bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Identification of Extracellular
N
-Acylhomoserine Lactone Acylase from a
Streptomyces
sp. and Its Application to Quorum Quenching
Authors: Park Sun-Yang , Kang Hye-Ok , Jang Hak-Sun , Lee Jung-Kee , Koo Bon-Tag , Yum Do-Young
Published: May 2005

N
-Acylhomoserine lactones (AHLs) play an important role in regulating virulence factors in pathogenic bacteria. Recently, the enzymatic inactivation of AHLs, which can be used as antibacterial targets, has been identified in several soil bacteria. In this study, strain M664, identified as a
Streptomyces
sp., was found to secrete an AHL-degrading enzyme into a culture medium. The
ahlM
gene for AHL degradation from
Streptomyces
sp. strain M664 was cloned, expressed heterologously in
Streptomyces lividans
, and purified. The enzyme was found to be a heterodimeric protein with subunits of approximately 60 kDa and 23 kDa. A comparison of AhlM with known AHL-acylases,
Ralstonia
strain XJ12B AiiD and
Pseudomonas aeruginosa
PAO1 PvdQ, revealed 35% and 32% identities in the deduced amino acid sequences, respectively. However, AhlM was most similar to the cyclic lipopeptide acylase from
Streptomyces
sp. strain FERM BP-5809, exhibiting 93% identity. A mass spectrometry analysis demonstrated that AhlM hydrolyzed the amide bond of AHL, releasing homoserine lactone. AhlM exhibited a higher deacylation activity toward AHLs with long acyl chains rather than short acyl chains. Interestingly, AhlM was also found to be capable of degrading penicillin G by deacylation, showing that AhlM has a broad substrate specificity. The addition of AhlM to the growth medium reduced the accumulation of AHLs and decreased the production of virulence factors, including elastase, total protease, and LasA, in
P. aeruginosa
. Accordingly, these results suggest that AHL-acylase, AhlM could be effectively applied to the control of AHL-mediated pathogenicity.
Persistence of
Enterococcus faecalis
in Aquatic Environments via Surface Interactions with Copepods
Authors: Signoretto Caterina , Burlacchini Gloria , Pruzzo Carla , Canepari Pietro
Published: May 2005

Several human pathogens and fecal-pollution indicators may persist as viable organisms in natural environments, owing to their ability to activate different types of survival strategies. These strategies include adhesion on both abiotic and biotic surfaces and the entrance to the so-called viable but nonculturable (VBNC) state. In an 18-month survey for the detection of enterococci in both lake water and seawater, C. Signoretto et al. (Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 70:6892-6896, 2004) have shown that
Enterococcus faecalis
was detected mostly bound to plankton and in the VBNC state. In the present study, we show that in vitro adhesion of
E. faecalis
to copepods accelerated the entry of cells into the VBNC state relative to that of planktonic bacteria. VBNC
E. faecalis
cells maintained their adhesive properties to copepods and chitin (the main component of the copepod carapace), though to a reduced extent in comparison with growing cells. Sugar competition experiments showed interference with adhesion to both copepods and chitin by GlcNAc and only to copepods by
d
-mannose. Four enterococcal cell wall proteins present in both growing and VBNC cells and lipoteichoic acid were shown to be capable of binding chitin. The results indicate that copepods may represent an additional environmental reservoir of enterococci, thus suggesting the advisability of redesigning the protocols currently used for microbial detection during the evaluation of the microbiological quality of environmental samples.
Homologous and Heterologous Overexpression in
Clostridium acetobutylicum
and Characterization of Purified Clostridial and Algal Fe-Only Hydrogenases with High Specific Activities
Authors: Girbal Laurence , von Abendroth Gregory , Winkler Martin , Benton Paul M. C. , Meynial-Salles Isabelle , Croux Christian , Peters John W. , Happe Thomas , Soucaille Philippe
Published: May 2005

Clostridium acetobutylicum
ATCC 824 was selected for the homologous overexpression of its Fe-only hydrogenase and for the heterologous expressions of the
Chlamydomonas reinhardtii
and
Scenedesmus obliquus
HydA1 Fe-only hydrogenases. The three
Strep
tag II-tagged Fe-only hydrogenases were isolated with high specific activities by two-step column chromatography. The purified algal hydrogenases evolve hydrogen with rates of around 700 μmol H
2
min
−1
mg
−1
, while HydA from
C. acetobutylicum
(HydA
Ca
) shows the highest activity (5,522 μmol H
2
min
−1
mg
−1
) in the direction of hydrogen uptake. Further, kinetic parameters and substrate specificity were reported. An electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) analysis of the thionin-oxidized HydA
Ca
protein indicates a characteristic rhombic EPR signal that is typical for the oxidized H cluster of Fe-only hydrogenases.
Electrical activity alterations induced by chronic absorption of lindane (γ-hexachlorocyclohexane) trace concentrations in adult rat heart
Authors: Sauviat Martin-Pierre , Bouvet Suzanne , Godeau Gaston , Pages Nicole
Published: May 2005

The heart of adult rat offspring, born to mothers treated with trace concentrations of lindane (0.5 to 2 ppb) through a beverage and to mothers chronically treated with lindane (CL-T) with the same trace concentration, also through a beverage, during lactation and growth has a round shape and accumulates lindane. The left ventricle (LV) presents a hypertrophied area, atrophied papillary muscles, and unorganized collagen bundles and layers. These observations led us to study the electrical activity of their left ventricle papillary muscles (LVPM) by recording action potential using intracellular microelectrodes. CL-T shortened LVPM action potential duration (APD): 1 ppb shortened the plateau; 2 ppb shortened the plateau and the slow repolarizing phase. In CL-T (2 ppb) and untreated groups, low temperature (22 °C) decreased the resting potential and prolonged APD. TEA (tetraethylammonium; 1-2 mmol/L) partially lengthened CL-T (2 ppb lindane) APD. Quinidine (0.2 mmol/L) and E-4031 (10 nmol/L) prolonged CL-T APD, suggesting that the rapid delayed outward K+ current (IKr) was increased. Our results indicate the silent effects of chronic exposure to trace concentrations of lindane on the morphological and electrical activity of heart muscle. They demonstrate that chronic lindane treatment of female rats alters the tissue integrity and electrical activity in the LV of their offspring.Key words: heart muscle, membrane potential, lindane, K+ channel.
Endothelin A and B receptor antagonist bosentan reduces postischemic myocardial injury in the rat: critical timing of administration
Authors: Xia Zhengyuan , Kuo Kuo-Hsing , McNeill John H , Ansley David M
Published: May 2005

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of bosentan, a mixed endothelin receptor A and B subtype antagonist, on myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury and to explore the influence of the timing of bosentan administration on its cardioprotective effects. Adult rat hearts were perfused by the Langendorff technique with Krebs-Henseleit solution (KH) at a constant flow rate at 10 mL/min. Global myocardial ischemia was induced by stopping KH perfusion for 40 min, and this was followed by 60 min of reperfusion. Hearts were randomized to 1 of 3 experimental groups (n = 7 each): untreated control; treatment with bosentan 1 µmol/L 10 min prior to, during 40 min global ischemia, and for 15 min of reperfusion (BOS); or treatment with bosentan 1 µmol/L after 15 min of reperfusion (BOS-R). We observed that BOS-R, but not the BOS treatment regimen, significantly reduced the release of cardiac-specific creatine kinase and postischemic myocardial infarct size (P < 0.05 vs. control) without affecting myocardial contractility. Left ventricular developed pressure in the BOS group was significantly (P < 0.01) lower than that in the control group throughout reperfusion. It is concluded that pharmacologically delayed antagonism of endothelin-1 during reperfusion attenuates postischemic myocardial injury. Endothelin-1 antagonist application during early reperfusion may exacerbate postischemic myocardial dysfunction.Key words: bosentan, ischemia, heart, rat, endothelin-1 antagonist.
Ion channels in smooth muscle: regulators of intracellular calcium and contractility
Authors: Thorneloe Kevin S , Nelson Mark T
Published: May 2005

Smooth muscle (SM) is essential to all aspects of human physiology and, therefore, key to the maintenance of life. Ion channels expressed within SM cells regulate the membrane potential, intracellular Ca2+concentration, and contractility of SM. Excitatory ion channels function to depolarize the membrane potential. These include nonselective cation channels that allow Na+and Ca2+to permeate into SM cells. The nonselective cation channel family includes tonically active channels (Icat), as well as channels activated by agonists, pressure-stretch, and intracellular Ca2+store depletion. Cl--selective channels, activated by intracellular Ca2+or stretch, also mediate SM depolarization. Plasma membrane depolarization in SM activates voltage-dependent Ca2+channels that demonstrate a high Ca2+selectivity and provide influx of contractile Ca2+. Ca2+is also released from SM intracellular Ca2+stores of the sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) through ryanodine and inositol trisphosphate receptor Ca2+channels. This is part of a negative feedback mechanism limiting contraction that occurs by the Ca2+-dependent activation of large-conductance K+channels, which hyper polarize the plasma membrane. Unlike the well-defined contractile role of SR-released Ca2+in skeletal and cardiac muscle, the literature suggests that in SM Ca2+released from the SR functions to limit contractility. Depolarization-activated K+chan nels, ATP-sensitive K+channels, and inward rectifier K+channels also hyperpolarize SM, favouring relaxation. The expression pattern, density, and biophysical properties of ion channels vary among SM types and are key determinants of electrical activity, contractility, and SM function.Key words: smooth muscle, ion channel, membrane potential, calcium, contraction.
Inhibition of gelatinase B (matrix metalloproteinase-9) by dihydrolipoic acid
Authors: Cantin André M , Martel Marc , Drouin Geneviève , Paquette Benoit
Published: May 2005

Alpha-lipoic acid (LA) is a disulphide-containing fatty acid that is absorbed from the diet and transported to tissues. Once it has been taken up by mammalian cells, LA is reduced to dihydrolipoic acid (DHLA), a vicinal dithiol, and rapidly effluxed into the extracellular milieu. We hypothesized that DHLA may be an effective inhibitor of human gelatinase B (GelB). Purified human GelB was incubated with 0 to 200 µmol/L DHLA, and residual enzyme activity was measured by HPLC using a fluorogenic substrate (matrix metalloproteinase substrate III). DHLA inhibited GelB in a dose-dependent fashion with an IC50of 20 µmol/L. Oxidation of DHLA resulted in a loss of DHLA's capacity to inhibit GelB. The DHLA-mediated inhibition of GelB was independent of the zinc concentration in the reaction buffer. DHLA had no inhibitory effect on gelatinase A. Zymographs of activated neutrophil lysates demonstrated that higher concentrations of DHLA also prevent the activation of GelB proenzyme. Bronchoalveolar lavage fluid from mice fed a diet enriched with LA showed significantly increased GelB inhibitory capacity (p = 0.0002 vs. regular diet). We conclude that DHLA can modulate neutrophil-derived GelB activity through direct inhibition of enzyme activity and by preventing the activation of GelB proenzyme.Key words: matrix metalloproteinases, pulmonary fibrosis, thiols, neutrophils, inflammation.
NUCLEAR SHAPE PROPERTIES OF THE EVEN–EVEN NEUTRON-RICH RARE-EARTH NUCLEI
Authors: BENHAMOUDA N. , ALLAL N. H. , FELLAH M. , OUDIH M. R.
Published: May 2005

The physical properties of the nuclear shape have been investigated through the charge square radius () and the quadrupole (Q2) and hexadecapole (Q4) moments of the even–even neutron-rich rare-earth nuclei. The single-particle energies used are those of a deformed Woods–Saxon mean-field. The pairing effects have been included by means of an exact projection method. The model has been tested for the "ordinary" nuclei near the shell closure N = 82 and has correctly reproduced the experimental data and particularly the "Kink" effect. The study has then been extended to the neutron-rich nuclei and has shown a stability of the  and Q2 results for N≃100 which may be attributed to the existence of a new magic number. On the other hand, a saturation of the prolate shape appears around N = 108 for the elements Nd , Sm and Gd and near N = 102 for the Dy , Er and Yb . These observations could not be confirmed by the investigation of the hexadecapole moment.
SELF-CONSISTENT TREATMENT OF THE SELF-ENERGY IN NUCLEAR MATTER
Authors: GAD KH.
Published: May 2005

The influence of hole–hole propagation in addition to the conventional particle–particle propagation on the energy per nucleon and the momentum distribution is investigated. The results are compared to the Brueckner–Hartree–Fock (BHF) calculations with a continuous choice and a conventional choice for the single-particle spectrum. Also, the structure of nucleon self-energy in nuclear matter is evaluated. All the off-shell self-energies are calculated self-consistently. Using the self-consistent self-energy, the hole and particle self-consistent spectral functions including the particle–particle and hole–hole ladder contributions in nuclear matter are calculated using realistic NN interactions. We found that the hole–hole ladder brought about non-negligible contributions to the nuclear matter binding energy per nucleon.
Astrobiology: The Study of the Living Universe
Authors: Chyba Christopher F. , Hand Kevin P.
Published: May 2005

▪ Abstract  Astrobiology is the study of the living universe. Astronomy provides the context for the origin and evolution of life on Earth. Conversely, discoveries about the terrestrial biosphere—from extremophilic microbes to the evolution of intelligence—inform our thinking about prospects for life elsewhere. Astrobiology includes the search for extraterrestrial life via in situ exploration, spectroscopy of solar and extrasolar planetary atmospheres, and the search for extraterrestrial intelligence. This review situates astrobiology within philosophical issues of the definition of life and the biological compatibility of the universe. It reviews the habitability of the Galaxy in general and of planets and moons in particular, and summarizes current controversies in origins-of-life research and in evidence for the earliest life on Earth. It critiques certain “rare Earth” and “anthropic” arguments, and considers four approaches to deciding whether intelligent life exists elsewhere in the Galaxy. It concludes that astrobiology must also speak to the future of human civilization.
SINGLE NUCLEOTIDE POLYMORPHISMS THAT INFLUENCE LIPID METABOLISM: Interaction with Dietary Factors
Authors: Corella Dolores , Ordovas Jose M.
Published: May 2005

▪ Abstract  Cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk is the result of complex interactions between genetic and environmental factors. During the past few decades, much attention has focused on plasma lipoproteins as CVD risk factors. The current evidence supports the concept that gene-environment interactions modulate plasma lipid concentrations and potentially CVD risk. The findings from studies examining gene-diet interactions and lipid metabolism have been highly promising. Several loci (i.e., APOA1, APOA4, APOE, and LIPC) are providing proof-of-concept for the potential application of genetics in the context of personalized nutritional recommendations for CVD prevention. However, the incorporation of these findings to the clinical environment is not ready for prime time. There is a compelling need for replication using a higher level of scientific evidence. Moreover, we need to evolve from the simple scenarios examined nowadays (i.e., one single dietary component, single nucleotide polymorphism, and risk factor) to more realistic situations involving interactions between multiple genes, dietary components, and risk factors. In summary, there is need for both large population studies and well-standardized intervention studies.
Genetics of Plant Virus Resistance
Authors: Kang Byoung-Cheorl , Yeam Inhwa , Jahn Molly M.
Published: May 2005

Genetic resistance to plant viruses has been used for at least 80 years to control agricultural losses to viral diseases. To date, hundreds of naturally occurring genes for resistance to plant viruses have been reported from studies of both monocot and dicot crops, their wild relatives, and the plant model, Arabidopsis. The isolation and characterization of a few of these genes in the past decade have resulted in detailed knowledge of some of the molecules that are critical in determining the outcome of plant viral infection. In this chapter, we have catalogued genes for resistance to plant viruses and have summarized current knowledge regarding their identity and inheritance. Insofar as information is available, the genetic context, genomic organization, mechanisms of resistance and agricultural deployment of plant virus resistance genes are also discussed.
Asymptotic hyperfunctions, tempered hyperfunctions, and asymptoticexpansions
Authors: Schmidt Andreas U.
Published: May 2005

We introduce new subclasses of Fourier hyperfunctions of mixed
type, satisfying polynomial growth conditions at infinity, and develop their sheaf and duality theory. We use Fourier transformation and duality to examine relations of these
asymptotic and tempered hyperfunctions to known
classes of test functions and distributions, especially the Gel′fand‐Shilov spaces. Further it is shown that the asymptotic hyperfunctions, which decay faster than any
negative power, are precisely the class that allows asymptotic expansions at infinity. These asymptotic expansions are carried over to the higher‐dimensional case by applying the Radon transformation for hyperfunctions.
Association of Prolonged QRS Duration With Death in a Clinical Trial of Pacemaker Therapy for Sinus Node Dysfunction
Authors: Sweeney Michael O. , Hellkamp Anne S. , Lee Kerry L. , Lamas Gervasio A.
Published: May 2005

Background—

Prolonged QRS duration (QRSd) is an important prognostic indicator for death and heart failure hospitalization in patients with systolic heart failure. The relationship of baseline QRSd to death and heart failure hospitalization in patients with sinus node dysfunction who require pacemaker therapy is unknown.

Methods and Results—

Baseline QRSd from 12-lead ECGs before pacemaker implantation were analyzed in the Mode Selection Trial (MOST), a 6-year, 2010-patient randomized trial of dual-chamber versus ventricular pacing in sinus node dysfunction. Baseline QRSd was ≥120 ms in 23.4% of patients and was associated with older age, lower ejection fraction, cardiomyopathy, and prior heart failure. Adjusted Cox models demonstrated baseline QRSd ≥120 ms was a strong independent predictor of death (hazard ratio [95% CI] 1.35 [1.07, 1.70],
P
=0.010) but not heart failure hospitalization. The risk of death increased with increased QRSd from 60 to 120 ms (
P
=0.002 and hazard ratio [95% CI] 1.14 [1.05, 1.23] for 10-ms increase in this range) after adjustment for other death predictors.

Conclusions—

Baseline QRSd ≥120 ms was associated with increased risk of death during pacemaker therapy for sinus node dysfunction.
Ascorbic Acid Selectively Improves Large Elastic Artery Compliance in Postmenopausal Women
Authors: Moreau Kerrie L. , Gavin Kathleen M. , Plum Angela E. , Seals Douglas R.
Published: May 2005

The compliance of large elastic arteries in the cardiothoracic region decreases with advancing age/menopause and plays an important role in the increased prevalence of cardiovascular diseases in postmenopausal women. We determined whether oxidative stress contributes to the reduced large elastic artery compliance of postmenopausal women. Carotid artery compliance was measured during acute intravenous infusions of saline (baseline control) and supraphysiological doses of the potent antioxidant ascorbic acid in premenopausal (n=10; 23±1; mean±SE) and estrogen-deficient postmenopausal (n=21; 55±1 years) healthy sedentary women. Carotid artery compliance was 56% lower in postmenopausal compared with premenopausal women during baseline control (
P
<0.0001). Ascorbic acid infusion increased carotid artery compliance by 26% in postmenopausal women (1.11±0.07 to 1.38±0.08 mm
2
/mm Hg×10
−1
;
P
<0.001) but had no effect in premenopausal women (2.50±0.25 versus 2.43±0.20 mm
2
/mm Hg×10
−1
). Carotid artery diameter, blood pressure, and heart rate were unaffected by ascorbic acid. In the pooled population, the change in arterial compliance with ascorbic acid correlated with baseline waist-to-hip ratio (
r
=0.56;
P
=0.001), plasma norepinephrine (
r
=0.58;
P
=0.001), and LDL cholesterol (
r
=0.54;
P
=0.001). These results suggest that oxidative stress may be an important mechanism contributing to the reduced large elastic artery compliance of sedentary, estrogen-deficient postmenopausal women. Increased abdominal fat storage, sympathetic nervous system activity, and LDL cholesterol may be mechanistically involved in oxidative stress–associated suppression of arterial compliance in postmenopausal women.
Mitral Valve Prolapse Syndrome Health Concerns, Symptoms, and Treatments
Authors: Scordo Kristine A.
Published: May 2005

Individuals with mitral valve prolapse syndrome (MVPS) symptoms seek help in emergency rooms, urgent care centers, and primary care offices. Little is known about the profile and effects of these symptoms on individuals’ role status and use of health care services. A descriptive cross-sectional design was used to develop a profile of health concerns, symptoms, and treatments and to examine the relationships of symptoms to functional and role status and use of health care services for MVPS patients. A sample of 837 persons completed an MVPS symptom checklist and survey, Mishel Uncertainty Illness Scale, Short Form Health Survey, State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, Medical Outcomes Study Social Support, and Food Frequency Questionnaire. Descriptive statistics, multiple-regression analysis, and structural equation modeling were used to answer the research questions. Findings suggest that older age, lack of social support, higher anxiety, and lack of regular exercise predict MVPS symptoms. There was limited support for the overall theoretical model.
Honokiol overcomes conventional drug resistance in human multiple myeloma by induction of caspase-dependent and -independent apoptosis
Authors: Ishitsuka Kenji , Hideshima Teru , Hamasaki Makoto , Raje Noopur , Kumar Shaji , Hideshima Hiromasa , Shiraishi Norihiko , Yasui Hiroshi , Roccaro Aldo M. , Richardson Paul , Podar Klaus , Le Gouill Steven , Chauhan Dharminder , Tamura Kazuo , Arbiser Jack , Anderson Kenneth C.
Published: May 2005

Honokiol (HNK) is an active component purified from magnolia, a plant used in traditional Chinese and Japanese medicine. Here we show that HNK significantly induces cytotoxicity in human multiple myeloma (MM) cell lines and tumor cells from patients with relapsed refractory MM. Neither coculture with bone marrow stromal cells nor cytokines (interleukin-6 and insulin-like growth factor-1) protect against HNK-induced cytotoxicity. Although activation of caspases 3, 7, 8, and 9 is triggered by HNK, the pan-caspase inhibitor z-VAD-fmk does not abrogate HNK-induced apoptosis. Importantly, release of an executioner of caspase-independent apoptosis, apoptosis-inducing factor (AIF), from mitochondria is induced by HNK treatment. HNK induces apoptosis in the SU-DHL4 cell line, which has low levels of caspase 3 and 8 associated with resistance to both conventional and novel drugs. These results suggest that HNK induces apoptosis via both caspase-dependent and -independent pathways. Furthermore, HNK enhances MM cell cytotoxicity and apoptosis induced by bortezomib. In addition to its direct cytotoxicity to MM cells, HNK also represses tube formation by endothelial cells, suggesting that HNK inhibits neovascurization in the bone marrow microenvironment. Taken together, our results provide the preclinical rationale for clinical protocols of HNK to improve patient outcome in MM. (Blood. 2005;106:1794-1800)
Ab initio identification of putative human transcription factor binding sites by comparative genomics
Authors: Corà D , Herrmann C , Dieterich C , Di Cunto F , Provero P , Caselle M
Published: May 2005

Background

Understanding transcriptional regulation of gene expression is one of the greatest challenges of modern molecular biology. A central role in this mechanism is played by transcription factors, which typically bind to specific, short DNA sequence motifs usually located in the upstream region of the regulated genes. We discuss here a simple and powerful approach for the ab initio identification of these cis-regulatory motifs. The method we present integrates several elements: human-mouse comparison, statistical analysis of genomic sequences and the concept of coregulation. We apply it to a complete scan of the human genome.

Results

By using the catalogue of conserved upstream sequences collected in the CORG database we construct sets of genes sharing the same overrepresented motif (short DNA sequence) in their upstream regions both in human and in mouse. We perform this construction for all possible motifs from 5 to 8 nucleotides in length and then filter the resulting sets looking for two types of evidence of coregulation: first, we analyze the Gene Ontology annotation of the genes in the set, searching for statistically significant common annotations; second, we analyze the expression profiles of the genes in the set as measured by microarray experiments, searching for evidence of coexpression. The sets which pass one or both filters are conjectured to contain a significant fraction of coregulated genes, and the upstream motifs characterizing the sets are thus good candidates to be the binding sites of the TF's involved in such regulation.

In this way we find various known motifs and also some new candidate binding sites.

Conclusion

We have discussed a new integrated algorithm for the "ab initio" identification of transcription factor binding sites in the human genome. The method is based on three ingredients: comparative genomics, overrepresentation, different types of coregulation. The method is applied to a full-scan of the human genome, giving satisfactory results.
Co-release of noradrenaline and dopamine in the cerebral cortex elicited by single train and repeated train stimulation of the locus coeruleus
Authors: Devoto Paola , Flore Giovanna , Saba Pierluigi , Fà Mauro , Gessa Gian Luigi
Published: May 2005

Background

Previous studies by our group suggest that extracellular dopamine (DA) and noradrenaline (NA) may be co-released from noradrenergic nerve terminals in the cerebral cortex. We recently demonstrated that the concomitant release of DA and NA could be elicited in the cerebral cortex by electrical stimulation of the locus coeruleus (LC). This study analyses the effect of both single train and repeated electrical stimulation of LC on NA and DA release in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), occipital cortex (Occ), and caudate nucleus. To rule out possible stressful effects of electrical stimulation, experiments were performed on chloral hydrate anaesthetised rats.

Results

Twenty min electrical stimulation of the LC, with burst type pattern of pulses, increased NA and DA both in the mPFC and in the Occ. NA in both cortices and DA in the mPFC returned to baseline within 20 min after the end of the stimulation period, while DA in the Occ reached a maximum increase during 20 min post-stimulation and remained higher than baseline values at 220 min post-stimulation. Local perfusion with tetrodotoxin (TTX, 10 μM) markedly reduced baseline NA and DA in the mPFC and Occ and totally suppressed the effect of electrical stimulation in both areas.

A sequence of five 20 min stimulations at 20 min intervals were delivered to the LC. Each stimulus increased NA to the same extent and duration as the first stimulus, whereas DA remained elevated at the time next stimulus was delivered, so that baseline DA progressively increased in the mPFC and Occ to reach about 130 and 200% the initial level, respectively.

In the presence of the NA transport (NAT) blocker desipramine (DMI, 100 μM), multiple LC stimulation still increased extracellular NA and DA levels.

Electrical stimulation of the LC increased NA levels in the homolateral caudate nucleus, but failed to modify DA level.

Conclusion

The results confirm and extend that LC stimulation induces a concomitant release of DA and NA in the mPFC and Occ.

The different time-course of LC-induced elevation of DA and NA suggests that their co-release may be differentially controlled.
Progress and controversies in developing cancer vaccines
Authors: Slingluff Craig L , Speiser Daniel E
Published: May 2005

Immunotherapy has become a standard approach for cancer management, through the use of cytokines (eg: interleukin-2) and monoclonal antibodies. Cancer vaccines hold promise as another form of immunotherapy, and there has been substantial progress in identifying shared antigens recognized by T cells, in developing vaccine approaches that induce antigen-specific T cell responses in cancer patients, and in developing new technology for monitoring immune responses in various human tissue compartments. Dramatic clinical regressions of human solid tumors have occurred with some cancer vaccines, but the rate of those responses remains low. This article is part of a 2-part point:counterpoint series on peptide vaccines and adoptive therapy approaches for cancer. The current status of cancer vaccination, and associated challenges, are discussed. Emphasis is placed on the need to increase our knowledge of cancer immunobiology, as well as to improve monitoring of cellular immune function after vaccination. Progress in both areas will facilitate development of effective cancer vaccines, as well as of adoptive therapy. Effective cancer vaccines promise to be useful for treatment and prevention of cancer at low cost and with low morbidity.
N-acetyl-L-cysteine ameliorates the inflammatory disease process in experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis in Lewis rats
Authors: Stanislaus Romesh , Gilg Anne G , Singh Avtar K , Singh Inderjit
Published: May 2005

We report that N-acetyl-L-cysteine (NAC) treatment blocked induction of TNF-α, IL-1β, IFN-γ and iNOS in the CNS and attenuated clinical disease in the myelin basic protein induced model of experimental allergic encephalomyelitis (EAE) in Lewis rats. Infiltration of mononuclear cells into the CNS and induction of inflammatory cytokines and iNOS in multiple sclerosis (MS) and EAE have been implicated in subsequent disease progression and pathogenesis. To understand the mechanism of efficacy of NAC against EAE, we examined its effect on the production of cytokines and the infiltration of inflammatory cells into the CNS. NAC treatment attenuated the transmigration of mononuclear cells thereby lessening the neuroinflammatory disease. Splenocytes from NAC-treated EAE animals showed reduced IFN-γ production, a Th1 cytokine and increased IL-10 production, an anti-inflammatory cytokine. Further, splenocytes from NAC-treated EAE animals also showed decreased nitrite production when stimulated in vitro by LPS. These observations indicate that NAC treatment may be of therapeutic value in MS against the inflammatory disease process associated with the infiltration of activated mononuclear cells into the CNS.
Promoting the “Social” in the Examination of Social Stigmas
Authors: Hebl Michelle R. , Dovidio John F.
Published: May 2005

This review highlights the value of empirical investigations examining actual interactions that occur between stigmatizers and targets, and is intended to stimulate and help guide research of this type. We identify trends in the literature demonstrating that research studying ongoing interactions between stigmatizers and targets is relatively less common than in the past. Interactive studies are challenging, complex, and have variables that are sometimes more difficult to control; yet, they offer unique insights and significant contributions to understanding stigma-related phenomena that may not be offered in other (e.g., self-report) paradigms. This article presents a conceptual and empirical overview of stigma research, delineates the unique contributions that have been made by conducting interactive studies, and proposes what can be further learned by conducting more of such research.
Preparing Elementary Education Majors to Teach Science Using an Inquiry-Based Approach: The Full Option Science System
Authors: Mangrubang Fred R
Published: May 2005

Science education traditionally has received insufficient attention. As a literature review shows, teacher preparation in science will be best served by improvements in pedagogy and in the content of required undergraduate science courses. The American Association for the Advancement of Science (1993, 1995) and the National Research Council (1993, 1995) have addressed this need in advocating a "science for all" that is highly significant for diverse learners. The No Child Left Behind Act emphasizes that reform of teacher preparation is part of an urgent national commitment to bring high-quality teacher candidates into the classroom. The Gallaudet University undergraduate teacher education program has developed an inquiry-based course that emphasizes integration of the sciences. Acquisition of the Full Option Science System, and its adaptation to and integration into the course, has resulted in specific curricular changes and positive results.
Maternal Distancing Strategies Toward Twin Sons, One With Mild Hearing Loss: A Case Study
Authors: Munoz-Silva Alicia , Sanchez-Garcia Manuel
Published: May 2005

The authors apply descriptive and sequential analyses to a mother's distancing strategies toward her 3-year-old twin sons in puzzle assembly and book reading tasks. One boy had normal hearing and the other a mild hearing loss (threshold: 30 dB). The results show that the mother used more distancing behaviors with the son with a hearing loss, and thus gave greater encouragement to this son's cognitive development. These results differ from those of previous studies of deaf or hard of hearing children, whose participants generally had severe or profound hearing loss. In those studies, parents of deaf children used more low-level distancing than parents of normally hearing children. The results of the present study are discussed in terms of their implications for the parenting of twins and of children with mild hearing loss.
Appreciating Diversity Through Stories About the Lives of Deaf People of Color
Authors: Anderson Glenn B , Miller Katrina R
Published: May 2005

One way of enhancing appreciation of cultural diversity within the American Deaf community is by collecting and analyzing stories about Deaf people of color. The authors examined biographical profiles in national print and visual media published since 1988. The materials focused on life stories of individuals identified as Deaf persons of color (e.g., Deaf and identified as Black/African American, Hispanic/Latino, Asian/Pacific Islander, or American Indian/Alaskan Native). Anecdotes were selected that provided a sociocultural rather than medical or pathological perspective and reflected the featured individual's viewpoint. Four categories of shared experiences emerged: experiences related to overcoming obstacles to educational opportunities, stories about individuals who influenced the direction the featured individual took in life, childhood and family experiences, and experiences relating to stereotypes, cultural conflicts, or discrimination. The authors conclude by discussing lessons and messages derived from the stories.
Early Elementary Curricular Alignment and Teacher Perspectives on Standards-Based Reform
Authors: Cawthon Stephanie W
Published: May 2005

The author investigated the alignment of reading instruction to Wisconsin Model Academic Standards for Reading, grades 1–4 (Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction, 1998a). Teachers in 18 hearing-only, 10 mixed (hearing and deaf students), and 8 deaf-only classrooms were study participants. Teacher groups demonstrated equal alignment to the standards. The study also measured teachers' views on standards. Teachers in hearing-only and deaf-only classrooms scored higher on a scale measuring receptivity toward standards than teachers in mixed classrooms. Teachers in hearing-only classrooms considered the standards good guidelines though perhaps too prescriptive. Teachers in deaf-only and mixed classrooms viewed standards as tools to ensure equity for students but also focused on challenges like the emphasis on phonetics and their need to include sign in deaf students' instruction. Limitations include the challenge of generalizing standards-based analysis, the small number of participants, and use of self-report measures of classroom instruction.
Visual Performance of Adults with Prelingual Auditory Impairment
Authors: Rietveld Simon , Spiering Mark , Rotteveel Mark , Beest Ilja van
Published: May 2005

Reaction times and picture evaluations by 18 adults with hearing loss were compared with those of 18 matched controls during two visual priming tasks. In Task 1, participants reacted to sexual and plant target pictures (while influenced by similar preceding pictures) by pressing "sex" or "plant" buttons. In Task 2, they evaluated target Japanese ideographs (while influenced by preceding positive or negative facial expressions as prime pictures) by pressing "positive" or "negative" buttons. In Task 1, the controls had the faster responses. In Task 2, they showed the usual congruent priming effect during very short prime presentations. Participants with hearing loss showed this effect only during short and long prime presentation times; thus, they were not superior to the controls in picture recognition, instead showing (a) impaired processing of visual information or (b) impaired perceptual-motor skills regarding quick responses to visual information (or both).
Tristes Paysans : Bourdieu's Early Ethnography in Bearn and Kabylia
Authors: Reed-Danahay Deborah
Published: May 2005

Pierre Bourdieu conducted ethnographic research in his native region
of Béarn and in Algeria during the late 1950s and early 1960s. He
rarely drew explicit comparisons between the two sites, despite striking
parallels in themes such as notions of honor in Mediterranean peasant
ethos, the habitus as internalized dispositions, and peasant malaise
in the face of socioeconomic change. Bourdieu called his Béarn
ethnography an inversion of Lévi-Strauss' Tristes Tropiques,
as a way to "objectify" the familiar. I suggest that constructions
of traditional and modern that informed Bourdieu's early research in
both sites led to a nostalgic view of "tristes paysans."
Tamilnet.com: Some Reflections on Popular Anthropology, Nationalism, and the Internet
Authors: Whitaker Mark P
Published: May 2005

In this essay I argue that Tamilnet.com, an Internet news agency put together by a group of Sri Lankan Tamils to address the Tamil diaspora and influence English-speaking elites, subverted international news coverage during Sri Lanka's civil war by making "ironic" use of the discursive styles of journalism and anthropology. I also claim that this constituted a particular form of autoethnographic popular anthropology that challenged professional anthropology, and in some ways sought to replace it. In the first two sections of this essay, I dismantle the concept of "the popular" by showing that when anthropologists and social theorists use the term they are often referring to connected but distinct aspects of popularity which should be distinguished: Baudrillardian market popularity on the one hand, and Habermasian identity-resistance popularity on the other. I then show how the Internet, given its technology and software, is best seen as market popular in form but identity-resistance popular in content. In the remaining four sections I illustrate, ethnographically, how the creators of Tamilnet.com, while deeply embedded in civil war and a world-wide diaspora, recognized this aspect of the Internet and used it—again, "ironically"—to construct a site that advances their own nationalist interests.
Mien Alter-Natives in Thai Modernity
Authors: Jonsson. Hjorleifur
Published: May 2005

This article discusses the repeated framing of Mien ethnic minority highland people as unmodern in relation to projects of modernity and modernization in Thailand. As upland livelihood has become increasingly precarious and entangled with state regulation, Mien people are engaging with national modernity and modernization through public displays that variously highlight their tradition or modernity or creatively combine the two. In this national space, modernization has hegemonic force and serves as the anchor to varied projects of self-fashioning in relation to modernity, including those of tradition. Articulations of tradition are one aspect of modernity, and the notion of ethnic groups as the carriers of tradition may be equally specific to modernity's conceptual schemes.
Class and Cosmopolitan Striving: Mothers' Management of English Education in South Korea
Authors: Park So Jin , Abelmann Nancy
Published: May 2005

This article considers the practical and symbolic value of English in South Korea. We argue that English works as an index of South Korea's and South Koreans' cosmopolitan striving in the global order. We assert, however, that the values of English diverge across the class spectrum. We thus examine the life of English and cosmopolitanism through the narratives of three mothers with distinct class positions on their management of their children's English after-school education. We consider the mothers' interest in and commitment to their children's— and in some cases their own—English education as an inter-generational gendered project. We examine the ways in which mothers' management of this after-school English education speaks to their own class mobility (or maintenance) and cosmopolitan strivings. The article asserts that English works simultaneously as both a local and global sign, and that nationalism and cosmopolitanism are not contradictory.
Memory in an Amnesic World: Holocaust, Exile, and the Return of the Suppressed
Authors: Bourguignon Erika
Published: May 2005

In recent years, much first hand material has been collected by various institutions documenting the experience of Holocaust survivors. A constant stream of new primary documents and secondary analyses is being published. These accounts show some common themes, yet no two experiences are alike. In spite of this major effort at keeping memory alive, there is an equal push toward forgetting and/or suppressing knowledge of the Holocaust. For a number of years, the subject of the Holocaust was virtually taboo. As anthropologists, we can learn from other peoples (Haitians, Andean Indians) about how they have turned memory into mythic history.
Hominid Dispersals and Asian Biogeography during the Lower and Early Middle Pleistocene, c. 2.0-0.5 Mya
Authors: Dennell Robin
Published: May 2005

This paper examines the environmental context of human dispersals into Asia up to 0.5 mya. These dispersals were probably intermittent, often discontinuous, and initially confined to warm grasslands and open woodlands across southern Asia. During the Early Pleistocene, the effects of the uplift of Tibet and the inception of the monsoon were muted by the low-amplitude nature of northern hemisphere glaciations. By the Middle Pleistocene, further uplift, stronger monsoonal circulation, and higher-amplitude, glacial-interglacial cycles made much of Southwest and Central Asia more arid than previously. Two other Mid-Pleistocene developments were important: first, the appearance of Acheulean assemblages, possibly as far east as southern China; and secondly, the first appearance of hominids at latitudes 40–45oN during interglacial episodes. Hominid dispersals in both Europe and Asia were probably broadly similar in that hominids did not habitually live beyond 40oN until c. 500 kya. Rather than dividing Asia longitudinally into areas east or west of the Movius line, latitudinal divisions between warm/hot and cool/cold environments might be more appropriate.
Taxonomic Abundance at Panxian Dadong, a Middle Pleistocene Cave in South China
Authors: Bekken Deborah , Schepartz Lynne Alison , Miller-Antonio Sari , Hou Yamei , Huang Weiwen
Published: May 2005

The faunal assemblage from the site of Panxian Dadong provides evidence for a general continuity in species representation throughout a period of approximately 120 kya. Taxonomically, faunal material from Dadong includes classic taxa of the Middle Pleistocene Ailuropoda-Stegodon faunal complex of South China. Taxonomic abundance measures document a sample that is rich in large ungulate species including rhinoceros, stegodonts, and large bovids. These data are further examined in light of assemblage formation processes, temporal distribution, and environmental context. Taphonomic data that demonstrate the presence and activities of bonecollecting species (including porcupines, hominids, and large and small carnivores) suggest that Dadong Cave was an attractive shelter that saw many uses during the period analyzed. These include hominid foraging, porcupine bone collecting, and carnivore scavenging and hunting.
Was the Emergence of Home Bases and Domestic Fire a Punctuated Event? A Review of the Middle Pleistocene Record in Eurasia
Authors: Rolland Nicolas
Published: May 2005

The concept of a home-based land use strategy is fundamental for studying recent and prehistoric foraging populations. A proposed datum for the emergence of this behavior is set during later Middle Pleistocene times, around 400–350 kya, and temporally linked with the first established evidence for domestic fire making. Precise causes for this dual appearance remain obscure. Surveying the known Paleolithic record and contexts serves to identify possible factors and processes leading to this development. The emphasis here is on fire technology, particularly domestic fire making and uses, and fire's relationship with home base sensu lato characteristics, as contrasted with a previous land use system that reflects earlier primate patterns. Intentional bush and grassland burning could be components of this home base and domestic fire system. The issue of domestic fire and home base at Locality 1 in Zhoukoudian Cave is evaluated from the perspective of contemporaneous hominid behavior in Eurasia and Africa.
Performing Furyu No: The Theatre of Konparu Zenpo
Authors: Lim Beng Choo
Published: May 2005

Konparu ZenpÅ is one of several late Muromachi nÅ practitioners whose plays show a strong emphasis on drama and spectacle. NÅ scholars in later generations called these plays furyÅ« nÅ because of this emphasis, and identified them as representative of the nÅ theatre produced during ZenpÅ's period. This paper examines some of ZenpÅ's plays that highlight these furyÅ« characteristics, making reference to earlier plays produced by Zeami and his contemporaries with which present-day readers and audiences are probably more familiar.
Theatre in a Time of Terrorism: Renewing Natural Harmony after the Bali Bombing via Wayang Kontemporer
Authors: Sedana I Nyoman
Published: May 2005

The bombing of the Sari Club on Legian Street, Kuta, Bali, on 12 October 2002 disrupted the natural balance that is sought for in Balinese religion. This article shows how a technically innovative shadow puppet performance that responds to the disaster is informed by the Balinese conception of the natural balance of human life governed by tri hita karana (three elements of harmony) and dasanama kerta (ten elements that cause harmonious prosperity). These ideas provide a context for healing through performance.