for chromosome replication and maintenance. Many of the observed noncoding transcripts are differentially expressed, and, while most have not yet been studied, increasing numbers are being shown to be functional and/or trafficked to specific subcellular locations, as well as exhibit subtle evidence of selection. On the other hand, analyses of conservation patterns indicate that only ∼5% (3%–8%) of the human genome is under purifying selection for functions common to mammals. However, these estimates rely on the assumption that reference sequences (usually ancient transposon-derived sequences) have evolved neutrally, which may not be the case, and if so would lead to an underestimate of the fraction of the genome under evolutionary constraint. These analyses also do not detect functional sequences that are evolving rapidly and/or have acquired lineage-specific functions. Indeed, many regulatory sequences and known functional noncoding RNAs, including many microRNAs, are not conserved over significant evolutionary distances, and recent evidence from the ENCODE project suggests that many functional elements show no detectable level of sequence constraint. Thus, it is likely that much more than 5% of the genome encodes functional information, and although the upper bound is unknown, it may be considerably higher than currently thought.
Conrad: Gene prediction using conditional random fields
Authors: DeCaprio David , Vinson Jade P. , Pearson Matthew D. , Montgomery Philip , Doherty Matthew , Galagan James E.
Published: August 2007

We present Conrad, the first comparative gene predictor based on semi-Markov conditional random fields (SMCRFs). Unlike the best standalone gene predictors, which are based on generalized hidden Markov models (GHMMs) and trained by maximum likelihood, Conrad is discriminatively trained to maximize annotation accuracy. In addition, unlike the best annotation pipelines, which rely on heuristic and ad hoc decision rules to combine standalone gene predictors with additional information such as ESTs and protein homology, Conrad encodes all sources of information as features and treats all features equally in the training and inference algorithms. Conrad outperforms the best standalone gene predictors in cross-validation and whole chromosome testing on two fungi with vastly different gene structures. The performance improvement arises from the SMCRF’s discriminative training methods and their ability to easily incorporate diverse types of information by encoding them as feature functions. OnCryptococcus neoformans, configuring Conrad to reproduce the predictions of a two-species phylo-GHMM closely matches the performance of Twinscan. Enabling discriminative training increases performance, and adding new feature functions further increases performance, achieving a level of accuracy that is unprecedented for this organism. Similar results are obtained onAspergillus nidulanscomparing Conrad versus Fgenesh. SMCRFs are a promising framework for gene prediction because of their highly modular nature, simplifying the process of designing and testing potential indicators of gene structure. Conrad’s implementation of SMCRFs advances the state of the art in gene prediction in fungi and provides a robust platform for both current application and future research.
Molecular activity underlying working memory
Authors: Dash Pramod K. , Moore Anthony N. , Kobori Nobuhide , Runyan Jason D.
Published: August 2007

The prefrontal cortex is necessary for directing thought and planning action. Working memory, the active, transient maintenance of information in mind for subsequent monitoring and manipulation, lies at the core of many simple, as well as high-level, cognitive functions. Working memory has been shown to be compromised in a number of neurological and psychiatric conditions and may contribute to the behavioral and cognitive deficits associated with these disorders. It has been theorized that working memory depends upon reverberating circuits within the prefrontal cortex and other cortical areas. However, recent work indicates that intracellular signals and protein dephosphorylation are critical for working memory. The present article will review recent research into the involvement of the modulatory neurotransmitters and their receptors in working memory. The intracellular signaling pathways activated by these receptors and evidence that indicates a role for Gq-initiated PI-PLC and calcium-dependent protein phosphatase calcineurin activity in working memory will be discussed. Additionally, the negative influence of calcium- and cAMP-dependent protein kinase (i.e., calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (CaMKII), calcium/diacylglycerol-activated protein kinase C (PKC), and cAMP-dependent protein kinase A (PKA)) activities on working memory will be reviewed. The implications of these experimental findings on the observed inverted-U relationship between D1receptor stimulation and working memory, as well as age-associated working memory dysfunction, will be presented. Finally, we will discuss considerations for the development of clinical treatments for working memory disorders.
Awake insertion of the fibreoptic intubating LMA CTrach™ in three morbidly obese patients with potentially difficult airways*
Authors: Wender R. , Goldman A. J.
Published: August 2007

The Intubating Laryngeal Mask Airway (ILMA) is a supraglottic airway that facilitates ventilation and blind tracheal intubation. The LMA CTrach™ is functionally identical to the ILMA, but has an integrated fibreoptic bundle that provides a view of the larynx. This enables visualisation of tracheal intubation while delivering 100% oxygen, with or without an inhalational anaesthetic. We report awake insertion of the CTrach in three morbidly obese patients (BMI 60–63) with known or anticipated difficult airways. Pre‐operatively, patients were given midazolam and glycopyrrolate intravenously, and then in the operating theatre the airway was anaesthetised with topical lidocaine 4%. The CTrach was inserted into the oropharynx of the still‐awake patient, the vocal cords were visualised, and anaesthetic induction was commenced with sevoflurane and spontaneous ventilation. Neuromuscular blockers were not used and we were able to see the vocal cords during the entire anaesthetic induction and intubation.