bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Encouraging Posttreatment Self‐Help Group Involvement to Reduce Demand for Continuing Care Services: Two‐Year Clinical and Utilization Outcomes
Authors: Humphreys Keith , Moos Rudolf H.
Published: December 2006

Background: Accumulating evidence indicates that addiction and psychiatric treatment programs that actively promote self‐help group involvement can reduce their patients' health care costs in the first year after treatment, but such initially impressive effects may wane over time. This paper examines whether the positive clinical outcomes and reduced health care costs evident 1 year after treatment among substance‐dependent patients who were strongly encouraged to attend 12‐step self‐help groups were sustained at 2‐year follow‐up.

Methods: A 2‐year quasi‐experimental analysis of matched samples of male substance‐dependent patients who were treated in either 12‐step–based (n=887 patients) or cognitive‐behavioral (CB, n=887 patients) treatment programs. The 12‐step–based programs placed substantially more emphasis on 12‐step concepts, had more staff members “in recovery,” had a more spiritually oriented treatment environment, and promoted self‐help group involvement much more extensively than did the CB programs. The 2‐year follow‐up assessed patients' substance use, psychiatric functioning, self‐help group affiliation, and mental health care utilization and costs.

Results: As had been the case in the 1‐year follow‐up of this sample, the only difference in clinical outcomes was a substantially higher abstinence rate among patients treated in 12‐step (49.5%) versus CB (37.0%) programs. Twelve‐step treatment patients had 50 to 100% higher scores on indices of 12‐step self‐help group involvement than did patients from CB programs. In contrast, patients from CB programs relied significantly more on outpatient and inpatient mental health services, leading to 30% lower costs in the 12‐step treatment programs. This was smaller than the difference in cost identified at 1 year, but still significant ($2,440 per patient, p=0.01).

Conclusions: Promoting self‐help group involvement appears to improve posttreatment outcomes while reducing the costs of continuing care. Even cost offsets that somewhat diminish over the long term can yield substantial savings. Actively promoting self‐help group involvement may therefore be a useful clinical practice for helping addicted patients recover in a time of constrained fiscal resources.
Effects of Alcohol Consumption on Iron Metabolism in Mice with Hemochromatosis Mutations
Authors: Flanagan Jonathan M. , Peng HongFan , Beutler Ernest
Published: December 2006

Background: Alcoholic liver disease is associated with increased hepatic iron accumulation. The liver‐derived peptide hepcidin is the central regulator of iron homeostasis and recent animal studies have demonstrated that exposure to alcohol reduces hepcidin expression. This down‐regulation of hepcidin in vivo implies that disturbed iron sensing may contribute to the hepatosiderosis seen in alcoholic liver disease. Alcohol intake is also a major factor in expression of the hemochromatosis phenotype in patients homozygous for the C282Y mutation of the HFE gene.

Methods: To assess the effect of alcohol in mice with iron overload, alcohol was administered to mice with disrupted Hfe and IL‐6 genes and Tfr2 mutant mice and their respective 129x1/SvJ, C57BL/6J, and AKR/J wild‐type congenic strains. Iron absorption, serum iron levels, and hepcidin expression levels were then measured in these mice compared with water‐treated control mice.

Results: Alcohol was shown to have a strain‐specific effect in 129x1/SvJ mice, with treated 129x1/SvJ mice showing a significant increase in iron absorption, serum iron levels, and a corresponding decrease in hepcidin expression. C57BL/6J and AKR/J strain mice showed no effect from alcohol treatment. 129x1/SvJ mice heterozygous or homozygous for the Hfe knockout had a diminished response to alcohol. All 3 strains were shown to have high blood alcohol levels.

Conclusions: The effect of alcohol on iron homeostasis is dependent on the genetic background in mice. In an alcohol‐susceptible strain, mutation of the Hfe gene diminished the response of the measured iron indices to alcohol treatment. This indicates that either maximal suppression of hepcidin levels had already occurred as a result of the Hfe mutation or that Hfe was a component of the pathway utilized by EtOH in suppressing hepcidin production and increasing iron absorption.
Is Integration Enough for Fast Product Development? An Empirical Investigation of the Contextual Effects of Product Vision*
Authors: Tessarolo Paolo
Published: December 2006

Research into development time performance has suggested that integration—both internal, adopting cross‐functional organizational structures for development, and external, involving customers and suppliers in the process—can be a powerful driver when it comes to compressing cycle times and enhancing development punctuality. Some recent studies have also highlighted the compelling role of product vision to obtain high performances with product development. What these studies seem to suggest is that product vision guarantees the right goals and clarity of direction that integration mechanisms need to quickly develop new products and to stay on the development schedule. However, past studies have rarely considered or measured product vision as a construct and explicitly tested whether or not product vision acts as a contingent factor in determining the relationships between the aforementioned organizational drivers and development time. This research study maintains that product vision is crucial to pushing organizational drivers toward increased development efficiency. To find theoretical support for this position and to define a reference framework for the study, previous literature was analyzed. In the framework, both internal and external development integration are assumed to be positively related to time performance; however, these relationships are moderated by product vision. The model was then tested empirically on an international sample of 157 firms to verify and to obtain empirical support for the hypothesized relationships. The results confirm the importance of external integration in achieving better time performance. However, the influence of this driver on cycle time can also be increased by the presence of a very well‐defined product vision. The relationship between internal integration and time performance is more complex. Though it seems to slow down the process as a single factor, its interaction effect with product vision is in fact positive. These results have several managerial implications. First, externally integrated development can greatly improve time performance; however, the best results in terms of acceleration can be obtained when there is a well‐defined product vision. Furthermore, product vision is essential in the case of internal integration: A cross‐functional process alone would not be enough for development acceleration in the absence of product vision. Hence, managers interested in obtaining high time performances should accompany the adoption of integration mechanisms with increased attention to sharing clear objectives and directions with all those—both inside the firm (i.e., team members and functional representatives) and outside the firm (i.e., customers and suppliers)—involved in development and as well as throughout the firm.
Negative symptoms of schizophrenia: a problem that will not go away
Authors: Stahl S. M. , Buckley P. F.
Published: December 2006

Objective:  Negative symptoms of schizophrenia are a common, enduring, and debilitating component of the psychopathology of schizophrenia. Although efforts thus far to elucidate a distinct schizophrenia subtype based upon negative symptoms have yielded mixed results, there are nevertheless neurobiological correlates of the negative symptom typology.

Method:  A review of nosology, typology, and assessment tools for determining core negative symptoms in schizophrenia.

Results:  Negative symptoms can be difficult to evaluate objectively. Current rating scales ‘capture’ key domains of negative symptoms, in spite of considerable overlap between these domains. However, each objective assessment trades off methodological rigor and detail against brevity of assessment and ease of use.

Conclusion:  The description of new methods for measuring these devastating symptoms, coupled with the ongoing development of novel antipsychotics and agents that augment antipsychotics have fuelled renewed interest in the evaluation of negative symptoms and optimism that better treatments for negative symptoms can be found.
Immunohistochemical analysis of Omi/HtrA2 expression in prostate cancer and benign prostatic hyperplasia
Authors: HU XIAO‐YONG , XU YUE‐MIN , CHEN XIAO CHUN , PING HAO , CHEN ZHAO‐HUI , ZENG FU‐QING
Published: December 2006

The serine protease Omi/HtrA2 is released from mitochondria into the cytosol after apoptotic stimuli, inducing apoptosis in a caspase‐independent manner through its protease activity and in a caspase‐dependent manner by neutralizing the inhibition of inhibitor of apoptosis proteins (IAPs) on caspases. Alteration of apoptosis is essential for cancer development, and cancer cell death by radiation and chemotherapy is largely dependent upon apoptosis. Thus, analysis of the expression status of Omi/HtrA2, a regulator of apoptosis, in cancer tissues is needed for an understanding of cancer development. In the current study we analyzed the expression of Omi/HtrA2 in 65 prostate cancer, 40 benign prostatic hyperplasia and 10 normal prostate specimens by immunohistochemistry. Omi/HtrA2 mRNA levels of in vivo prostate cancer and benign prostatic hyperplasia samples were also assayed by semiquantitative reverse transcription‐polymerase chain reaction. Immunopositivity (defined as ≥30%) was observed for Omi/HtrA2 in most of the prostate cancers, and the positive rate of Omi/HtrA2 was lower in the well‐differentiated group than in the poorly and moderately differentiated groups (p<0.005). By contrast, the cells in the normal prostate and benign prostatic hyperplasia groups showed no or only weak expression of Omi/HtrA2. Meanwhile, the Omi/HtrA2 mRNA level of prostate cancer is much higher than that of benign prostatic hyperplasia (p<0.001). Taken together, these results suggest that prostate cancer cells in vivo may need Omi/HtrA2 expression for apoptosis, and that Omi/HtrA2 expression might be involved in prostate cancer development.
Favourable effect of TNF‐α inhibitor (infliximab) on Blau syndrome in monozygotic twins with a de novoCARD15 mutation
Authors: MILMAN NILS , ANDERSEN CLAUS B. , HANSEN ANNETTE , VAN OVEREEM HANSEN THOMAS , NIELSEN FINN C. , FLEDELIUS HANS , AHRENS PETER , NIELSEN OLE HAAGEN
Published: December 2006

Blau syndrome is a hereditary granulomatous disease caused by mutations in the CARD15 gene that is diagnosed in children of young age with exanthema/erythema, arthritis/periarthritis and/or uveitis. We report two cases of Blau syndrome in Danish Caucasian monozygotic male twins, exhibiting a heterozygous de novo R334W mutation in codon 334 of CARD15. The patients were initially diagnosed as having sarcoidosis. In both twins, symptoms (exanthema, arthritis/periarthritis) started at 1 year of age, and were followed by uveitis at 7–10 years of age. There was no involvement of the lungs or other organs. An initial course of standard antituberculous treatment had no effect on the symptoms. Hydroxychloroquine and cyclosporine A were also ineffective, and the latter caused impaired renal function. Partial symptomatic relief was obtained with prednisolone and increased benefit was observed in combination with methotrexate. Subsequent introduction of the TNF‐α inhibitor eternacept did not discernibly benefit the clinical condition, but was associated with recurrent infections. In contrast, a trial of infliximab therapy demonstrated clinical efficacy and eliminated all symptoms, restoring a high quality of life. At follow up at 20 years of age (after 2–5 years of infliximab treatment) the twins had an almost normal physical appearance and a normal psychomotoric development, indicating a favourable short‐term prognosis of the disease. Blau syndrome has pathologic, clinical and therapeutic features in common with sarcoidosis, but rarely involves the lungs or other parenchymatous organs. In children, discrimination between early onset sarcoidosis and Blau syndrome should include a CARD15 mutation analysis.
Expression of activated Akt in benign nevi, Spitz nevi and melanomas
Authors: Kantrow Sara M , Boyd Alan S , Ellis Darrel L , Nanney Lillian B , Richmond Ann , Shyr Yu , Robbins Jason B
Published: December 2006

Background:  Activated Akt expression (p‐Akt) is reportedly increased in many melanomas as compared with benign nevi. The purpose of this study was to evaluate and compare p‐Akt immunohistological staining in benign nevi, Spitz nevi and primary melanomas.

Methods:  Immunostaining for phosphorylated Akt was performed in 41 melanocytic lesions previously classified as benign intradermal nevus (14 lesions), Spitz nevus (9 lesions) or melanoma (18 lesions). Lesions were graded for intensity of p‐Akt staining by two independent observers (0, no staining; 1, slightly positive; 2, moderately positive; 3, highly positive). Scores were averaged, and statistical analyses were performed.

Results:  Benign nevi showed less staining (mean score 1.18) compared with Spitz nevi (mean score 2.11) and melanomas (mean score 2.19). This difference was statistically significant between benign nevi and melanomas (p = 0.0047) and benign nevi and Spitz nevi (p = 0.0271). No statistical difference was detected in staining between Spitz nevi and melanomas (p = 0.8309).

Conclusions:  Activated Akt expression is increased in Spitz nevi and melanomas as compared with benign intradermal nevi, but is unlikely to prove useful in differentiating between the former.
Effects of Lipoic Acid and Dihydrolipoic Acid on Total Erythrocytic Thiols under Conditions of Restricted Glucose in vitro†
Authors: Coleman Michael D. , Rimmer Georgina S. E. , Haenen Guido R. M. M.
Published: December 2006

Abstract:  The effects of lipoic acid and dihydrolipoic acid were explored on total thiol maintenance in diabetic and non‐diabetic human erythrocytes in vitro over 22 hr in a 37°C incubation system with no added glucose. Over 18–22.5 hr after treatment in both non‐diabetic and diabetic cells, lipoic acid (1 mM) was associated with greater loss of cellular thiols than dihydrolipoic acid (1 mM), compared to respective control values. At 0.1 mM, in non‐diabetic cells, although lipoic acid‐treated cells’ thiol levels were significantly lower than control, there was no significant difference between dihydrolipoic acid‐treated cells and control cells regarding thiol levels. In addition, at 0.1 mM, dihydrolipoic acid‐treated diabetic cells showed a reduction in thiol levels compared to control. At 0.01 mM, lipoic acid‐treated cells had significantly lower measured thiol levels compared with diabetic cells exposed to dihydrolipoic acid, whereas in non‐diabetic cells, dihydrolipoic acid‐treated erythrocytic thiol levels were significantly greater than those treated with lipoic acid, although there were no other significant differences between the groups. At 22.5 hr, control values of methaemoglobin rose to 6.4 ± 1.1% in diabetic cells and 3.6 ± 2.1% in non‐diabetic cells. Lipoic acid (1 mM) showed greater methaemoglobin formation in diabetic rather than non‐diabetic cells (13.6 ± 1.5% versus 11.6 ± 1.5%), whereas dihydrolipoic acid‐treated diabetic and non‐diabetic cells were less potent in methaemoglobin generation (8.5 ± 2.4% and 8.4 ± 1.4%, respectively). These studies suggest that in certain circumstances such as hypoglycaemia, lipoic acid administration may actually be detrimental to cellular oxidant protection status.
PUBLIC PREFERENCES FOR REHABILITATION VERSUS INCARCERATION OF JUVENILE OFFENDERS: EVIDENCE FROM A CONTINGENT VALUATION SURVEY*
Authors: NAGIN DANIEL S. , PIQUERO ALEX R. , SCOTT ELIZABETH S. , STEINBERG LAURENCE
Published: December 2006

Research Summary:

Accurately gauging the public's support for alternative responses to juvenile offending is important, because policy makers often justify expenditures for punitive juvenile justice reforms on the basis of popular demand for tougher policies. In this study, we assess public support for both punitively and nonpunitively oriented juvenile justice policies by measuring respondents' willingness to pay for various policy proposals. We employ a methodology known as “contingent valuation” (CV) that permits the comparison of respondents' willingness to pay (WTP) for competing policy alternatives. Specifically, we compare CV‐based estimates for the public's WTP for two distinctively different responses to serious juvenile crime: incarceration and rehabilitation. An additional focus of our analysis is an examination of the public's WTP for an early childhood prevention program. The analysis indicates that the public is at least as willing to pay for rehabilitation as punishment for juvenile offenders and that WTP for early childhood prevention is also substantial. Implications and future research directions are outlined.

Policy Implications:

The findings suggest that lawmakers should more actively consider policies grounded in rehabilitation, and, perhaps, be slower to advocate for punitive reforms in response to public concern over high‐profile juvenile crimes. Additionally, our willingness to pay findings offer encouragement to lawmakers who are uncomfortable with the recent trend toward punitive juvenile justice policies and would like to initiate more moderate reforms. Such lawmakers may be reassured that the public response to such initiatives will not be hostile. Just as importantly, reforms that emphasize leniency and rehabilitation can be justified economically as welfare‐enhancing expenditures of public funds. The evidence that the public values rehabilitation more than increased incarceration should be important information to cost‐conscious legislators considering how to allocate public funds. Cost‐conscious legislatures may become disenchanted with punitive juvenile justice policies on economic grounds and pursue policies that place greater emphasis on rehabilitation. They may be reassured, on the basis of our findings, that the public will support this move.
Visualisation of human dental pulp vasculature by immunohistochemical and immunofluorescent detection of CD34: A comparative study
Authors: Digka Anna , Lyroudia Kleoniki , Jirasek Tomas , Kasampalidis Ioannis N. , Karayannopoulou Georgia , Kubinova Lucie
Published: December 2006

CD34 is considered a pan‐endothelial cell marker for paraffin‐embedded sections. In this study, both immunohistochemistry and immunofluorescence were applied in human dental pulp specimens of moderate thickness (10 µm) in order to observe the vasculature of this tissue using CD34. Both techniques revealed a homogenous staining pattern with capillaries and larger vessels showing complete and strong membrane staining reflecting the high capacity of the pulp for regeneration and response to different stimuli. A novel approach in the identification of the pulpal vasculature by Cy5‐conjugated anti‐CD34 is introduced in this study. By this technique the dense capillary plexus of the sub‐odontoblastic region, which is responsible for the reaction of the tissue to any physical or chemical stimuli or pathological condition, can be clearly identified, while immunohistochemistry did not reveal such a detailed staining pattern.
Hierarchical recruitment of the sympathetic and parasympathetic limbs of the baroreflex in normotensive and spontaneously hypertensive rats
Authors: Simms Annabel E. , Paton Julian F. R. , Pickering Anthony E.
Published: December 2006

The arterial baroreflex acts to buffer acute changes in blood pressure by reciprocal modulation of sympathetic and parasympathetic activity that controls the heart and vasculature. We have examined the baroreflex pressure–function curves for changes in heart rate and non‐cardiac sympathetic nerve activity (SNA, thoracic chain T8–12) in artificially perfusedin siturat preparations. We found that the non‐cardiac SNA baroreflex is active over a lower range of pressures than the cardiac baroreflex (threshold 66 ± 1 mmHgversus82 ± 5 mmHg and mid‐point 77 ± 3versus87 ± 4 mmHg, respectively,P< 0.05,n= 6). This can manifest as a complete dissociation of the baroreflex limbs at low pressures. This difference between the cardiac and non‐cardiac SNA baroreflex is also seen in end‐organ sympathetic outflows (adrenal and renal nerves). Recordings of the cardiac vagal (parasympathetic) and the inferior cardiac (sympathetic) nerves identify the cardiac parasympathetic baroreflex component as being active over a higher range of pressures. This difference in the operating range of the baroreflex–function curves is exaggerated in the spontaneously hypertensive rat where the cardiac component has selectively reset by 20–25 mmHg to a higher pressure range (threshold of 104 ± 4 mmHg and mid‐point 113 ± 4,n= 6). The difference in the pressure–function curves for the cardiacversusthe vascular baroreflex indicates that there is a hierarchical recruitment of the output limbs of the baroreflex with a sympathetic predominance at lower arterial pressures.
Geometry and Investigation of Klingelnberg-Type Worm Gear Drive
Authors: Litvin Faydor L. , Yukishima Kenji , Hayasaka Kenichi , Gonzalez-Perez Ignacio , Fuentes Alfonso
Published: December 2006

The computerized design, generation, and tooth contact analysis of a Klingelnberg-type cylindrical worm gear drive is considered wherein localization of contact is obtained by application of an oversized hob and mismatch geometries of hob and worm of the drive. A computerized approach for the determination of contacting surfaces and the investigation of their meshing and contact by tooth contact analysis is presented. The developed theory results in an improvement of bearing contact and reduction of sensitivity to misalignment. The theory is illustrated with numerical examples and may be applied for other types of cylindrical worm gear drives.
ENSO as an Integrating Concept in Earth Science
Authors: McPhaden Michael J. , Zebiak Stephen E. , Glantz Michael H.
Published: December 2006

The El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) cycle of alternating warm El Niño and cold La Niña events is the dominant year-to-year climate signal on Earth. ENSO originates in the tropical Pacific through interactions between the ocean and the atmosphere, but its environmental and socioeconomic impacts are felt worldwide. Spurred on by the powerful 1997–1998 El Niño, efforts to understand the causes and consequences of ENSO have greatly expanded in the past few years. These efforts reveal the breadth of ENSO's influence on the Earth system and the potential to exploit its predictability for societal benefit. However, many intertwined issues regarding ENSO dynamics, impacts, forecasting, and applications remain unresolved. Research to address these issues will not only lead to progress across a broad range of scientific disciplines but also provide an opportunity to educate the public and policy makers about the importance of climate variability and change in the modern world.
Maternal Oxytocin Triggers a Transient Inhibitory Switch in GABA Signaling in the Fetal Brain During Delivery
Authors: Tyzio Roman , Cossart Rosa , Khalilov Ilgam , Minlebaev Marat , Hübner Christian A. , Represa Alfonso , Ben-Ari Yehezkel , Khazipov Rustem
Published: December 2006

We report a signaling mechanism in rats between mother and fetus aimed at preparing fetal neurons for delivery. In immature neurons, γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) is the primary excitatory neurotransmitter. We found that, shortly before delivery, there is a transient reduction in the intracellular chloride concentration and an excitatory-to-inhibitory switch of GABA actions. These events were triggered by oxytocin, an essential maternal hormone for labor. In vivo administration of an oxytocin receptor antagonist before delivery prevented the switch of GABA actions in fetal neurons and aggravated the severity of anoxic episodes. Thus, maternal oxytocin inhibits fetal neurons and increases their resistance to insults during delivery.
Amphiregulin, a T
H
2 Cytokine Enhancing Resistance to Nematodes
Authors: Zaiss Dietmar M. , Yang Li , Shah Pranav R. , Kobie James J. , Urban Joseph F. , Mosmann Tim R.
Published: December 2006

Although type 2 immune responses contribute to allergy and asthma, these responses are essential for clearing intestinal helminth infestations by mechanisms that include increased epithelial shedding. We show that T helper 2 cells (T
H
2), but not other T cell subsets, express amphiregulin, a member of the epidermal growth factor (EGF) family. EGF receptor ligands directly induce epithelial cell proliferation, and lack of amphiregulin delayed expulsion of the nematode Trichuris muris. This newly recognized link between T
H
2 cells and epithelial proliferation should help in planning therapeutic interventions for helminth infections and other diseases that involve both cell proliferation and allergy, such as asthma.
Photoconductive Coaxial Nanotubes of Molecularly Connected Electron Donor and Acceptor Layers
Authors: Yamamoto Yohei , Fukushima Takanori , Suna Yuki , Ishii Noriyuki , Saeki Akinori , Seki Shu , Tagawa Seiichi , Taniguchi Masateru , Kawai Tomoji , Aida Takuzo
Published: December 2006

Controlled self-assembly of a trinitrofluorenone-appended gemini-shaped amphiphilic hexabenzocoronene selectively formed nanotubes or microfibers with different photochemical properties. In these nanotubes, which are 16 nanometers in diameter and several micrometers long, a molecular layer of electron-accepting trinitrofluorenone laminates an electron-donating graphitic layer of π-stacked hexabenzocoronene. The coaxial nanotubular structure allows photochemical generation of spatially separated charge carriers and a quick photoconductive response with a large on/off ratio greater than 10
4
. In sharp contrast, the microfibers consist of a charge-transfer complex between the hexabenzocoronene and trinitrofluorenone parts and exhibit almost no photocurrent generation.
A Semi-Empirical Approach to Projecting Future Sea-Level Rise
Authors: Rahmstorf Stefan
Published: December 2006

A semi-empirical relation is presented that connects global sea-level rise to global mean surface temperature. It is proposed that, for time scales relevant to anthropogenic warming, the rate of sea-level rise is roughly proportional to the magnitude of warming above the temperatures of the pre–Industrial Age. This holds to good approximation for temperature and sea-level changes during the 20th century, with a proportionality constant of 3.4 millimeters/year per °C. When applied to future warming scenarios of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, this relationship results in a projected sea-level rise in 2100 of 0.5 to 1.4 meters above the 1990 level.
The mtDNA Legacy of the Levantine Early Upper Palaeolithic in Africa
Authors: Olivieri Anna , Achilli Alessandro , Pala Maria , Battaglia Vincenza , Fornarino Simona , Al-Zahery Nadia , Scozzari Rosaria , Cruciani Fulvio , Behar Doron M. , Dugoujon Jean-Michel , Coudray Clotilde , Santachiara-Benerecetti A. Silvana , Semino Ornella , Bandelt Hans-Jürgen , Torroni Antonio
Published: December 2006

Sequencing of 81 entire human mitochondrial DNAs (mtDNAs) belonging to haplogroups M1 and U6 reveals that these predominantly North African clades arose in southwestern Asia and moved together to Africa about 40,000 to 45,000 years ago. Their arrival temporally overlaps with the event(s) that led to the peopling of Europe by modern humans and was most likely the result of the same change in climate conditions that allowed humans to enter the Levant, opening the way to the colonization of both Europe and North Africa. Thus, the early Upper Palaeolithic population(s) carrying M1 and U6 did not return to Africa along the southern coastal route of the “out of Africa” exit, but from the Mediterranean area; and the North African Dabban and European Aurignacian industries derived from a common Levantine source.
Impact Features on Stardust: Implications for Comet 81P/Wild 2 Dust
Authors: Hörz Friedrich , Bastien Ron , Borg Janet , Bradley John P. , Bridges John C. , Brownlee Donald E. , Burchell Mark J. , Chi Miaofang , Cintala Mark J. , Dai Zu Rong , Djouadi Zahia , Dominguez Gerardo , Economou Thanasis E. , Fairey Sam A. J. , Floss Christine , Franchi Ian A. , Graham Giles A. , Green Simon F. , Heck Philipp , Hoppe Peter , Huth Joachim , Ishii Hope , Kearsley Anton T. , Kissel Jochen , Leitner Jan , Leroux Hugues , Marhas Kuljeet , Messenger Keiko , Schwandt Craig S. , See Thomas H. , Snead Christopher , Stadermann Frank J. , Stephan Thomas , Stroud Rhonda , Teslich Nick , Trigo-Rodríguez Josep M. , Tuzzolino A. J. , Troadec David , Tsou Peter , Warren Jack , Westphal Andrew , Wozniakiewicz Penelope , Wright Ian , Zinner Ernst
Published: December 2006

Particles emanating from comet 81P/Wild 2 collided with the Stardust spacecraft at 6.1 kilometers per second, producing hypervelocity impact features on the collector surfaces that were returned to Earth. The morphologies of these surprisingly diverse features were created by particles varying from dense mineral grains to loosely bound, polymineralic aggregates ranging from tens of nanometers to hundreds of micrometers in size. The cumulative size distribution of Wild 2 dust is shallower than that of comet Halley, yet steeper than that of comet Grigg-Skjellerup.
Whence Comets?
Authors: A'Hearn Michael F.
Published: December 2006

Recent advances in cometary science have indicated the importance of mixing of materials in the disk where the planets of our solar system formed. Now, the results from the Stardust Discovery Mission unambiguously show that even more extensive and earlier mixing of the material took place, raising new challenges for theories of the protoplanetary disk and the formation of comets.
Cleavage of 4-Nitrophenyl Diphenyl Phosphate by Isomeric Quaternary Pyridinium Ketoximes - How Can Structure and Lipophilicity of Functional Surfactants Influence Their Reactivity in Micelles and Microemulsions?
Authors: Kivala Milan , Cibulka Radek , Hampl František
Published: December 2006

Amphiphilic pyridinium ketoximes 4-[1-(hydroxyimino)alkyl]-1-methylpyridinium bromides (1) and 1-alkyl-4-[1-(hydroxyimino)ethyl]pyridinium bromides (2) are isomeric cationic surfactants bearing the nucleophilic hydroxyimino group. They differ in the position of the nucleophilic function relative to polar head group and hydrophobic alkyl chain. The 4-nitrophenyl diphenyl phosphate (PNPDPP) cleavage by the oximate anions generated from 1 and 2 was used as a model reaction for the investigation of the influence of the structure and lipophilicity of functional surfactants on their reactivity in micelles and microemulsions. The investigation of the model reaction in cationic micelles of hexadecyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB), in non-ionic micelles (Triton X-100 and Brij 35) and in o/w microemulsion (isooctane/phosphate buffer/CTAB and butan-1-ol) has revealed that it is the lipophilicity which is the most important factor influencing the localization and reactivity of functional surfactants in nanoaggregates.
TOWARDS A COUPLED-CLUSTER TREATMENT OFSU(N) LATTICE GAUGE FIELD THEORY
Authors: BISHOP RAYMOND F. , LIGTERINK NORBERT , WALET NIELS R.
Published: December 2006

A consistent approach to Hamiltonian SU (N) lattice gauge field theory is developed using the maximal-tree gauge and an appropriately chosen set of angular variables. The various constraints are carefully discussed, as is a practical means for their implementation. A complete set of variables for the colourless sector is thereby determined. We show that the one-plaquette problem in SU (N) gauge theory can be mapped onto a problem of N fermions on a torus, which is solved numerically for the low-lying energy spectra for N ≤ 5. We end with a brief discussion of how to extend the approach to include the spatial (inter-plaquette) correlations of the full theory, by using a coupled-cluster method parametrisation of the full wave functional.
QUANTUM FLUIDS IN NANOPORES
Authors: URBAN NATHAN M. , COLE MILTON W.
Published: December 2006

We describe calculations of the properties of quantum fluids inside nanotubes of various sizes. Very small radius (R) pores confine the gases to a line, so that a one-dimensional (1D) approximation is applicable; the low temperature behavior of 1D 4 He is discussed. Somewhat larger pores permit the particles to move off axis, resulting eventually in a transition to a cylindrical shell phase—a thin film near the tube wall; we explored this behavior for H 2. At even larger R ~ 1 nm , both the shell phase and an axial phase are present. Results showing strong binding of cylindrical liquids 4 He and 3 He are discussed.
AN EXTENDED CONCEPT OF UNIVERSALITY IN A STATISTICAL MECHANICS MODEL
Authors: WEXLER CARLOS , LAPILLI CINTIA M. , PFEIFER PETER
Published: December 2006

Nature uses phase transitions as powerful regulators of processes ranging from climate to the alteration of phase behavior of cell membranes, building on the fact that thermodynamic properties of a solid, liquid, or gas are sensitive fingerprints of intermolecular interactions. The only known exceptions from this sensitivity are critical points, where two phases become indistinguishable and thermodynamic properties exhibit universal behavior: systems with widely different intermolecular interactions behave identically. Here we report a new, stronger form of universality, in which different members of a family of two-dimensional systems—the discrete p-state clock model—behave identically both near and away from critical points, if the temperature exceeds a value Teu ('extended universality). We show that all thermal averages are identical to those of the continuous planar rotor model (p = ∞) above Teu, that phase transitions above Teu are identical to the Berezinskii-Kosterlita-Thouless (BKT) transition, and that transitions below Teu are distinctly non-BKT. The results generate a comprehensive map of the three phases of the model and, by virtue of the discrete rotors behaving like continuous rotors, an emergent symmetry, not present in the Hamiltonian. This symmetry, or many-to-one map of intermolecular interactions onto thermodynamic states, demonstrates previously unknown limits for macroscopic distinguishability of different microscopic interactions.
THEORETICAL INVESTIGATION OF 3d NANOSTRUCTURES ON Cu SURFACES: THE INFLUENCE OF LOCAL ENVIRONMENT
Authors: FROTA-PESSÔA SONIA , KLAUTAU ANGELA B.
Published: December 2006

Here, we use a first-principles approach, implemented directly in real space, which allows us to investigate the behavior of 3d nanostructures deposited onto metallic surfaces. To illustrate the flexibility of the approach, results of the exchange coupling J for 3d dimers on Cu (001) are presented. Calculations indicate that Cr and Mn dimers have antiferro-magnetic alignment, while Fe , Co and Ni are stable in the ferromagnetic configuration. We also use the method to investigate the electronic structure of Fe , Co and Ni nanoclusters on Cu (001) surfaces. Our main purpose is to understand, from first principles, how electronic charge around the 3d sites is affected by the changes on the local environment associated with the lower coordination number of surfaces sites. Charge transfers, as well as charge character (s, p or d) around ferromagnetic Fe , Co and Ni clusters are investigated. If we consider a region defined by the volume per atom in the corresponding metal, we find that large charge transfers are present at cluster sites. These transfers are mainly due to a drastic decrease in the number of s and p electrons around the site, while the number of 3d electrons around the site remains practically unchanged.
FLUCTUATIONS AND PAIRING IN FERMI SYSTEMS: A CROSSING-SYMMETRIC APPROACH
Authors: QUADER KHANDKER F.
Published: December 2006

Treating competing fluctuations, e.g., density, spin, current, need a tractable, self-consistent approach. One method that treats particle-particle and particle-hole correlations self-consistently is the diagrammatic "crossing-symmetric equations" method. In a general calculation for pairing, non-local interaction plays an important role in enhancing certain quantum fluctuations and thereby determining the pairing symmetry.
TOWARDS AN ONTOLOGY MAPPING APPROACH FOR SECURITY MANAGEMENT
Authors: WONG ALFRED KA YIU , PARAMESH NANDAN , RAY PRADEEP
Published: December 2006

In the past decade, ontology has been actively researched in various domains. The different ontological tasks range from simple language modeling in the linguistic domain, to semantic integration in the semantic web, and recently to application-specific tasks such as financial fraud management. We follow the trend and attempt to tackle some of the ontological problems in security management. The most complicated problem out of all is the semantic interoperability problem that is evident in the existence of various types of security elements such as IDS, firewall and virus scanner. Another problem is related to the semantic modeling tasks required for autonomous and intelligent reasoning. Semantic modeling of security events is essential for automatic and intelligent event correlation tasks that analyze semantically the different sources of security information to more accurately present the holistic network security status. We present in this paper a novel and formal ontology mapping approach and security ontology for the supporting and possibly resolution of these problems.
A NOVEL IMAGE FUSION APPROACH BASED ON WAVELET TRANSFORM AND FUZZY LOGIC
Authors: LI TAO , LIU JIAN , WANG ZHICHENG , TIAN YAN
Published: December 2006

Better understanding of the real world can be obtained by fusion of images with complementary information. It was shown that an image fusion technique based on wavelet decomposition seems to be a better trade-off between spectral and spatial information in a single image. This paper presents a novel image fusion scheme that is based on wavelet transform and fuzzy logic. The two source images are first decomposed using the discrete wavelet transformation (DWT). Then different rules are used for different components in the fusion procedure. Local average energy is utilized as the fusion parameter for the low frequency component first; then membership degree of wavelet transform coefficient is used as the fusion parameter for the high frequency parts; finally, the fused image is obtained by taking inverse wavelet transform from the combined coefficients. The proposed fusion approach is shown to be effective using some remote sensing test images.
PARTICLE FILTER BASED MULTI-CAMERA INTEGRATION FOR FACE 3D-POSE TRACKING
Authors: GU YUANTAO , CHEN YILUN , JIANG ZHENGWEI , TANG KUN
Published: December 2006

Face tracking has many visual applications such as human-computer interfaces, video communications and surveillance. Color-based particle trackers have been proved robust and versatile for a modest computational cost. In this paper, a probabilistic method for integrating multi-camera information is introduced to track human face 3D-pose variations. The proposed method fuses information coming from several calibrated cameras via one color-based particle filter. The algorithm relies on the following novelties. First, the human head other than face is defined as the target of our algorithm. To distinguish the face region and hair region, a dual-color-ball is utilized to model the human head in 3D space. Second, to enhance the robustness to illumination variety, the Fisher criterion is applied to measure the separability of the face region and the hair region on the color histogram. Consequently, the color distribution template can be adapted at the proper time. Finally, the algorithm is performed based on the distributed framework, therefore the computation is implemented equally by all client processors. To demonstrate the performance of the proposed algorithm, several scenarios of visual tracking are tested in an office environment with three to four calibrated cameras. Experiments show that accurate tracking results are achieved, even in some difficult scenarios, such as the complete occlusion and the temptation of anything with skin color. Furthermore, the additional information of our track results, including the head posture and the face orientation schemes, can be used for further work such as face recognition and eye gaze estimation, which is also explained by elaborated designed experiments.
LUNG CANCER PRENEOPLASIA
Authors: Wistuba Ignacio I. , Gazdar Adi F.
Published: December 2006

From histological and biological perspectives, lung cancer is a complex neoplasm. Although the sequential preneoplastic changes have been defined for centrally arising squamous carcinomas of the lung, they have been poorly documented for the other major forms of lung cancers, including small cell lung carcinoma and adenocarcinomas. There are three main morphologic forms of preneoplastic lesions recognized in the lung: squamous dysplasias, atypical adenomatous hyperplasia, and diffuse idiopathic pulmonary neuroendocrine cell hyperplasia. However, these lesions account for the development of only a subset of lung cancers. Several studies have provided information regarding the molecular characterization of lung preneoplastic changes, especially for squamous cell carcinoma. These molecular changes have been detected in the histologically normal and abnormal respiratory epithelium of smokers. Two different molecular pathways have been detected in lung adenocarcinoma pathogenesis: smoking-associated activation of RAS signaling, and nonsmoking-associated activation of EGFR signaling; the latter is detected in histologically normal respiratory epithelium.
PROTEASES IN PARASITIC DISEASES
Authors: McKerrow James H. , Caffrey Conor , Kelly Ben , Loke P'ng , Sajid Mohammed
Published: December 2006

Parasitic diseases represent major global health problems of immense proportion. Schistosomiasis, malaria, leishmaniasis, Chagas disease, and African sleeping sickness affect hundreds of millions of people worldwide, cause millions of deaths annually, and present an immense social and economic burden. Recent advances in genomic analysis of several of the major global parasites have revealed key factors involved in the pathogenesis of parasite diseases. Among the major virulence factors identified are parasite-derived proteases. This review focuses on the direct role of proteases in disease pathogenesis. Well-characterized examples of the roles proteases play in pathogenesis include their involvement in invasion of the host by parasite migration through tissue barriers, degradation of hemoglobin and other blood proteins, immune evasion, and activation of inflammation.
REGULATION OF LUNG INFLAMMATION IN THE MODEL OF IGG IMMUNE-COMPLEX INJURY
Authors: Gao Hongwei , Neff Thomas , Ward Peter A.
Published: December 2006

Modern techniques of cell and molecular biology have rapidly uncovered the mechanisms underlying inflammatory injury of the lung. This expanding knowledge (which includes an understanding of complement, cell surface receptors, cytokines and chemokines, transcription factors, oxidants, proteinases, and endogenous inhibitors, as well as the role of leukocyte adhesion-promoting molecules) has provided new insights into the inflammatory system in general, as well as in the context of lung injury. In this review, we summarize recent progress in understanding the regulation of lung inflammation by using immunoglobulin G (IgG) immune complex–induced lung injury as a model. These studies have provided information on the role of various inflammatory mediators and their sequence of engagement. Insights into potential interventional approaches for the suppression of inflammatory processes in humans have emerged from those studies.
Mice lacking the transcription factor Mist1 exhibit an altered stress response and increased sensitivity to caerulein-induced pancreatitis
Authors: Kowalik Agnes S. , Johnson Charis L. , Chadi Sami A. , Weston Jacqueline Y. , Fazio Elena N. , Pin Christopher L.
Published: December 2006

Several animal models have been developed to investigate the pathobiology of pancreatitis, but few studies have examined the effects that altered pancreatic gene expression have in these models. In this study, the sensitivity to secretagogue-induced pancreatitis was examined in a mouse line that has an altered acinar cell environment due to the targeted deletion of Mist1. Mist1 is an exocrine specific transcription factor important for the complete differentiation and function of pancreatic acinar cells. Mice lacking the Mist1 gene [ Mist1 knockout (KO) mice] exhibit cellular disorganization and functional defects in the exocrine pancreas but no gross morphological defects. Following the induction of pancreatitis with caerulein, a CCK analog, we observed elevated serum amylase levels, necrosis, and tissue damage in Mist1 KO mice, indicating increased pancreatic damage. There was also a delay in the regeneration of acinar tissue in Mist1 KO animals. Molecular profiling revealed an altered activation of stress response genes in Mist1 KO pancreatic tissue compared with wild-type (WT) tissue following the induction of pancreatitis. In particular, Western blot analysis for activating transcription factor 3 and phosphorylated eukaryotic initiation factor 2α (eIF2α), mediators of endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress, indicated limited activation of this pathway in Mist1 KO animals compared with WT controls. Conversely, Mist1 KO pancreatic tissue exhibits increased expression of growth arrest and DNA damage inducible 34 protein, an inhibitor of eIF2α phosphorylation, before and after the induction of pancreatitis. These finding suggest that activation of the ER stress pathway is a protective event in the progression of pancreatitis and highlight the Mist1 KO mouse line as an important new model for studying the molecular events that contribute to the sensitivity to pancreatic injury.
Illuminating the interrelated immune and endocrine adaptations after multiple exposures to short immobilization stress by in vivo blocking of IL-6
Authors: Smith C. , Wilson N. W. , Louw A. , Myburgh K. H.
Published: December 2006

Intermittent psychological stress was induced in adult rats by 2 h/day of immobilization stress for 4 days, with or without blocking the function of IL-6 by using an anti-IL-6 antibody. Basal concentrations of serum corticosterone, IL-1β, IL-6, and TNF-α were assessed 24 h after the last intervention, as were levels of glucocorticoid receptors (GR) and activities of glucocorticoid-inducible enzymes (tyrosine aminotransferase and glutamine synthetase) in muscle and liver. Whole blood cultures were used to assess both spontaneous and LPS-induced reactivity of peripheral blood mononuclear cells. Stress increased corticosterone concentration in a manner partially modulated by IL-6. Serum IL-1β concentration was downregulated during stress when IL-6 was blocked ( P < 0.01). LPS-induced IL-6 secretion by peripheral blood mononuclear cells in vitro correlated positively with serum IL-1β concentration in antibody-treated groups, independently of stress ( R = 0.70 in nonstressed and R = 0.78 in stressed rats; both P < 0.05), whereas serum corticosterone concentration correlated positively with LPS-induced secretion of IL-6 only in control rats ( R = 0.66; P < 0.05). Reductions in liver GR levels indicated independent effects of stress (34.5%) and anti-IL-6 antibody (16.7%) and additive effects for both (62.5%). Similar results are reported for vastus muscle. Conversely, stress increased tyrosine aminotransferase and glutamine synthetase activities in muscle and liver with a significant ( P < 0.05) effect of anti-IL-6 antibody only seen in stressed livers. In conclusion, IL-6 plays a role in maintaining circulating IL-1β concentration after multiple exposures to stress, thus promoting a continued elevation of corticosterone release; in peripheral tissues, IL-6 antagonizes the effects of glucocorticoids, especially at the level of GR concentration.