bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Covalent linking of proteins and cytokines to suture: Enhancing the immune response of head and neck cancer patients
Authors: Shibuya Terry Y. , Kim Sanghun , Nguyen Kevin , Parikh Parag , Wadhwa Ashish , Brockardt Chad , Do Johnny
Published: November 2003

Background: The immune system of advanced stage head and neck cancer patients is frequently suppressed. Poor immune function has been correlated with poor clinical outcome. Immunotherapeutic strategies have been previously attempted in an effort to enhance immune function and improve survival. Previous studies have shown surgical suture can be transformed into an immune stimulant capable of activating the T lymphocytes of cancer patients. The development of a process for covalently linking proteins and cytokines to suture could have enormous potential for the in vivo manipulation of the immune system. Hypothesis: We hypothesize proteins and cytokines can be covalently linked to surgical suture while preserving their functional properties. Study Design: Prospective study testing normal donor and head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) patient lymphocytes. Method: Polyester suture was acid hydrolyzed followed by reacting with 1‐ethyl‐3(‐3‐dimethylamino propyl carbodiimide) (EDAC) to create a suture‐EDAC intermediate. Next, selected proteins (horseradish peroxidase [HRP] or bovine serum albumin [BSA]) or cytokines (interleukin [IL]‐2 or interferon [IFN]‐γ) were reacted with the suture‐EDAC intermediate to test the covalent linkage of the selected protein or cytokine to suture. Functional activity of the linked proteins was measured spectrophotometrically. The linking of cytokines to suture was tested by stimulating normal donor peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBL) or HNSCC patients' lymphocytes. The functional activity was confirmed by proliferation, enzyme linked immuno‐adsorbent assay (ELISA), and phenotype expression of T cells. Results: The conditions for optimally linking a protein to polyester suture were defined using HRP as a model protein. HRP retained its enzymatic activity. The optimal conditions for linking IL‐2 or IFN‐γ were defined. The covalently linked cytokines retained their immune enhancing properties for stimulating PBL and lymph node lymphocytes (LNL) from HNSCC patients to proliferate, generate a TH1 immunologic profile of cytokines (IL‐2, IL‐12, IFN‐γ), and stimulate T lymphocytes. Conclusion: This is the first report to demonstrate that cytokines can be covalently linked to surgical sutures and retain their immune‐stimulating properties. Proteins linked to suture also retained their enzymatic activity. The clinical implications of functionally active cytokines or proteins linked to surgical suture may be very significant in the future for manipulating the immune system in vivo or enhancing wound healing.
The H+/K+‐ATPase (proton) pump is expressed in human laryngeal submucosal glands
Authors: Altaian Kenneth W. , Kenneth Haines G. , Hammer Neal D. , Radosevich James A.
Published: November 2003

Objectives/Hypothesis: Diagnosis and treatment of gastroesophageal and laryngopharyngeal reflux disease has significantly increased over recent years. The larynx is highly sensitive to the effects of LPRD and is similarly responsive to proton pump inhibitor pharmacotherapy. The hypothesis of the study was that proton pump activity exists in the human larynx and plays a functional role in normal and/or pathological laryngeal tissue. Study Design: Pathological investigation. Methods: Two fresh human cadaveric larynges (one male and one female larynx) were obtained as part of an exempt protocol from the Human Subjects Committee and were formalin fixed and paraffin embedded. Banked human stomach tissue was also obtained for use as comparative positive and negative control specimens. Sections were immunostained with monoclonal antibodies reactive with both alpha and beta subunits of the H+/K+‐ATPase (proton) pump. Specimens were reviewed for staining pattern and intensity. Results: Stomach parietal cells (known to produce gastric acid) exhibited strongly positive staining for both the alpha and beta subunits of the proton pump. There was no staining in stomach cells that were not morphologically consistent with the parietal cell. In the human larynx there were strong focal and identical staining patterns in the serous cells and ducts of the minor seromucinous glands by both alpha and beta monoclonals to the proton pump. There was variable staining in the laryngeal epithelium that was thought to be consistent with artifact staining resulting from tissue processing. Conclusion: The H+/K+‐ATPase (proton) pump is present in serous cells and ducts of submucosal glands in the human larynx. Proton pump inhibitor pharmacotherapy may have a site of action in seromucinous glands of the human larynx, with possible relevance for patients treated for chronic laryngitis with or without laryngopharyngeal reflux disease.
fMLP causes degranulation followed by regranulation in rat nasal glands
Authors: Kim Seon‐Tae , Nakanaga Takashi , Ueki Iris , Nadel Jay A.
Published: November 2003

Objective: To determine the mechanism of mucus production by nasal glands. Study Design: Because neutrophilic inflammation is associated with mucus hypersecretion in disease states, here we examine the role of neutrophil recruitment in mucous cell degranulation and regranulation in rat nasal glands. Methods: N:‐formyl‐methionyl‐leucyl‐phenylalanine (fMLP) was aerosolized intranasally in rats (n = 5), and its effects on degranulation and regranulation of submucosal glands were evaluated by Alcian blue/periodic acid‐Schiff (AB/PAS) staining and by immunolocalization of neutrophils and epidermal growth factor receptor (EGF‐R). Results: In control subjects, glands were filled with mucin. After fMLP inhalation, degranulation, 31.7 ± 0.8% (P < .01), was maximal at 2 to 4 hours. By 24 to 48 hours after fMLP inhalation, degranulation had decreased to 10.3 ± 0.6% (P < .05), indicating that regranulation of mucous glycoconjugates was occurring. After fMLP inhalation, neutrophils around submucosal glands increased within 0.5 hours from 1.4 ± 0.1 to 9.5 ± 0.3 per 0.0032 mm2 (P < .05). In control subjects, EGF‐R protein was expressed near acinar ducts, 16.4 ± 0.7% of gland area, and increased to 30.9 ± 0.9% (P < .05) 24 to 48 hours after fMLP inhalation. Nasal pretreatment with a selective EGF‐R tyrosine kinase inhibitor (BIBX1522, 15 mg/kg bid) prevented regranulation at 24 hours after fMLP inhalation (degranulation 27.8 ± 0.3%, P < .05, compared to 24 hours after fMLP alone), indicating that inhibition of EGF‐R activation had prevented regranulation after fMLP inhalation. Conclusions: Degranulation of rat nasal glands by fMLP is followed by regranulation; regranulation depends on a neutrophil‐associated EGF‐R cascade.
The effect of hydrogen peroxide applied to the middle ear on inner ear function
Authors: Perez Ronen , Freeman Sharon , Cohen David , Sichel Jean‐Yves , Sohmer Haim
Published: November 2003

Objectives/Hypothesis: The objective was to assess the effect of hydrogen peroxide applied to the middle ear on cochlear and vestibular function. Study Design: Prospective animal study. Methods: Sand rats underwent a right‐side total labyrinthectomy, and a polyethylene tube was inserted into the left‐side middle ear. Following baseline recordings of vestibular evoked potentials in response to linear acceleration stimuli and auditory brainstem response, each experimental animal received five daily applications of hydrogen peroxide into the left‐side middle ear. Two control groups received saline and gentamicin, respectively. Subsequently, recordings were repeated and compared with baseline measurements. Results: Saline administration affected neither vestibular evoked potentials nor auditory brainstem response. In contrast, both responses could not be recorded following gentamicin application. After hydrogen peroxide administration, auditory brainstem response could not be recorded in 25% (3 of 12) of the animals, whereas in the remaining nine animals the average auditory brainstem response threshold was significantly elevated by 55 dB (P = .000002). Linear vestibular evoked potentials could not be recorded in 42% (5 of 12) of the animals. Conclusion: It appears that topical hydrogen peroxide adversely affects both cochlear and vestibular function of the sand rat. The study demonstrated the effect of a reactive oxygen species on inner ear function and may be useful in the study of mechanisms responsible for this damage and its protection. Clinically, although an animal model was used in the present study, caution should be exercised when large amounts of hydrogen peroxide are applied to a dry, perforated ear.
Water and urea interactions with the native and unfolded forms of a β‐barrel protein
Authors: Modig Kristofer , Kurian Elizabeth , Prendergast Franklyn G. , Halle Bertil
Published: November 2003

A fundamental understanding of protein stability and the mechanism of denaturant action must ultimately rest on detailed knowledge about the structure, solvation, and energetics of the denatured state. Here, we use 17O and 2H magnetic relaxation dispersion (MRD) to study urea‐induced denaturation of intestinal fatty acid‐binding protein (I‐FABP). MRD is among the few methods that can provide molecular‐level information about protein solvation in native as well as denatured states, and it is used here to simultaneously monitor the interactions of urea and water with the unfolding protein. Whereas CD shows an apparently two‐state transition, MRD reveals a more complex process involving at least two intermediates. At least one water molecule binds persistently (with residence time >10 nsec) to the protein even in 7.5 M urea, where the large internal binding cavity is disrupted and CD indicates a fully denatured protein. This may be the water molecule buried near the small hydrophobic folding core at the D–E turn in the native protein. The MRD data also provide insights about transient (residence time <1 nsec) interactions of urea and water with the native and denatured protein. In the denatured state, both water and urea rotation is much more retarded than for a fully solvated polypeptide. The MRD results support a picture of the denatured state where solvent penetrates relatively compact clusters of polypeptide segments.
Boltzmann‐type distribution of side‐chain conformation in proteins
Authors: Butterfoss Glenn L. , Hermans Jan
Published: November 2003

We analyze packing imperfections in globular proteins as reflected in deviations of torsion angles from the equilibrium values for the isolated side chains. The distribution of conformations of methionine and lysine residues in a database of high‐resolution structures is compared with energies of model compounds calculated with high‐level quantum‐mechanics. The distribution of the C–C and C–S torsion angles (χ3) correlates well with the Boltzmann factor of the torsion energy, exp(−βE) of the model compounds C2H5—C2H5 and C2H5—S—CH3. An exponential relation was again found between the relative occurrence of g+, g− and t conformations for Cα—Cβ bonds in long side chains and the energy differences of rotamers of α‐amino n‐butyric acid, when dependence on backbone conformation was taken into account. The distribution of all 27 rotamers of methionine was correlated with the energy differences between the model's rotamers, corrected for clashes with nearby residues, the correlation being good for a set with backbone in the β‐conformation, but less clear for backbone α‐conformation. In all correlations, the value of the coefficient β corresponds to a temperature of circa 300 K. These results can be interpreted with a model that considers the structure of a folded protein as resulting from packing imperfectly complementary parts, with a requirement of an overall low energy. Compromises are required to optimize the fit of nonbonded contacts with surrounding groups, and side chains assume conformations away from the energy minimum. An exponential distribution is a most probable distribution, and this can be established easily under conditions other than thermal equilibrium.
Crystal structure of a DNA binding protein from the hyperthermophilic euryarchaeon Methanococcus jannaschii
Authors: Wang Ganggang , Guo Rong , Bartlam Mark , Yang Haitao , Xue Hong , Liu Yiwei , Huang Li , Rao Zihe
Published: November 2003

The Sac10b family consists of a group of highly conserved DNA binding proteins from both the euryarchaeotal and the crenarchaeotal branches of Archaea. The proteins have been suggested to play an architectural role in the chromosomal organization in these organisms. Previous studies have mainly focused on the Sac10b proteins from the crenarchaeota. Here, we report the 2.0 Å resolution crystal structure of Mja10b from the euryarchaeon Methanococcus jannaschii. The model of Mja10b has been refined to an R‐factor of 20.9%. The crystal structure of an Mja10b monomer reveals an α/β structure of four β‐strands and two α‐helices, and Mja10b assembles into a dimer via an extensive hydrophobic interface. Mja10b has a similar topology to that of its crenarchaeota counterpart Sso10b (also known as Alba). Structural comparison between the two proteins suggests that structural features such as hydrophobic inner core, acetylation sites, dimer interface, and DNA binding surface are conserved among Sac10b proteins. Structural differences between the two proteins were found in the loops. To understand the structural basis for the thermostability of Mja10b, the Mja10b structure was compared to other proteins with similar topology. Our data suggest that extensive ion‐pair networks, optimized accessible surface area and the dimerization via hydrophobic interactions may contribute to the enhanced thermostability of Mja10b.
Accommodation of a highly symmetric core within a symmetric protein superfold
Authors: Brych Stephen R. , Kim Jaewon , Logan Timothy M. , Blaber Michael
Published: November 2003

An alternative core packing group, involving a set of five positions, has been introduced into human acidic FGF‐1. This alternative group was designed so as to constrain the primary structure within the core region to the same threefold symmetry present in the tertiary structure of the protein fold (the β‐trefoil superfold). The alternative core is essentially indistinguishable from the WT core with regard to structure, stability, and folding kinetics. The results show that the β‐trefoil superfold is compatible with a threefold symmetric constraint on the core region, as might be the case if the superfold arose as a result of gene duplication/fusion events. Furthermore, this new core arrangement can form the basis of a structural “building block” that can greatly simplify the de novo design of β‐trefoil proteins by using symmetric structural complementarity. Remaining asymmetry within the core appears to be related to asymmetry in the tertiary structure associated with receptor and heparin binding functionality of the growth factor.
Structural and functional features of the Escherichia coli hydroperoxide resistance protein OsmC
Authors: Lesniak Jacob , Barton William A. , Nikolov Dimitar B.
Published: November 2003

The osmotically inducible protein OsmC, like its better‐characterized homolog, the organic hydroperoxide protein Ohr, is involved in defense against oxidative stress caused by exposure to organic hydroperoxides. The crystal structure of Escherichia coli OsmC reported here reveals that the protein is a tightly folded domain‐swapped dimer with two active sites located at the monomer interface on opposite sides of the molecule. We demonstrate that OsmC preferentially metabolizes organic hydroperoxides over inorganic hydrogen peroxide. On the basis of structural and enzymatic similarities, we propose that the OsmC catalytic mechanism is analogous to that of the Ohr proteins and of the structurally unrelated peroxiredoxins, directly using highly reactive cysteine thiol groups to elicit hydroperoxide reduction.
A note on the reducibility of linear differential equations with quasiperiodic coefficients
Authors: Yuan Xiaoping , Nunes Ana
Published: November 2003

The system , where A is a constant
matrix whose eigenvalues are not necessarily simple and Q is a
quasiperiodic analytic matrix, is considered. It is proved that,
for most values of the frequencies, the system is reducible.
On Hopf Galois Hirata extensions
Authors: Szeto George , Xue Lianyong
Published: November 2003

Let H be a finite‐dimensional Hopf algebra over a
field K, H* the dual Hopf algebra of H, and B a right
H*‐Galois and Hirata separable extension of BH. Then B is characterized in terms of the commutator subring VB(BH) of
BH in B and the smash product VB(BH)#H. A sufficient
condition is also given for B to be an H*‐Galois Azumaya
extension of BH.
Stereo Types: The Operation of Sound in the Production of Racial Identity
Authors: Hight Christopher
Published: November 2003

Discussions of race and identity have often privileged the visual field and its representations as a site of cultural identity. In contrast, this paper examines how sound and its organization have been implicated in the constructions of “whiteness” as a normative category during the colonial epoch. Using a set of case studies, it examines the network formed between sound and vision through what the author calls a harmonic system of representation. After mapping this dominant system, the paper describes tactics that have been used to disrupt it. The possibility of heterogeneous subjectivity, often called the cyborg, is explored as an alternative, in relation to different organizations of sound.
The Artificial Natural: Manipulating Butterfly Wing Patterns for Artistic Purposes
Authors: Menezes Marta de
Published: November 2003

Recent advances in biology allow interference with normal animal development, making possible the creation of novel live organisms. The author's project explores this potential through her work in a laboratory creating live adult butterflies with wing patterns modified for artistic purposes. Although these patterns are determined by direct human intervention, they are made exclusively of normal live cells. As genes from the germ line are left untouched, the new patterns are not transmitted to the offspring. Therefore, this form of art literally lives and dies. It is simultaneously art and life.
On the Music of Emergent Behavior: What Can Evolutionary Computation Bring to the Musician?
Authors: Miranda Eduardo Reck
Published: November 2003

In this article, the author focuses on issues concerning musical composition practices in which emergent behavior is used to generate musical material, musical form or both. The author gives special attention to the potential of cellular automata and adaptive imitation games for music-making. The article begins by presenting two case-study systems, followed by an assessment of their role in the composition of a number of pieces. It then continues with a discussion in which the author suggests that adaptive imitation games may hold the key to fostering more effective links between evolutionary computation paradigms and creative musical processes.
Heraclitus on Religion
Authors: Adomenas Mantas
Published: November 2003

The article sets out to reinterpret Heraclitus' views on religion and, by implication, his position in the context of the Presocratic philosophers' relationship to the Greek cultural tradition. It does so by examining the fragments in which Heraclitus' attitude to the popular religion of his time is reflected. The analysis of the fragments 69, 68, 15, 14, 5, 96, 93 and 92 DK reveals that the target of Heraclitus' criticism is not the religious practices themselves, but their popular interpretation. Heraclitus' fragments are simultaneously shown to identify the underlying structure of the 'unity of opposites,' inherent in various religious practices. Heraclitus appears to reinterpret religious practices in terms of the conceptual structures of his own philosophy. On the other hand, religion provides him with the categories for the construction of his philosophical theology. Thus Heraclitus' treatment of religion is shown to be analogous to his treatment of ethics and politics, which he also tries to incorporate into his highly integrated vision of reality. In contrast to Xenophanes' radical critique of the traditional religion, Heraclitus emerges not as a reformer or an Aufklärer, but as an interpreter, who tries to discern the structures of meaning inherent in the existing practices, and to assume them into his own philosophical project.
POST-CONFLICT BEHAVIOUR OF WILD CHIMPANZEES (PAN TROGLODYTES SCHWEINFURTHII) IN THE BUDONGO FOREST, UGANDA
Authors: Arnold Kate , Whiten Andrew
Published: November 2003

Since de Waal & van Roosmalen (1979) first documented the occurrence of reconciliation between former opponents in captive chimpanzees, the study of the post-conflict behaviour of primates has provided valuable information about some of the details of primate social organisation. The vast majority of these studies have been carried out on captive subjects and it has been assumed that these findings are representative of wild primates. We set out to investigate whether this was true for the Sonso community of wild chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes schweinfurthii) of the Budongo Forest, Uganda, using controlled procedures comparable with those used in captive studies. We found that these chimpanzees were much less likely to reconcile than their captive counterparts. Only one dimension of relationship quality had an effect on the likelihood of reconciliation. Individuals which were highly compatible, in terms of time spent affiliating, reconciled conflicts more often than those with weak relationships. Captive chimpanzees have also been shown to 'console' one another (de Waal & van Roosmalen, 1979; de Waal & Aureli, 1996), where uninvolved bystanders initiate affiliative contacts with victims of aggression. This study did not confirm that consolatory behaviour was characteristic of wild chimpanzee post-conflict behaviour. Nor did these chimpanzees use explicit gestures during post-conflict interactions as they have been shown to do in two out of three captive studies. We conclude that the post-conflict behaviour of chimpanzees is more variable than has previously been thought and is likely to be dependent on the prevailing social environment.
ONTOGENY OF VOCALISATIONS IN INFANT BLACK FLYING FOXES, PTEROPUS ALECTO
Authors: Van Parijs Sofie , Corkeron Peter
Published: November 2003

Most mega and microchiropteran bats live in large colonial roosts where potential intermingling of mother-infant pairs places immediate demands on their recognition systems. In microchiropteran bats, infants produce distinct isolation calls that appear to become less complex in structure in the latter stages of lactation. This results in a reduction in the capacity of females to locate their infants. Similar recognition pressures exist for both suborders therefore it might be expected that they would exhibit similarities in their vocal development. This study quantifies the vocal characteristics of infant black flying foxes, Pteropus alecto, to assess vocal development in this species. Recordings were made of 21 infants, nine males and twelve females, between 1 and 35 days in age. As in microchiropteran bats, infant black flying foxes produce individually distinctive calls, which persist throughout lactation. Unlike microchiropterans, calls remained stable in structure throughout lactation. Individuals produced one of three distinctive isolation call types. Whether mothers use this variation to recognise patches of infants that include their own within a camp or to locate their own infants requires further study.
SEQUENTIAL FORAGING BEHAVIOUR OF BOTTLENOSE DOLPHINS, TURSIOPS TRUNCATUS, IN SARASOTA BAY, FL
Authors: Nowacek Douglas
Published: November 2003

Detailed analyses of dolphin foraging behaviour have typically been difficult due to researchers' inability to observe entire foraging sequences. Using a new observational tool I was able to observe sequences of behaviours leading to successful prey captures, including behaviours not previously described in Sarasota Bay dolphins. I defined a set of specific foraging behaviours and demonstrated their position in successful sequences by analyzing the conditional probability of their occurrence based the occurrence of a capture. The sequences of behaviours dolphins used were not deterministic, and individual dolphins displayed different behavioural repertoires. Foraging behaviours occurred at rates of up to 0.5 per minute during general activity categories commonly used in odontocete research, and the current results could assist in the interpretation of these activities.
INDIRECT COMPETITION BETWEEN A RESIDENT UNISEXUAL AND AN INVADING BISEXUAL GECKO
Authors: Brown Susan , Lebrun Roanne , Yamasaki Jacqueline , Ishii-Thoene Deborah
Published: November 2003

Established populations of the unisexual gecko, Lepidodactylus lugubris, decline around man-made lights when the bisexual gecko, Hemidactylus frenatus, invades the environment. Some of the decline in L. lugubris numbers could occur through the process of exploitative competition for food resources. Our experiments were designed to see if other variables were important in the decline. We found that L. lugubris were more likely to use a hiding platform in enclosures with 2 rather than 1 platform when conspecific or heterospecific pairs of geckos were housed in an enclosure. Additionally, when two H. frenatus were housed in the same enclosure, they maintained closer proximity to each other than when their cagemates were L. lugubris. L. lugubris developed and laid more eggs when housed with another L. lugubris than when housed with either a female or male H. frenatus. Most interestingly, L. lugubris housed in enclosures previously occupied by H. frenatus males required more time for egg development and laying than geckos housed in enclosures previously occupied by another L. lugubris. In conclusion, variables in addition to food competition may influence the declines in L. lugubris numbers when an area in which they are established is invaded by the bisexual gecko, H. frenatus. L. lugubris numbers may decline in response to their reluctance to share a hiding place with another gecko, leaving them more vulnerable to predators. Additionally, L. lugubris fecundity may be negatively affected by the exudates from H. frenatus femoral pores or the odors of their feces.
INDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCES IN BEHAVIOUR: A TEST OF 'COPING STYLE' DOES NOT PREDICT RESIDENT-INTRUDER AGGRESSIVENESS IN PIGS
Authors: D'Eath Richard , Burn Charlotte
Published: November 2003

Temperament traits in animals are those which are stable across time and predictive of behaviour in other situations. Individuals can be identified as showing either active (pro-active) or passive (re-active) responses to a variety of challenges, and these are often referred to as 'coping styles'. Although most studied in rodents, coping styles are found in a variety of vertebrate species. In rodents, the resident-intruder aggressiveness test is a key measure of coping style, whereas in pigs, several recent studies have used a 'backtest' as the key measure of coping: A piglet is held on its back for one minute and the frequency of struggling bouts ('escape attempts') is recorded. In this study, we compared pig behaviour in backtests performed on 3 and 9 days of age, with aggressiveness was measured using 2 resident-intruder tests between 16 and 19 days post-weaning. A smaller unfamiliar intruder was introduced into part of the resident pig's home pen, and resident attack latency was recorded. Struggling bout frequency in the backtests showed a unimodal distribution. Data were analysed both as a continuous distribution and by comparing only the piglets from either extreme of the distribution (for comparison with other studies, top and bottom 25%). There was good repeatability of outcome (struggling frequency) over the two backtests, and over the two resident-intruder tests (attack latency and occurrence of resident attacks). However, no relationship was found between behaviour in the backtests and aggression in the resident-intruder tests, despite exhaustive analysis. Other authors have found that pigs show consistent responses to challenges, suggesting a degree of stable temperament. In line with the present findings though, most found no correlation between social and non-social responses. Other published experiments show that in pigs, the backtest can predict several physiological differences characteristic of coping styles. However, the present study shows that in pigs, aggressiveness and struggling in a backtest are not correlated, suggesting that they do not represent different expressions of the same underlying 'coping' trait.
RED JUNGLE FOWL HAVE MORE CONTRAFREELOADING THAN WHITE LEGHORN LAYERS: EFFECT OF FOOD DEPRIVATION AND CONSEQUENCES FOR INFORMATION GAIN
Authors: Lindqvist Christina , Schütz Karin , Jensen Per
Published: November 2003

Contrafreeloading (CFL), i.e. choosing food which requires work over free food, occurs at a higher rate in red jungle fowl (Gallus gallus) compared to White Leghorn layers. We examined whether this difference between breeds was altered by food deprivation and whether it affected the information gained about alternative food sources. In a first experiment, twenty birds of each breed were deprived for zero, three and six hours and then allowed a choice of feeding from freely available food or food mixed with wood shavings. In both breeds, CFL tended to decrease after deprivation, but jungle fowl consistently showed more CFL than Leghorns also after food deprivation. This shows that differences in CFL between breeds were not altered by food deprivation, and the larger CFL in jungle fowl may represent a genetically based difference in feeding strategy. In a second experiment, we examined whether the differences in CFL affected how the birds acquired information about alternative food sites of different quality. Twenty birds of each breed were allowed to forage during three 10 min sessions in a four armed maze, where symbols in each end of the arms indicated the location of four different quality food sources; 'high gain' (freely available food), 'medium gain' (70% food, 30% wood shavings), 'low gain' (30% food), and 'no gain' (100% wood shavings). Each bird was then tested in the same maze when the 'high gain' food source and its symbol had been removed, and the other three sources contained only the symbols and wood shavings. Jungle fowl chose the symbol indicating the best available food source significantly more often than the Leghorns. The results indicate that Leghorn gain less information during foraging, which may have consequences for their adaptation capacity in a production environment. This could either be a consequence of Leghorns showing less CFL, or a generally impaired learning capacity of Leghorns compared to jungle fowl.
EFFECT OF HUNGER ON STARLINGS' PREFERENCES FOR FOOD SOURCES ASSOCIATED WITH VARIABILITY OR UNCERTAINTY
Authors: Talling Janet , Inglis Ian , Van Driel Katja , Young John , Giles Sarah
Published: November 2003

The information primacy hypothesis proposes that motivation to perform behaviours that reduce environmental uncertainty is continually present. It predicts that uncertain stimuli are attractive and that this attractiveness declines with increasing hunger. It also draws a distinction between the effects of stimulus uncertainty and those of stimulus variability per se (i.e. predictable variability). Two experiments investigated how hunger level affects the relative feeding preferences of starlings (Sturnus vulgaris) for two locations that always contained the same and equal amounts of food. In one experiment the locations differed in variability but not uncertainty (i.e. in one the position of a visible food item was fixed whilst in the other its position randomly varied between trials). In the second experiment the locations differed in uncertainty but not variability (i.e. in both the position of a food item varied randomly between trials but in one of them the food was not visible from the choice point and in the other it was). When satiated the birds significantly preferred to feed from (a) the variable rather than the constant location, and (b) the uncertain and variable location rather than the location that was just variable. When hungry the birds had (a) no significant preference between the constant and the variable locations, and (b) showed a shift in preference away from the uncertain location. In both experiments hunger increased the incidence of side preferences. These findings are considered in relation to both predictions derived from the information primacy hypothesis, and findings from risk-sensitive foraging experiments.
STRUCTURE, GEOGRAPHY AND ORIGIN OF DIALECTS IN THE TRADITIVE SONG OF THE FOREST WEAVER PLOCEUS BICOLOR SCLATERI IN NATAL, S. AFRICA
Authors: Wickler Wolfgang , Kleindienst Hans-Ulrich , Sonnenschein Edith , Seibt Uta
Published: November 2003

From a 21-year-long combined field and laboratory study we describe the general song structure and local song dialects of this species. These dialects differ in syntactic and phonological charateristics. Within its first 24 months the individual learns a song from its parents and keeps that song constant throughout life. In free-living populations dialects remained constant over the total study period. We could exclude that the dialects are an acoustic window phenomenon. We found individual song variations within dialects which suggest a derivation of local dialects from family-specific songs, enhanced by man-induced habitat fragmentation.
Developments in the Law of the Sea between 1970 and 1998
Authors:   Jagota
Published: November 2003

No Abstract
Book review: Fraternité universelle et intérêt national by Marc Bélissa
Authors:   Lesaffer
Published: November 2003

No Abstract
The Westphalian Legal Orthodoxy - Myth or Reality?
Authors:   Beaulac
Published: November 2003

No Abstract
La doctrine du Droit international en Amérique Latine avant la première conférence panaméricaine
Authors:   Gros Espiell
Published: November 2003

No Abstract
The Making of the Treaty of Tlatelolco
Authors:   Epstein
Published: November 2003

No Abstract
The Discipline of the History of International Law
Authors:   Hueck
Published: November 2003

No Abstract
On the Origins of International Legal Science in Russia
Authors:   Butler
Published: November 2003

No Abstract
Amicitia in Renaissance Peace and Alliance Treaties (1450-1530)
Authors: Lesaffer
Published: November 2003

No Abstract
Public International Law and King Magnus Eriksson's Law of the Realm
Authors:   Donner
Published: November 2003

No Abstract
China and Developments in International Law
Authors:   Heuser
Published: November 2003

No Abstract
The Method Behind Bluntschli's "Modern" International Law
Authors:   Roeben
Published: November 2003

No Abstract
Emmannuelle Jouannet. Emer de Vattel et l'émergence doctrinale du droit international classique
Authors:   Lesaffer
Published: November 2003

No Abstract
Introduction to neural network analysis and its application to building services engineering
Authors: Nannariello J , Fricke F R
Published: November 2003

The major objective of this paper is to illustrate how neural network analysis techniques might play an important role in modeling, predicting, and estimating in building services engineering. The paper outlines an understanding of how neural networks operate by way of presenting a focused discussion and illustration of appropriate problems in the different disciplines of architectural and building acoustics, civil and structural engineering and architectural science to which neural network analyses have been applied. Results of these neural network procedures, some of which are presented in this paper, are testimony to the potential of neural networks as a design tool in many areas of endeavor, including building services engineering.
Analysis of mean radiant temperature and thermal comfort
Authors: Gan Guohui
Published: November 2003

Mean radiant temperature is an important environmental parameter that influences building performance and occupants' thermal comfort. In this technical note, the effect of glazing on the mean radiant temperature and thermal comfort in rooms is analysed. It is shown that a tall and narrow window performs better than a square window in terms of indoor thermal comfort. Also, double-glazing is effective in reducing the thermal discomfort due to radiant asymmetry.
Simplifying energy performance assessment in the Hong Kong Building Environmental Assessment Method
Authors: Lee Wai-ling , Yik Francis WH , Burnett John
Published: November 2003

In the Hong Kong Building Environmental Assessment Method (HK-BEAM) for air-conditioned office premises, energy use for air-conditioning constitutes one major item of assessment. The current assessment method for existing offices is based on computer simulation predictions. Following a recent review of the HK-BEAM scheme, simplified models have been developed for use in the assessment as an alternative to the detailed simulation method. These models are multiple linear regression models relating the annual electricity use for air-conditioning, and the maximum electricity demand, in an office building to the key characteristics of the building envelope and the air-conditioning system. Use of these models can reduce the effort required for data collection and input, and will allow the assessors to more quickly complete an assessment. In addition, additional parametric studies can be performed within much less time, which will help assessors in formulating advice to developers/designers on measures that will lead to improved energy performance and thus higher credits. This paper summarizes the review findings and describes the approach taken in the establishment of the regression models. Comparison of predictions by the detailed computer simulation method and the alternative method showed that the latter could provide estimates close enough to the simulation predictions for the purpose of assessing the credits to be awarded to a building for its energy performance.
External environmental temperature: proposed new formulation
Authors: Bouchair A
Published: November 2003

Heat transfer calculation across the external envelope of a building is, generally, made by assuming a hypothetical temperature for the outside environment called ‘sol-air temperature’. The sol-air temperature model has obvious limitations since it neglects the impact of factors of great significance such as the emissivity and configuration factors of the surrounding obstructions, the ground and the sky. Attempts made to include long-wave radiation exchange between building surfaces and the surrounding environment, have been over-simplified by assuming the surroundings to be at air temperature. However, without detailed information concerning the nature of such surroundings this assumption will remain unjustifiable and may lead to unreliable calculations of heat transfer. The thermal performance of a wall or a roof will vary with the effect upon its exposure to the sun, the ground, the sky and the proximity of obstructions and the air movement, as these may influence long-wave radiation and convection heat transfers. A new formulation for sol-air temperature prediction which allows for these factors is introduced and is presented in this paper. Numerical calculations were performed using monthly mean hourly data of the outside air temperature, wind speed and solar radiation for El-Oued in southern Algeria and for Bracknell in southern England. Results showed little difference between the present model and the sol-air temperature model for high wind speeds, whereas for low wind speeds the difference is significant.
Comparisons and choice of pressure loss coefficients, Ζ for ductwork components
Authors: Koch P
Published: November 2003

In compiling a revision to the CIBSE Guideon fluid flow in pipes and ducts, a survey was undertaken of available data on pressure loss factors of fittings. This paper details some of the contradictory information concerning components of ductwork. The primary source used by engineering institutions of several countries is that compiled by the Russian, Idelchik. His information is frequently far too detailed to be of use for day-to-day duct system design and so requires some interpretation and simplification. This the author has endeavoured to achieve whilst also using other sources where possible. Nevertheless this source was found to contain several errors. In the case of some of these errors, the true interpretation could readily be guessed at, but not always. Some other more recent research by others has also been found to contain contradictions. Even the use of a single preferred source does not guarantee uniformity of results. In one instance, two guides and the author provide three different sets of figures, each resulting from interpretations of the same primary source. In most published data there has been an assumption that friction effects of ductwork can always be presented in a non-dimensional manner. The implication is that size does not matter. Recent research shows that this is not so and confirms that as with pipework, size cannot be ignored for values of Ζ for elbows. Both size, and Reynolds Number are shown to have a large effect on the value of Ζ for elbows but neither have any significant effect on Ζ for tees. As to the question of variation in pressure loss due to minor manufacturing details, this has been tested only recently. Tests carried out on seemingly identical components but each obtained from a different manufacturer, showed a remarkable scatter. Although this was largely due to the results from the item supplied by just one manufacturer, this does illustrate the problem of predicting the pressure drop in any real ductwork system. This paper makes no attempt to include all the comparisons which were made. Rather, it highlights a few of the glaring contradictions and possible errors in hitherto accepted data. In trying to assemble data which is reliable and simple to use in day-to-day design work, the author has been presented with several dilemmas. The more contentious of these, and the final decisions taken, are explained.
Knowledge acquisition for intelligent product manuals
Authors: Pham D T , Dimov S S , Soroka A J
Published: November 2003

This paper describes an agent-based system that automates the procedure of collecting new fault data and creating new knowledge bases from that data. The agent system is an improvement on the conventional labour-intensive process of collecting and integrating new data into knowledge bases for intelligent product manuals.
Effect of tool and workpiece anisotropy on microcutting processes
Authors: Zhou M , Ngoi B K A
Published: November 2003

The effect of crystallographic orientation of diamond tools and workpiece materials on microcutting processes was investigated in order to improve the machined surface quality. Experimental and analytical results show that the influence of tool and workpiece orientations on the diamond cutting process cannot be neglected especially when higher machining accuracy is required. The coefficient of friction between diamonds and workpiece materials was found to be sensitive to the crystallographic orientation of diamond crystals. The anisotropy in the friction coefficient of diamonds is responsible for the variation in shear angle with tool crystal orientation. The effect of the crystallographic orientation of workpiece materials on cutting forces and surface roughness in diamond cutting of single-crystal copper and aluminium has been studied. The origin of the cutting force variation with crystallographic orientation of the material being cut has been analysed on the basis of a microplasticity model.
A new approach to enhance the manufacturing accuracy of the cylindrical worm using measured circular-arc helicoidal profile data
Authors: Wu D-S , Lai H-Y , Chen C-K
Published: November 2003

This paper presents a new approach to enhance the production accuracy of a cylindrical worm using measured circular-arc helicoidal profile data. In an attempt to enhance the accuracy of the base structure for measuring and manufacturing the cylindrical worm, a swinging measurement head is designed and utilized as the probe to measure the free surface of the worm. Some annoying errors introduced by a misaligned layout configuration and excessive contact point excitation coming from a traditional measurement head are mathematically characterized and represented. By combining both the layout error equation and the measurement operation equation, a diagnostic model is systematically derived in terms of adjustable machine-tool system parameters. This diagnostic model can then be used to improve the machining accuracy of the worm in real production processes. To illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed approach, an industrially used worm is selected for use in measuring the geometric parameters. These measured parameters are then incorporated into the layout error and the diagnostic models to produce a cylindrical worm of better accuracy. The experimental results indicate that the analytical solution agrees well with actual measurement data of the enhanced cylindrical worm. The proposed method is proved to be practical and applicable to enhancing the manufacturing accuracy of various key components of industrial machines.
Application of the goal tree—success tree (GTST) technique to decompose ship design in a production context
Authors: Ring D , Shenoi R A , Courts M
Published: November 2003

The design of ships and other made-to-order products is a complex process. A good understanding of design for production issues is essential to ensure a quality product at optimal costs. The overall objective is to improve the design process so that performance and producibility requirements can be met simultaneously. This paper examines the suitability of the goal tree-success tree (GTST) technique to consider the design and production process in a systematic manner and thus to feed back producibility requirements into the initial design phase. The adopted approach explicitly questions linkages between product attributes such as cost or performance and the ability of the design and production specification to ensure delivery of the attributes.
Numerical Analysis of the Horvath–Kawazoe Equation — The Adsorption of Nitrogen, Argon, Benzene, Carbon Tetrachloride and Sulphur Hexafluoride
Authors: Kowalczyk Piotr , Terzyk Artur P. , Gauden Piotr A. , Rychlicki Gerhard
Published: November 2003

A previously proposed numerical procedure based on the Horvath–Kawazoe (HK) model for estimating the MPSD (micropore size distribution) from a single nitrogen adsorption isotherm was developed. The results of the calculation of MSPD for two synthetic carbons obtained from numerical studies using the modified procedure are presented and discussed. These allowed the evaluation of the distribution from a single adsorption isotherm of nitrogen, argon, benzene, carbon tetrachloride and sulphur hexafluoride. In addition, the nitrogen and argon adsorption potential distributions were calculated for the same carbons applying the HK and condensation approximation (CA) methods. Agreement between these two independent approaches was observed. Differences between the MSPD obtained from HK and from the Dubinin micropore filling model (using the CONTIN package) were observed and discussed. It was shown that the structural parameter of the Dubinin–Astakov equation had no significant influence on the MSPD curves obtained.