bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
GLOBAL ASYMPTOTIC STABILITY FOR GENERAL SYMMETRIC RATIONAL DIFFERENCE EQUATIONS
Authors: ZHANG CONG , LI HONG-XU , HUANG NAN-JING
Published: October 2009

We investigate the global asymptotic stability for positive solutions to a class of general symmetric rational difference equations and prove that the unique positive equilibrium 1 of the general symmetric rational difference equations is globally asymptotically stable. As a special case of our result, we solve the conjecture raised by Berenhaut, Foley and Stević [‘The global attractivity of the rational difference equationyn=(yn−k+yn−m)/(1+yn−kyn−m)’,Appl. Math. Lett.20(2007), 54–58].
THE AVERAGE DISTANCE BETWEEN TWO POINTS
Authors: BURGSTALLER BERNHARD , PILLICHSHAMMER FRIEDRICH
Published: October 2009

We provide bounds on the average distance between two points uniformly and independently chosen from a compact convex subset of the s-dimensional Euclidean space.
JØRGENSEN’S INEQUALITY FOR QUATERNIONIC HYPERBOLIC SPACE WITH ELLIPTIC ELEMENTS
Authors: CAO WENSHENG , TAN HAIOU
Published: October 2009

In this paper, we give an analogue of Jørgensen’s inequality for nonelementary groups of isometries of quaternionic hyperbolic space generated by two elements, one of which is elliptic. As an application, we obtain an analogue of Jørgensen’s inequality in the two-dimensional Möbius group of the above case.
A CLUNIE LEMMA FOR DIFFERENCE AND q-DIFFERENCE POLYNOMIALS
Authors: HUANG ZHI-BO , CHEN ZONG-XUAN
Published: October 2009

The main purpose of this paper is to prove difference and q-difference counterparts of the Clunie lemma from the Nevanlinna theory of differential polynomials, where the difference and q-difference polynomials can contain many terms of maximal total degree in f(z) and its ( q-)shifts.
Pricing American Options under the Constant Elasticity of Variance Model and Subject to Bankruptcy
Authors: Nunes João Pedro Vidal
Published: October 2009

This paper proposes an alternative characterization of the early exercise premium that is valid for any Markovian and diffusion underlying price process as well as for any parameterization of the exercise boundary. This new representation is shown to provide the best pricing alternative available in the literature for medium- and long-term American option contracts, under the constant elasticity of variance model. Moreover, the proposed pricing methodology is also extended easily to the valuation of American options on defaultable equity and possesses appropriate asymptotic properties.
Prospective, blinded study of nasal injuries: comparison of doctor and nurse assessment
Authors: Baring D , Murray C , Singh J , Davidson A , Syed M I
Published: October 2009

Objectives:

This study aimed to compare an experienced ENT treatment room nurse's ability to assess nasal injuries with that of junior doctors.

Design:

One hundred consecutive patients with nasal injuries were assessed prospectively in two phases, followed by a telephone survey.

Main outcome measures:

Comparison of nasal injury assessment, advice, and outcomes regarding cosmesis, airway obstruction and patient satisfaction.

Results:

In the first phase, there was almost perfect agreement between doctor and nurse assessments regarding the management of nasal fractures (p < 0.0001). There was no deterioration in outcomes in the nurse assessment only patient group with regards to cosmesis and airway obstruction. Ninety-four per cent of patients were satisfied with nurse-only assessment.

Conclusions:

Our study showed that an experienced treatment room nurse was as effective as experienced junior doctors in assessing and advising patients with nasal injuries. Following this study, the nurse involved began to independently assess patients with nasal injuries attending the unit.
Facial nerve decompression for idiopathic Bell's palsy: report of 13 cases and literature review
Authors: Bodénez C , Bernat I , Willer J-C , Barré P , Lamas G , Tankéré F
Published: October 2009

Introduction:

The prognosis for cases of idiopathic facial palsy is usually good. However, some cases develop disabling sequelae, such as synkinesis or severe facial hemispasm, despite targeted medical treatment.

Objectives:

The authors try to achieve that electromyography is useful to identify patients with severe palsy and an unfavourable prognosis. These patients would probably benefit from facial nerve decompression.

Setting:

The otolaryngology – head and neck surgery department of Pitié-Salpêtrière Hospital, Paris, a tertiary referral centre.

Participants:

Thirteen cases undergoing surgery between January 1997 and March 2007.

Main outcome measures:

We describe the electromyographic findings that led to surgery. All patients underwent surgery via a subpetrous approach, within four months of the onset of palsy. Decompression involved the first and second portions of the nerve and the geniculate ganglion.

Results:

Recovery to House–Brackmann grade III was obtained in all cases at one year follow up.

Conclusion:

These results compared favourably with previous reports. A new therapeutic procedure may allow improved results.
The failure of a laudable project: Gunton, the Trinity and human self-understanding
Authors: Nausner Bernhard
Published: October 2009

This article seeks to summarise and critically analyse Colin Gunton's trinitarian theology in regard to the claim that the doctrine of the Trinity is a doctrine with radical consequences for human life. To this end it engages, first, in an examination of Gunton's trinitarian project following his thought from a cultural critical starting point finally leading to the establishment of three open transcendentals and, second, in a critical analysis of this approach, highlighting some essential inconsistencies in regard to Cappadocian theology, the concepts of relationality and personhood and practical consequences for human life. In conclusion, the article suggests that Gunton's strong emphasis on relationality and his search for open transcendentals could be understood as the result of his passionate aspiration to heal the wounds of an egocentric, individualistic and alienating modern culture through an ontology of communion.
Communion as propaganda: Reinhard Hütter and the missionary witness of the ‘ChurchasPublic’
Authors: Flett John G.
Published: October 2009

The Protestant church, for Reinhard Hütter, relinquished its ecclesial public character when it turned from ‘binding doctrine’ as the means for establishing and maintaining its concrete ‘time-space’. Christendom disguised this basic theological flaw, but with its collapse the public basis of the Protestant church fell away. This reduced the church's witness and destroyed its communal structure. His positive proposal re-establishes the church as a public by reference to the communion nature of God, and to church practices as mediate forms of the Spirit's acting. Hütter's account shadows an argument made fifty years before by Johannes C. Hoekendijk, observing an intensified focus on word and sacrament and the promotion of a culture as a solution to the problem of the church's witness. Yet, for Hoekendijk, this logic exemplifies the problem. The institutions of the church come to bear the full evangelistic load. Mission replicates the basic structures of a particular way of life as a necessary precursor to the gospel. The act of witness becomes propaganda because of an insufficient doctrine of the church. This insufficiency is a failing in the doctrine of the Trinity: God's own life is defined without sufficient attention to his act of reconciliation and redemption as itself material to understanding the nature of hisin selife.
The rise and demise of black theology: home sweet home in Babylon
Authors: Beckford Robert
Published: October 2009

I was hoping that this book might end one of my most enduring classroom group research activities. At the beginning of my introductory module in black theology, I send the class to the library to search for all the books written by British theologians on ‘race’, since the First World War. Students return an hour later and acknowledge that there are none. Then I send the group back again but this time to search for books on the subject of ‘animal theology’ (by the same intellectual demographic). On their return each group announces, sometimes in triumph, that there were at least a dozen! I then respond by asking them to reflect on what we are to make of a theological community that appears to be more interested in the souls of animals than British Christianity's sojourn with racialised oppression?
Race and respect
Authors: Kee Alistair
Published: October 2009

I am grateful to Robert Beckford for the care he has taken to present the argument of my book and for his incisive comments and criticisms. My book has been reviewed by other black theologians, in the UK and the USA, who have avoided the argument of the book, preferring to play the race card: any criticism of black theology can only be an expression of white racism. I am grateful to the editors of SJT in affording me the opportunity to respond. It would be tedious to become involved in a detailed exchange of he-said–I-said. I have chosen to respond to two issues raised in Beckford's review.
Editorial
Authors: BURNARD PAMELA , SPRUCE GARY
Published: October 2009

In this issue the majority of articles focus on performance. Within this context we are invited particularly to reflect upon the perspectives of students, parents and children, all of whom may share the delights of music learning, musical knowledge and engagement but who experience and apply them in very different settings. Understanding how we learn music, how musical skills develop, how musical knowledge is represented and how music teachers can best teach and inspire, are challenging topics for music educators across all phases whether they be early music teachers, artists in residence or artist educators.
Parental expectations of the Swedish municipal school of arts
Authors: Lilliedahl Jonathan , Georgii-Hemming Eva
Published: October 2009

This article draws on a study designed to analyse parental expectations of the Swedish municipal school of arts (hereafter MSA) (in Swedish: kommunal musik- och kulturskola). The study is based on in-depth interviews conducted and informed by grounded theory. Although parental expectations are scarcely uniform, the study reveals a hope that the whole child will be nurtured, both musically and socially. It also transpires that parental expectations vary according to the activities offered by the particular school. The MSAs are administered and financed by the local authorities, and parents therefore expect them to be distinguished not only by their educational ambitions and the range of cultural choices available, but also by their democratic norms and values.
External representation and the architecture of music: Children inventing and speaking about notations
Authors: Pramling Niklas
Published: October 2009

This study concerns children's representational knowledge, more specifically, their ‘invented notations’ of music. A small-scale empirical study of four 5-year-old children and their teachers working on the representation of music is reported. The challenges posed by the teachers and how the children respond to these challenges are analysed. The teachers challenge the children to explain their understanding and use contrast to direct children's attention towards distinctions and important terms in the domain of music. The children use coloured geometrical shapes on paper and a sequence of building blocks to represent music. By means of these visuospatial representations, sounding and conversing about them, the children are able to communicate their understanding of the relationship between representation (sign) and sound. The role of external representations in the development of children's musical knowledge is discussed.
Student musicians' self- and task-theories of musical performance: the influence of primary genre affiliation
Authors: Hewitt Allan
Published: October 2009

One hundred and sixty-five undergraduate music students studying in Scotland completed a 30-statement Q-sort to describe their self- and task-theories of musical performance. Statements reflected the importance of effort, confidence, technical ability, significant others and luck/chance in determining a successful performance. The Q-sorts were reduced to six underlying sorting patterns, or viewpoints. The relationship between sorting patterns and participants' primary genre affiliation was explored in order to identify whether self and task-theories were a function of genre affiliation. Some intuitive hypotheses of what performers of particular musical genres might think were supported by the data. However, results suggested that there was considerable diversity in self- and task-theory of performance within each of the genre affiliation groups, which supports previous research. Other background factors, such as gender, years of playing, chronological age and type of institution, were not significant predictors of self- or task-theory of musical performance.
ASYMPTOTIC SIZE AND A PROBLEM WITH SUBSAMPLING AND WITH THE m OUT OF n BOOTSTRAP
Authors: Andrews Donald W.K. , Guggenberger Patrik
Published: October 2009

This paper considers inference based on a test statistic that has a limit distribution that is discontinuous in a parameter. The paper shows that subsampling and m out of n bootstrap tests based on such a test statistic often have asymptotic size—defined as the limit of exact size—that is greater than the nominal level of the tests. This is due to a lack of uniformity in the pointwise asymptotics. We determine precisely the asymptotic size of such tests under a general set of high-level conditions that are relatively easy to verify. The results show that the asymptotic size of subsampling and m out of n bootstrap tests is distorted in some examples but not in others.
Automated use of WHONET and SaTScan to detect outbreaks of Shigella spp. using antimicrobial resistance phenotypes
Authors: STELLING J. , YIH W. K. , GALAS M. , KULLDORFF M. , PICHEL M. , TERRAGNO R. , TUDURI E. , ESPETXE S. , BINSZTEIN N. , O'BRIEN T. F. , PLATT R.
Published: October 2009

Antimicrobial resistance is a priority emerging public health threat, and the ability to detect promptly outbreaks caused by resistant pathogens is critical for resistance containment and disease control efforts. We describe and evaluate the use of an electronic laboratory data system (WHONET) and a space–time permutation scan statistic for semi-automated disease outbreak detection. In collaboration with WHONET-Argentina, the national network for surveillance of antimicrobial resistance, we applied the system to the detection of local and regional outbreaks of Shigella spp. We searched for clusters on the basis of genus, species, and resistance phenotype and identified 19 statistical ‘events’ in a 12-month period. Of the six known outbreaks reported to the Ministry of Health, four had good or suggestive agreement with SaTScan-detected events. The most discriminating analyses were those involving resistance phenotypes. Electronic laboratory-based disease surveillance incorporating statistical cluster detection methods can enhance infectious disease outbreak detection and response.
Micro and macro population effects in disease transmission: the case of varicella
Authors: SILHOL R. , ALVAREZ F. P. , ARENA C. , AMOROS J. P. , FLAHAULT A. , HANSLIK T. , BOËLLE P. Y.
Published: October 2009

Profiles of varicella-zoster virus (VZV) seroprevalence have shown large variability in European countries in which vaccination has not been implemented. Differences in micro and macro population structures (e.g. household and municipality, respectively) may explain such variability, which is the focus of a population-based study of varicella in 12 000 children from 7800 French households in Corsica. The cumulative incidence was 89% at age 11 years, as the median age at infection was 5 years in first-born children, but decreased to 3·9 years in younger siblings. Hazard of infection in households increased as the first-born child initially enrolled in primary school. Age at infection was higher in less populated areas. Household attack rates increased with age (55% in <6 months, >90% in >3 years) and household secondary attack rate was ∼70%. Several levels of population structure independently affect age at varicella infection.
DisseminatedCryptococcus neoformansvar.grubiiinfections in intensive care units
Authors: CHUANG Y.-M. , KU S. C. , LIAW S. J. , WU S. C. , HO Y. C. , YU C. J. , HSUEH P. R.
Published: October 2009

A retrospective study of clinical characteristics, outcome and prognostic factors of patients with cryptococcosis was undertaken in intensive care units (ICUs) of a medical centre for the period 2000–2005. Twenty-six patients withCryptococcus neoformansvar.grubiiinfection were identified (16 males, median age 58 years). The most frequent underlying diseases were liver cirrhosis (38·5%), diabetes mellitus (26·9%) and HIV infection (19·2%). The most frequently identified sites of infection were blood (61·5%), cerebrospinal fluid (38·5%) and airways (34·6%). The mean Acute Physiologic and Chronic Health Evaluation II score at ICU admission was 22·46. The ICU mortality rate in these patients was 73·1% (19/26) and there were a further two mortalities recorded after discharge from ICU, reaching a total mortality rate of 80·8% (21/26). Patients with ICU survival >2 weeks had lower rates of HIV infection (P=0·004), less use of inotropic agents during ICU stay (P<0·001) and lower white blood cell counts (P=0·01). After adjusting for clinical variables in the multivariate Cox regression model, diabetes and cryptococcal infection after ICU admission were independent predictors of good long-term prognosis (P=0·015) and HIV infectious status was associated with poor outcome (P=0·012).
Gastrointestinal symptomatology as a predictor of severe outcomes of invasive group A streptococcal infections
Authors: KHATEEB O. M. , OSBORNE D. , MULLA Z. D.
Published: October 2009

Invasive group A streptococcal (GAS) disease is a condition of clinical and public health significance. We conducted epidemiological analyses to determine if the presence of gastrointestinal (GI) complaints (diarrhea and/or vomiting) early in the course of invasive GAS disease is associated with either of two severe outcomes: GAS necrotizing fasciitis, or hospital mortality. Subjects were hospitalized for invasive GAS disease throughout the state of Florida, USA, during a 4-year period. Multiple imputation using the Markov chain Monte Carlo method was used to replace missing values with plausible values. Excluding cases with missing data resulted in a sample size of 138 invasive GAS patients (the complete subject analysis) while the imputed datasets contained 257 records. GI symptomatology within 48 h of hospital admission was not associated with hospital mortality in either the complete subject analysis [adjusted odds ratio (aOR) 0·86, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0·31–2·39] or in the imputed datasets. GI symptoms were significantly associated with GAS necrotizing fasciitis in the complete subject analysis (aOR 4·64, 95% CI 1·18–18·23) and in the imputed datasets but only in patients aged <55 years. The common cause of GI symptoms and necrotizing fasciitis may be streptococcal exotoxins. Clinicians who are treating young individuals presumed to be in the early stages of invasive GAS disease should take note of GI symptoms and remain vigilant for the development of a GAS necrotizing soft-tissue infection.
Burden of infant bronchiolitis: data from a hospital network
Authors: CHE D. , CAILLERE N. , BROSSET P. , VALLEJO C. , JOSSERAN L.
Published: October 2009

In France, surveillance of bronchiolitis is based on a pilot network of hospital emergency departments. The study was a 1-year observational study (2007–2008) carried out in a central region of metropolitan France. The hospitalization rate for bronchiolitis was 17·7/1000 children aged <1 year and the estimated prevalence of bronchiolitis ranged from 17·7% to 34·4% in children aged <1 year. Such a network constitutes a valuable tool to estimate the dynamic and the burden of infant bronchiolitis.
Predicting Therapy Outcome in Patients with Early and Late Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (EOCD and LOCD)
Authors: Langner Judith , Laws Manuela , Röper Gisela , Zaudig Michael , Hauke Walter , Piesbergen Christoph
Published: October 2009

Background:Increasing attention has been given to subtyping OCD with respect to different clinical profiles, response to drug treatments, comorbidity and age of onset. There are a number of studies looking at predictors of treatment outcome in OCD, but so far not for OCD subtypes.Method:Prediction of outcome after cognitive-behavioural therapy was evaluated in 63 inpatients with early obsessive-compulsive disorder (EOCD ≤ 12 years of age) and 191 patients with late obsessive-compulsive disorder (LOCD > 15 years of age).Results:For EOCD patients factors predicting a good outcome included high motivation and high initial Y-BOCS scores. Factors associated with a bad outcome were higher age at assessment, a longer duration of psychiatric inpatient treatment before assessment and a low level of social functioning (BSS). For LOCD patients living in a stable relationship, high motivation and completing treatment predicted a favourable therapy outcome, while a low level of psychological functioning (BSS) and a longer duration of inpatient psychiatric treatment before assessment were associated with an undesirable therapy outcome.Conclusions:Subtyping OCD patients according to age of onset seems to be a promising avenue towards improving and developing more specified treatment programs.
Do sleep difficulties exacerbate deficits in sustained attention following traumatic brain injury?
Authors: BLOOMFIELD IMOGEN L.M. , ESPIE COLIN A. , EVANS JONATHAN J.
Published: October 2009

Sustained attention has been shown to be vulnerable following traumatic brain injury (TBI). Sleep restriction and disturbances have been shown to negatively affect sustained attention. Sleep disorders are common but under-diagnosed after TBI. Thus, it seems possible that sleep disturbances may exacerbate neuropsychological deficits for a proportion of individuals who have sustained a TBI. The aim of this prospective study was to examine whether poor sleepers post-TBI had poorer sustained and general attentional functioning than good sleepers post-TBI. Retrospective subjective, prospective subjective, and objective measures were used to assess participants’ sleep. The results showed that the poor sleep group had significantly poorer sustained attention ability than the good sleep group. The differences on other measures of attention were not significant. This study supports the use of measures that capture specific components of attention rather than global measures of attention, and highlights the importance of assessing and treating sleep problems in brain injury rehabilitation. (JINS, 2010, 16, 17–25.)
Indaba as Obedience: A Post Lambeth 2008 Assessment ‘If someone offends you, talk to him’
Authors: Lee Peter John
Published: October 2009

The article seeks to reflect on the Lambeth Conference of 2008 and, in particular, the use of the indaba method of engagement, in the context of the Anglican Communion’s fractured history and its need for inner reconciliation. It proposes that theological and pastoral work is required in the areas of conflict resolution and communication.

The following article was prepared before the TEC (The Episcopal Church) General Convention of 2009, and does not take account of its decisions.
The private consequences of public policies: active labor market policies and social ties in Europe
Authors: Anderson Christopher J.
Published: October 2009

Though comparative political economists have examined active labor market policies (ALMPs) by focusing narrowly on how they affect economic outcomes, this paper develops and argues for a broadened conception of how such policies can shape a variety of outcomes beyond the labor market. In particular, I argue that ALMPs have the potential to shape the quality of people’s private lives by enhancing their opportunities and motives to interact with social others. Analyses of data collected in 17 European countries show that individuals in countries with higher spending on ALMPs report more frequent social interactions and a reduced sense of social exclusion. Moreover, I find that the positive influence of labor market policies on social ties is stronger among individuals whose labor market position is more precarious. The results suggest that public policies have important and multifaceted consequences for people’s private lives and countries’ patterns of social cohesion.
Regions, social structure and value orientations: a comparative study of 15 West European countries
Authors: Knutsen Oddbjørn
Published: October 2009

This article is a comparative study of regional differences in social and political value orientations. I identify four central sets of value orientations: two Old Politics orientations – religious–secular and economic left–right; and two New Politics orientations – libertarian/authoritarian and green values. I use the international value studies from 15 West European countries as my empirical base. The article addresses three major research problems: (1) Which of the four value orientations is most strongly anchored in regional differences, and in which countries do we find the largest value differences between the regions? (2) Do we find the same ranking of the regions across the four value orientations, or do the value orientations group the regions in separate ways? (3) Can the other socio-structural variables explain the impact of region on value orientations, or is that impact unique? The average correlations between regions and each of the four value orientations are similar but somewhat larger for religious value and libertarian/authoritarian values. With regard to the second research problem, I hypothesize one-, two-, and three-dimensional solutions based on different spatial configurations. The one-dimensional configurations implied that there exist some (centre) regions that have secular, economic rightist, green, and libertarian regions, and (peripheral) regions with opposite value orientations. This pattern is clearly found in four countries. The expected two-dimensional solution with an Old Politics and a New Politics dimension was found in four countries, whereas the expected three-dimensional solution with two Old Politics and one New Politics dimension was found in three countries. In the multivariate analysis examining the causal impact of region, only a small portion of the correlation between region and value orientations was spurious when controlling for the other (quasi-)ascriptive variables. Furthermore, only a small portion of the impact of region was transmitted via social class variables.
Neo-republicanism: Machiavelli’s solutions for Tocqueville’s republic
Authors: Kimpell Jessica L.
Published: October 2009

In this paper, I demonstrate that neo-republicanism, as found in the works of Philip Pettit, Quentin Skinner, Maurizio Viroli, Iseult Honohan, and John Maynor, is underpinned by a conception of the well-ordered republic derived from the classical republican tradition. I also argue that an alternative, modern framework of the republic and its political stability emerged in the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries and is captured in the work of thinkers like Benjamin Constant and Alexis de Tocqueville. Neo-republicanism, however, collapses these distinct conceptions of political order. It does so in some cases by misinterpreting these nineteenth-century figures as representing the continuation of the classical perspective that calls for virtuous political participation to secure freedom. It does so in others by aligning with a classical framework of political order and yet not seeing its core conundrum as problematic, perhaps because of adopting assumptions associated with an optimistic perspective on social and political change. What is more, even if neither were a problem, neo-republicanism, in its appeal to a classical tradition, overlooks a relevant body of work which dealt with key republican concerns from within the context of increasingly commercial and heterogeneous societies.
Charles Tilly, globalization, and labor’s citizen rights
Authors: Gentile Antonina , Tarrow Sidney
Published: October 2009

Since the 1990s, observers have seen globalization impairing labor’s rights. We take Charles Tilly as an exemplar of this view, subjecting his 1995 article to critical appreciation. We argue that Tilly, known for his work on the National Social Movement, overlooked the fact that some unions under pressure from global neo-liberalism can employ a protest repertoire employing their citizen rights, while others continue to use labor rights. We use port workers, who are directly exposed to globalization, to show how different political opportunity structures and different strategic choices influence these choices. In Sweden, our exemplar of a neo-corporatist system, we find that the employment of labor rights continues to be robust; in the USA, our exemplar of a fully-fledged neo-liberal system, we find much greater recourse to a repertoire calling on citizen rights. Finally, in Australia and Great Britain, countries undergoing a shift to neo-liberalism in the 1980s and 1990s, we show that strategic choice influences how effectively unions adapt to shifts towards neo-liberalism: Australian unions effectively used citizen rights while the British port unions failed to make this strategic shift.
Efficient protection and isolation of ubiquitylated proteins using tandem ubiquitin‐binding entities
Authors: Hjerpe Roland , Aillet Fabienne , Lopitz‐Otsoa Fernando , Lang Valerie , England Patrick , Rodriguez Manuel S
Published: October 2009

Post‐translational modification with ubiquitin is one of the most important mechanisms in the regulation of protein stability and function. However, the high reversibility of this modification is the main obstacle for the isolation and characterization of ubiquitylated proteins. To overcome this problem, we have developed tandem‐repeated ubiquitin‐binding entities (TUBEs) based on ubiquitin‐associated (UBA) domains. TUBEs recognize tetra‐ubiquitin with a markedly higher affinity than single UBA domains, allowing poly‐ubiquitylated proteins to be efficiently purified from cell extracts in native conditions. More significant is the fact that TUBEs protect poly‐ubiquitin‐conjugated proteins, such as p53 and IκBα, both from proteasomal degradation and de‐ubiquitylating activity present in cell extracts, as well as from existing proteasome and cysteine protease inhibitors. Therefore, these new ‘molecular traps’ should become valuable tools for purifying endogenous poly‐ubiquitylated proteins, thus contributing to a better characterization of many essential functions regulated by these post‐translational modifications.
Upf1 stimulates degradation of the product derived from aberrant messenger RNA containing a specific nonsense mutation by the proteasome
Authors: Kuroha Kazushige , Tatematsu Tsuyako , Inada Toshifumi
Published: October 2009

Aberrant messenger RNAs containing a premature termination codon (PTC) are eliminated by the nonsense‐mediated mRNA decay (NMD) pathway. Here, we show that a crucial NMD factor, up frameshift 1 protein (Upf1), is required for rapid proteasome‐mediated degradation of an aberrant protein (PTC product) derived from a PTC‐containing mRNA. Western blot and pulse–chase analyses revealed that Upf1 stimulates the degradation of specific PTC products by the proteasome. Moreover, the Upf1‐dependent, proteasome‐mediated degradation of the PTC product was also stimulated by mRNAs harbouring a faux 3′ untranslated region (3′‐UTR). These results indicate that protein stability might be regulated by an aberrant mRNA 3′‐UTR.
Np95 interacts with de novo DNA methyltransferases, Dnmt3a and Dnmt3b, and mediates epigenetic silencing of the viral CMV promoter in embryonic stem cells
Authors: Meilinger Daniela , Fellinger Karin , Bultmann Sebastian , Rothbauer Ulrich , Bonapace Ian Marc , Klinkert Wolfgang E F , Spada Fabio , Leonhardt Heinrich
Published: October 2009

Recent studies have indicated that nuclear protein of 95 kDa (Np95) is essential for maintaining genomic methylation by recruiting DNA methyltransferase (Dnmt) 1 to hemi‐methylated sites. Here, we show that Np95 interacts more strongly with regulatory domains of the de novo methyltransferases Dnmt3a and Dnmt3b. To investigate possible functions, we developed an epigenetic silencing assay using fluorescent reporters in embryonic stem cells (ESCs). Interestingly, silencing of the cytomegalovirus promoter in ESCs preceded DNA methylation and was strictly dependent on the presence of either Np95, histone H3 methyltransferase G9a or Dnmt3a and Dnmt3b. Our results indicate a regulatory role for Np95, Dnmt3a and Dnmt3b in mediating epigenetic silencing through histone modification followed by DNA methylation.
Cancer proteomics—an evolving battlefield
Authors: Collins Ben C. , Lau Thomas Y. K. , O'Connor Darran P. , Hondermarck Hubert
Published: October 2009

The latest advances in the study of cancer proteomes are discussed in this report, as well as the possibilities that this kind of research affords for the elucidation of oncogenic mechanisms and the identification of biomarkers and new drug targets.
Endoplasmic reticulum stress in disease: mechanisms and therapeutic opportunities
Authors: Hosoi Toru , Ozawa Koichiro
Published: October 2009

Various stresses, which impair ER (endoplasmic reticulum) function, lead to an accumulation of unfolded or misfolded proteins. ER stress triggers many rescuer responses, including a UPR (unfolded protein response). Increasing evidence has suggested that ER stress is involved in neurodegenerative diseases (Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease and cerebral ischaemic insults), cancer, obesity and diabetes. In the present review, we consider the importance of ER stress under pathological conditions in mammals. Furthermore, we discuss the therapeutic potential for treatment targeting ER stress.
Hereditary tubular transport disorders: implications for renal handling of Ca2+ and Mg2+
Authors: Dimke Henrik , Hoenderop Joost G. , Bindels René J.
Published: October 2009

The kidney plays an important role in maintaining the systemic Ca2+ and Mg2+ balance. Thus the renal reabsorptive capacity of these cations can be amended to adapt to disturbances in plasma Ca2+ and Mg2+ concentrations. The reabsorption of Ca2+ and Mg2+ is driven by transport of other electrolytes, sometimes through selective channels and often supported by hormonal stimuli. It is, therefore, not surprising that monogenic disorders affecting such renal processes may impose a shift in, or even completely blunt, the reabsorptive capacity of these divalent cations within the kidney. Accordingly, in Dent's disease, a disorder with defective proximal tubular transport, hypercalciuria is frequently observed. Dysfunctional thick ascending limb transport in Bartter's syndrome, familial hypomagnesaemia with hypercalciuria and nephrocalcinosis, and diseases associated with Ca2+-sensing receptor defects, markedly change tubular transport of Ca2+ and Mg2+. In the distal convolutions, several proteins involved in Mg2+ transport have been identified [TRPM6 (transient receptor potential melastatin 6), proEGF (pro-epidermal growth factor) and FXYD2 (Na+/K+-ATPase γ-subunit)]. In addition, conditions such as Gitelman's syndrome, distal renal tubular acidosis and pseudohypoaldosteronism type II, as well as a mitochondrial defect associated with hypomagnesaemia, all change the renal handling of divalent cations. These hereditary disorders have, in many cases, substantially increased our understanding of the complex transport processes in the kidney and their contribution to the regulation of overall Ca2+ and Mg2+ balance.
Treatment Outcomes for Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Early Intervention Populations
Authors: Coleman Jaumeiko J.
Published: October 2009

Research indicates that close to half of infants, toddlers and preschool children enrolled in early intervention programs funded by the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act have a communication disorder. In addition, a substantial number of children, particularly in the infant and toddler population, are from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds. Audiologists and speech-language pathologists are charged with providing culturally-competent, evidence-based services to all clients. Given the federal, state, and local demand for accountability in practices, clinicians need guidance on treatment outcomes pertaining to the culturally and linguistically diverse early intervention populations with communication disorders.
Structure and phonon density of states of supported size-selected F57eAu nanoclusters: A nuclear resonant inelastic x-ray scattering study
Authors: Roldan Cuenya B. , Ono L. K. , Croy J. R. , Naitabdi A. , Heinrich H. , Zhao J. , Alp E. E. , Sturhahn W. , Keune W.
Published: October 2009

We have measured the phonon density of states (PDOS) of isolated bcc and fcc FexAu1−x alloy nanoclusters (NCs) by nuclear resonant inelastic x-ray scattering. Drastic deviations were observed with respect to the PDOS of bulk Fe–Au alloys. Important information on the structure and thermodynamic properties of these NCs was obtained.
Low-energy effective action in nonperturbative electrodynamics in curved space-time
Authors: Avramidi Ivan G. , Fucci Guglielmo
Published: October 2009

We study the heat kernel for the Laplace-type partial differential operator acting on smooth sections of a complex spin-tensor bundle over a generic n-dimensional Riemannian manifold. Assuming that the curvature of the U(1) connection (that we call the electromagnetic field) is constant, we compute the first two coefficients of the nonperturbative asymptotic expansion of the heat kernel which are of zero and the first order in Riemannian curvature and of arbitrary order in the electromagnetic field. We apply these results to the study of the effective action in nonperturbative electrodynamics in four dimensions and derive a generalization of the Schwinger’s result for the creation of scalar and spinor particles in electromagnetic field induced by the gravitational field. We discover a new infrared divergence in the imaginary part of the effective action due to the gravitational corrections, which seems to be a new physical effect.
Catalyst patterned growth of interconnecting graphene layer on SiO2/Si substrate for integrated devices
Authors: Lee Yun-Hi , Lee Jong-Hee
Published: October 2009

The authors report a simple site selective growth for producing interconnecting suspended graphene on SiO2/Si substrate. The outcome of the process depends on the thickness of the catalyst (Ni) and process ambient on SiO2/Si wafer by low pressure fast heating chemical-vapor deposition at 820 °C for periods from 30 s to 10 min. Raman spectroscopy revealed that the graphene grown on the substrate consists of from 1 to <20 layers, with the number of layers depending on the thickness of the catalyst (Ni). Also, the thickness of Ni catalyst determines whether the graphite layers (GLs) are grown in a suspended form or adhered to the substrate. The possibility of producing qualified as-grown GL supported on a wafer without further processing, such as transferring to another substrate, should contribute to further scientific research and development of graphene.
Nonvolatile memory with switching interfacial polar structures of nano Si-in-mesoporous silica
Authors: Shieh Jia-Min , Huang Jung Y. , Yu Wen-Chien , Huang Jian-Da , Wang Yi-Chao , Chen Ching-Wei , Wang Chao-Kei , Huang Wen-Hsien , Cho An-Thung , Kuo Hao-Chung , Dai Bau-Tong , Yang Fu-Liang , Pan Ci-Ling
Published: October 2009

We show an artificially engineered electret with Si nanocrystals embedded in mesoporous silica for nonvolatile memory. We attribute the polarization to from polar layers lying at the interfaces between one-side bonded Si nanocrystals and mesoporous silica matrix. Under external field, the Si nanocrystals could be displaced in the porechannels causing displaced charge distributions and therefore a field-controllable electric polarization. Nonvolatile memory is demonstrated with a metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistor.
Spatial distribution of relaxation behavior on the surface of a ferroelectric relaxor in the ergodic phase
Authors: Kalinin S. V. , Rodriguez B. J. , Jesse S. , Morozovska A. N. , Bokov A. A. , Ye Z.-G.
Published: October 2009

Spatial homogeneity of polarization relaxation behavior on the surface of 0.9Pb(Mg1/3Nb2/3)O3–0.1PbTiO3 crystals in the ergodic relaxor phase is studied using three-dimensional time-resolved spectroscopic piezoresponse force microscopy. The number of statistically independent components in the spectroscopic image is determined using principal component analysis. In the studied measurement time interval, the spectra generally exhibit logarithmic behavior with spatially varying slope and offset, and the statistical distribution of these parameters are studied. The data illustrate the presence of mesoscopic heterogeneity in the dynamics of the relaxation behavior that can be interpreted as spatial variation in local Vogel–Fulcher temperatures.
Nitrogen-polar gallium nitride substrates as solid-state pH-selective potentiometric sensors
Authors: Tran Ba Khanh Hoa , Mastro Michael A. , Hite Jennifer K. , Eddy Charles R. , Ito Takashi
Published: October 2009

This paper reports pH-selective potentiometric responses of epitaxial nitrogen-polar (0001) GaN films on sapphire substrates. The potential of a nitrogen-polar GaN substrate increased with decreasing solution pH from 10 to 2 in a Nernstian manner, whereas it did not significantly change upon increasing the concentrations of the cationic and anionic interfering species. In particular, the negligible responses to anions marked a sharp contrast with previously reported results on gallium-polar GaN that exhibited Nernstian responses to anions. The potentiometric response to pH probably originates from the adsorption of H+ onto oxide-coated nitrogen-polar GaN substrates having polarization-induced negative surface charge.
Molecular structure determination from x-ray scattering patterns of laser-aligned symmetric-top molecules
Authors: Ho P. J. , Starodub D. , Saldin D. K. , Shneerson V. L. , Ourmazd A. , Santra R.
Published: October 2009

We investigate the molecular structure information contained in the x-ray diffraction patterns of an ensemble of rigid CF3Br molecules aligned by an intense laser pulse at finite rotational temperature. The diffraction patterns are calculated at an x-ray photon energy of 20 keV to probe molecular structure at angstrom-scale resolution. We find that a structural reconstruction algorithm based on iterative phase retrieval fails to extract a reliable structure. However, the high atomic number of Br compared with C or F allows each diffraction pattern to be treated as a hologram. Using this approach, the azimuthal projection of the molecular electron density about the alignment axis may be retrieved.
Layer-specific network oscillation and spatiotemporal receptive field in the visual cortex
Authors: Sun Wenzhi , Dan Yang
Published: October 2009

A quintessential feature of the neocortex is its laminar organization, and characterizing the activity patterns in different layers is an important step in understanding cortical processing. Using in vivo whole-cell recordings in rat visual cortex, we show that the temporal patterns of ongoing synaptic inputs to pyramidal neurons exhibit clear laminar specificity. Although low-frequency (∼2 Hz) activity is widely observed in layer 2/3 (L2/3), a narrow-band fast oscillation (10–15 Hz) is prominent in layer 5 (L5). This fast oscillation is carried exclusively by excitatory inputs. Moreover, the frequency of ongoing activity is strongly correlated with the spatiotemporal window of visual integration: Neurons with fast-oscillating spontaneous inputs exhibit transient visual responses and small receptive fields (RFs), whereas those with slow inputs show prolonged responses and large RFs. These findings suggest that the neural representation of visual information within each layer is strongly influenced by the temporal dynamics of the local network manifest in spontaneous activity.
Increased expression of Mg
2+
transport proteins enhances the survival of
Salmonella enterica
at high temperature
Authors: O'Connor Kathleen , Fletcher Susanne A. , Csonka Laszlo N.
Published: October 2009

Mg
2+
homeostasis is important for
Salmonella
pathogenesis. In
Salmonella enterica
, the transcription of the
mgtA
gene, which encodes a Mg
2+
transporter, is regulated by a Mg
2+
-sensing riboswitch [Cromie MJ, Shi Y, Latifi T, Groisman EA (2006)
Cell
125:71–84]. In a genetic analysis of the determinants of thermotolerance in
S. enterica
serovar Typhimurium, we isolated the
chr-1
mutation that increased the resistance of exponential phase cells to killing by high temperature. This mutation is a single base change in the
mgtA
riboswitch that causes high-level constitutive expression of
mgtA
. We showed that another
mgtA
riboswitch mutation, Δ

UTR
re-100

, which had been constructed by Cromie et al., also confers similar increased thermotolerance. Surprisingly, the
chr-1
mutation is located at a position that would not be predicted to be important for the regulatory function of the riboswitch. We obtained physiological evidence suggesting that the
chr-1
mutation increases the cytosolic free Mg
2+
concentration. High-level expression of the heterologous MgtE Mg
2+
transport protein of
Bacillus subtilis
also enhanced the thermotolerance of
S. enterica
. We hypothesize that increased Mg
2+
accumulation might enhance thermotolerance by protecting the integrity of proteins or membranes, by mitigating oxidative damage or acting as an inducer of thermoprotective functions.
Regulation of axonal development by natriuretic peptide hormones
Authors: Zhao Zhen , Ma Le
Published: October 2009

Natriuretic peptides (NPs) are a family of cardiac- and vascular-derived hormones that are well known for regulating blood pressure, but their expression in the brain poses an intriguing yet unanswered question concerning their roles in the nervous system. Here, we report several unique activities of these hormones in regulating axonal development of dorsal root ganglion (DRG) neurons in the spinal cord. First, the C-type NP (CNP) is expressed in a restricted area of the dorsal spinal cord and provides a cue that is necessary for bifurcation of central sensory afferents. Second, in the culture of embryonic DRG neurons, CNP stimulates branch formation, induces axon outgrowth, and attracts growth cones. Furthermore, these activities are mediated by cyclic guanosine-3′,5′-monophosphate (cGMP) signaling and can be elicited by other members of NP hormones. Thus, NPs represent a new class of extracellular factors that regulate key axonal processes during development. Because their receptors are present in many regions of the embryonic and adult brain, we propose that these hormones have wide influence on the development and function of the nervous system.