bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
“Language-Based Security”
Authors: ABADI MARTÍN , MORRISETT GREG , SABELFELD ANDREI
Published: March 2005

Concepts and techniques from modern programming languages have much to offer to the security of computer systems. This special issue is devoted to research on those concepts and techniques. Over 60 active researchers working in this area were invited to contribute. In particular, a number of the participants of the Dagstuhl Seminar on Language-Based Security were encouraged to submit. Submitted articles were reviewed by 3–4 referees. As a result of the reviewing process, five articles were selected for inclusion in the special issue.
Interfaces for stack inspection
Authors: BESSON FRÉDÉRIC , DE GRENIER DE LATOUR THOMAS , JENSEN THOMAS
Published: March 2005

Stack inspection is a mechanism for programming secure applications in the presence of code from various protection domains. Run-time checks of the call stack allow a method to obtain information about the code that (directly or indirectly) invoked it in order to make access control decisions. This mechanism is part of the security architecture of Java and the .NET Common Language Runtime. A central problem with stack inspection is to determine to what extent the local checks inserted into the code are sufficient to guarantee that a global security property is enforced. A further problem is how such verification can be carried out in an incremental fashion. Incremental analysis is important for avoiding re-analysis of library code every time it is used, and permits the library developer to reason about the code without knowing its context of deployment. We propose a technique for inferring interfaces for stack-inspecting libraries in the form of secure calling context for methods. By a secure calling context we mean a pre-condition on the call stack sufficient for guaranteeing that execution of the method will not violate a given global property. The technique is a constraint-based static program analysis implemented via fixed point iteration over an abstract domain of linear temporal logic properties.
Self-Organizing Map Learning Nonlinearly Embedded Manifolds
Authors: Similä Timo
Published: March 2005

One of the main tasks in exploratory data analysis is to create an appropriate representation for complex data. In this paper, the problem of creating a representation for observations lying on a low-dimensional manifold embedded in high-dimensional coordinates is considered. We propose a modification of the Self-organizing map (SOM) algorithm that is able to learn the manifold structure in the high-dimensional observation coordinates. Any manifold learning algorithm may be incorporated to the proposed training strategy to guide the map onto the manifold surface instead of becoming trapped in local minima. In this paper, the Locally linear embedding algorithm is adopted. We use the proposed method successfully on several data sets with manifold geometry including an illustrative example of a surface as well as image data. We also show with other experiments that the advantage of the method over the basic SOM is restricted to this specific type of data.
Binding energies of CO on gold cluster cations Aun+ (n=1–65): A radiative association kinetics study
Authors: Neumaier Marco , Weigend Florian , Hampe Oliver , Kappes Manfred M.
Published: March 2005

Room temperature CO adsorption on isolated gold cluster cations is studied over a wide size range (Aun+,1<n<66) in a Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometer. Kinetic data which yield absolute bimolecular rate constants are analyzed by means of a radiative association model to give adsorption energies for the first CO molecule binding to the gold cluster ions. The results show that the binding energies decrease with increasing cluster size from about 1.09±0.1eV (n=6) to below 0.65±0.1eV (for n>26), with notable exceptions at n=30, 31 and 48, 49 which manifest local binding energy maxima. For the smallest sizes (3<n<9 and n=20), the experimental CO–Aun+ binding energies are compared with those found for the most stable isomers by density functional theory based ab initio computations. While the overall size trend can be understood in terms of classical electrostatics, the atom by atom variations are likely due to differently coordinated binding sites available on the gold clusters.
Thermodynamics of the liquid states of Langmuir monolayers
Authors: Villalobos Leslie , López-Álvarez Yania M. , Pastrana-Ríos Belinda , López Gustavo E.
Published: March 2005

The liquid states and the liquid-liquid equilibrium of surfactant molecules forming an interphase between air and water have been considered using Monte Carlo computer simulations. Specifically, the expanded and compressed liquid phases observed for surfactant molecules were characterized as a function of pressure and temperature. Simple modified beadlike potentials were implemented in order to describe the interparticle forces between the hydrophobic and hydrophilic portions of surfactant molecules at the air/water interface. A simulation box was defined such that the monolayer was exposed to an externally applied lateral pressure in a modified isothermal-isobaric ensemble, whereas the water bath was modeled in a canonical ensemble. The simulation resembles the experimental setup used to measure lateral pressure (Π) versus area isotherms obtained with Langmuir troughs. The applied lateral pressure-surface area phase diagram clearly showed the coexistence of the expanded and compressed liquid phases within certain temperature and pressure ranges. Distribution functions of distances and enthalpies for the monolayer were computed to clearly identify each liquid phase and the coexistence region.
Superfluidity in CH4-doped H2 nanoclusters
Authors: Mak C. H. , Zakharov Sergey , Spry D. B.
Published: March 2005

We report a theoretical study of superfluidity in CH4-doped para-H2 nanoclusters. Path integral simulations for clusters of 12–16H2 around a single CH4 molecule were carried out at temperatures between 0.5 and 2K to study the superfluid response of the cluster. The results indicate that a rapid increase in the superfluid response is expected to occur around 1K. We analyzed the structures and statistics of these clusters and found that the larger permutation cycles which dominate the superfluid component tend to adopt ringlike structures on the surface of the CH4 molecule.
A first principles calculations and experimental study of the ground- and excited-state properties of ladder oligo(p-aniline)s
Authors: Belletête Michel , Durocher Gilles , Hamel Sébastien , Côté Michel , Wakim Salem , Leclerc Mario
Published: March 2005

The molecular structure of three ladder oligo(p-aniline)s, 5,11-diethyl-6,12-dimethylindolo[3,2-b]carbazole (DIMER 2P), 14-ethyl-5,8-dihydro-diindolo[3,2-b:2′,3′-h]carbazole (TRIMER 2P), and 5,8,14-triethyl-diindolo[3,2-b:2′,3′-h]carbazole (TRIMER 3P) were investigated by first principles calculations at the Hartree–Fock (HF∕6-31G*) and density functional theory (DFT∕B3LYP∕6-31G*) levels. It is found that the agreement between theoretical and x-ray geometrical parameters is good and rather similar for both theoretical methods. The nature and the energy of the first two singlet-singlet electronic transitions have been obtained by Zerner intermediate neglect of differential overlap/spectroscopy semiempirical calculations performed on the HF∕6-31G* and DFT∕B3LYP∕6-31G* optimized geometries, as well as time-dependent density functional theory (TDDFT) calculations performed on the DFT∕B3LYP∕6-31G* optimized structures. For all the compounds and for all the theoretical approaches, it is observed that the S1←S0 electronic transition (ππ*) is weakly allowed and polarized along the short axis (y) of the molecule. On the other hand, the S2←S0 electronic transition of each oligomer possesses a much larger oscillator strength and is polarized along the long (x) molecular axis. It is found that TDDFT calculations provide the best overall agreement between the energies and the corresponding optical transitions obtained from the absorption bands (0-0 peaks) measured in dichloromethane as well as providing a good evaluation of the bathochromic shifts caused by the increase in the conjugation length or by the presence of extra alkyl chains on the nitrogen atoms in TRIMER 3P compared to TRIMER 2P.
Attractive and repulsive interactions among methanol molecules in supercritical state investigated by Raman spectroscopy and perturbed hard-sphere theory
Authors: Saitow Ken-ichi , Sasaki Jungo
Published: March 2005

The short-range structure of supercritical methanol (CH3OH) is investigated by measuring the spontaneous Raman spectra of the C–O stretching mode. The spectra are obtained at a reduced temperature, Tr=T∕Tc=1.02 (522.9 K), which permits the neat fluid to be studied isothermally as a function of density. As the density increases, the spectral peaks shift toward the lower energy side and the spectra broaden. In the supercritical region, the amount of shifting shows nonlinear density dependence and the width becomes anomalously large. We use the perturbed hard-sphere model to analyze these density dependencies along the vibrational coordinate. The amount of shifting is decomposed into attractive and repulsive components, and the changes in attractive and repulsive energies are evaluated as functions of density and packing fraction, both of which are continuously varied by a factor of 120. Here we show that the shift amount consists principally of the attractive component at all densities, since the attractive energy is about eight times the repulsive energy. The density dependence of the widths is analyzed by calculating homogeneous and inhomogeneous widths as a function of density. The results show that, although vibrational dephasing and density inhomogeneity contribute similarly to the width at low and middle densities, at high density the main contributor turns out to be the vibrational dephasing. We estimate the local density enhancements of supercritical CH3OH as function of bulk density by two methods. The results of these analyses show common features, and both the estimated local density enhancements of CH3OH are considerably larger than the local density enhancements of simple fluids, i.e., those having nonhydrogen bonding. It is revealed that the local density of supercritical CH3OH is 40%–60% greater than the local densities of the simple fluids. We also estimate the local density fluctuation using the obtained values of attractive shift, inhomogeneous width, and local density. The density fluctuation in the vicinity of a vibrating molecule is compared to the fluctuation of bulk density, which is obtained from the thermodynamic calculation.
New spherically symmetric monopole and regular solutions in Einstein–Born–Infeld theories
Authors: Cirilo Lombardo D. J.
Published: March 2005

In this work a new asymptotically flat solution of the coupled Einstein–Born–Infeld equations for a static spherically symmetric space–time is obtained. When the intrinsic mass is zero the resulting space–time is regular everywhere, in the sense given by Hoffmann and Infeld in 1937, and the Einstein–Born–Infeld theory leads to the identification of the gravitational with the electromagnetic mass. This means that the metric, the electromagnetic field, and their derivatives do not have discontinuities in all the manifold. In particular, there are not conical singularities at the origin, in contrast to the well-known monopole solution studied by Hoffmann in 1935. The lack of uniqueness of the action function in nonlinear electrodynamics is discussed.
A three-dimensional pipe flow adjusts smoothly to the sudden onset of a bend
Authors: Wilson P. L. , Smith F. T.
Published: March 2005

The response of a high-Reynolds-number pipe flow to the sudden onset of a bend is investigated analytically via asymptotic expansions. The configuration is of industrial interest. Over an entry-region length scale an upstream pressure influence develops which smooths the discontinuous adjustment seen over larger length scales. To derive a solution the theory addresses a rectangular cross section mostly but the results hold in all pipes of simple cross section. A specific rectangular pipe is treated numerically. The impact on the developing turbulent boundary layer in the region downstream of this short length scale is also described.
Defect density and diffusion length of holes in nanocrystalline silicon devices
Authors: Dalal Vikram L. , Sharma Puneet
Published: March 2005

We report on the measurement of doping density, defect density, and minority carrier diffusion length in nanocrystalline Si p+nn+ solar cell devices fabricated using very high frequency (VHF) and electron-cyclotron-resonance (ECR) plasma deposition techniques. Doping and midlevel defect densities were estimated from a measurement of capacitance versus voltage at different frequencies. The as grown layers were always n-type. The doping in as-grown base layers could be reduced by either compensating the material during growth with ppm levels of boron, or increased by adding ppm levels of phosphorus. It was found that there was a distinct correlation between shallow donor density, and deep defect density, situated at 0.35–0.5eV below the conduction band, even in unintentionally doped materials. Increasing doping increased the midlevel defect density. The diffusion length of holes was measured using combinations of capacitance and quantum efficiency measurements. The nanocrystalline Si p–n junction is shown to be a diffusion controlled, and not a drift-controlled device.
Permittivity increase of yttrium-doped HfO2 through structural phase transformation
Authors: Kita Koji , Kyuno Kentaro , Toriumi Akira
Published: March 2005

An approach to control the dielectric properties of hafnium-based oxide films with an intentional structural phase transformation was proposed and demonstrated. Yttrium serves effectively as a dopant to induce a phase transformation from the monoclinic to the cubic phase even at 600°C. The yttrium-doped HfO2 films show higher permittivity than undoped HfO2, and the permittivity as high as 27 is obtained by 4at.% yttrium doping. The permittivity enhancement by yttrium doping can be explained by the shrinkage of molar volume due to the structural phase transformation. The advantage of yttrium doping is more pronounced at higher temperatures, since the permittivity of undoped HfO2 is reduced significantly, whereas that of 17at.% yttrium-doped film shows no change even at 1000°C.
Complementary response of In2O3 nanowires and carbon nanotubes to low-density lipoprotein chemical gating
Authors: Tang Tao , Liu Xiaolei , Li Chao , Lei Bo , Zhang Daihua , Rouhanizadeh Mahsa , Hsiai Tzung , Zhou Chongwu
Published: March 2005

In 2 O 3 nanowire and carbon nanotube transistors were used to study the chemical gating effect of low-density lipoproteins (LDL). The adsorption of LDL on these two different surfaces was investigated, which revealed a tenfold more LDL particle adsorption on carbon nanotubes than on In2O3 nanowires because of hydrophobic/hydrophilic interactions. The conductance of field-effect transistors based on nanowires and nanotubes showed complementary response after the adsorption of LDL: while In2O3 nanowire transistors exhibited higher conductance accompanied by a negative shift of the threshold voltage, the nanotube transistors showed lower conductance after the exposure. This is attributed to the complementary doping type of In2O3 nanowires (n type) and carbon nanotubes (p type).
Direct micromachining of quartz glass plates using pulsed laser plasma soft x-rays
Authors: Makimura Tetsuya , Miyamoto Hisao , Kenmotsu Youichi , Murakami Kouichi , Niino Hiroyuki
Published: March 2005

We have investigated direct micromachining of quartz glass, using pulsed laser plasma soft x-rays (LPSXs) having a potential capability of nanomachining because the diffraction limit is ∼10nm. The LPSX’s were generated by irradiation of a Ta target with 532nm laser light from a conventional Q switched Nd:YAG laser at 700mJ∕pulse. In order to achieve a sufficient power density of LPSX’s beyond the ablation threshold, we developed an ellipsoidal mirror to obtain efficient focusing of LPSXs at around 10nm. It was found that quartz glass plates are smoothly ablated at 45nm∕shot using the focused and pulsed LPSX’s.
Deformation twinning during nanoindentation of nanocrystalline Ta
Authors: Wang Y. M. , Hodge A. M. , Biener J. , Hamza A. V. , Barnes D. E. , Liu Kai , Nieh T. G.
Published: March 2005

The deformation mechanism of body-centered cubic (bcc) nanocrystalline tantalum with grain sizes of 10–30 nm is investigated by nanoindentation, scanning electron microscopy and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy. In a deviation from molecular dynamics simulations and existing experimental observations on other bcc nanocrystalline metals, the plastic deformation of nanocrystalline Ta during nanoindentation is controlled by deformation twinning. The observation of multiple twin intersections suggests that the physical mechanism of deformation twinning in bcc nanocrystalline materials is different from that in face-centered cubic (fcc) nanocrystalline metals.
Scanning electron microscopy of dopant distribution in semiconductors
Authors: Merli P. G. , Morandi V. , Savini G. , Ferroni M. , Sberveglieri G.
Published: March 2005

We show that, in scanning electron microscopy, it is possible to use the secondary electrons produced by the backscattered electrons to obtain chemical information on the dopant distribution in Sb-implanted silicon. Theoretical investigations and experimental data concur to point out that the resolution of the method is defined by the probe size—values of 1 nm or even lower are possible in the present instruments—while the contrast depends on the electron range and on the boundary conditions. A proper choice of beam energy and boundaries of the doped layer may allow a sensitivity below 1%, suitable to characterize the high-dose near-surface region of the ultrashallow junctions in cross-sectioned bulk specimens.
Borrelia burgdorferi
σ
54
is required for mammalian infection and vector transmission but not for tick colonization
Authors: Fisher Mark A. , Grimm Dorothee , Henion Amy K. , Elias Abdallah F. , Stewart Philip E. , Rosa Patricia A. , Gherardini Frank C.
Published: March 2005

Previous studies have shown that a σ
54
–σ
S
cascade regulates the expression of a few key lipoproteins in
Borrelia burgdorferi
, the agent of Lyme disease. Here, we demonstrate that these sigma factors, both together and independently, regulate a much more extensive number of genes and cellular processes. Microarray analyses of σ
54
and σ
S
mutant strains identified 305 genes regulated by σ
54
and 145 regulated by σ
S
,
whereas the σ
54
–σ
S
regulatory cascade appears to control 48 genes in
B. burgdorferi
.
In silico
analyses revealed that nearly 80% of genes with altered expression in the σ
54
mutant were linked to potential σ
54
-dependent promoters. Many σ
54
-regulated genes are expressed
in vivo
, and through genetic complementation of the mutant, we demonstrated that σ
54
was required by
B. burgdorferi
to infect mammals. Surprisingly, σ
54
mutants were able to infect
Ixodes scapularis
ticks and be maintained for at least 24 wk after infection, suggesting the σ
54
–σ
S
regulatory network was not involved in long-term survival in ticks. However, σ
54
mutants did not enter the salivary glands during tick feeding, indicating that σ
54
-regulated genes were involved in the transmission process.
Microdeletion of target sites for insulator protein CTCF in a chromosome 11p15 imprinting center in Beckwith–Wiedemann syndrome and Wilms' tumor
Authors: Prawitt Dirk , Enklaar Thorsten , Gärtner-Rupprecht Barbara , Spangenberg Christian , Oswald Monika , Lausch Ekkehart , Schmidtke Peter , Reutzel Dirk , Fees Stephan , Lucito Rob , Korzon Maria , Brozek Izabela , Limon Janusz , Housman David E. , Pelletier Jerry , Zabel Bernhard
Published: March 2005

We have analyzed several cases of Beckwith–Wiedemann syndrome (BWS) with Wilms' tumor in a familial setting, which give insight into the complex controls of imprinting and gene expression in the chromosome 11p15 region. We describe a 2.2-kbp microdeletion in the
H19
/insulin-like growth factor 2 (
IGF2
)-imprinting center eliminating three target sites of the chromatin insulator protein CTCF that we believe here is necessary, but not sufficient, to cause BWS and Wilms' tumor. Maternal inheritance of the deletion is associated with
IGF2
loss of imprinting and up-regulation of
IGF2
mRNA. However, in at least one affected family member a second genetic lesion (a duplication of maternal 11p15) was identified and accompanied by a further increase in
IGF2
mRNA levels 35-fold higher than control values. Our results suggest that the combined effects of the
H19
/
IGF2
-imprinting center microdeletion and 11p15 chromosome duplication were necessary for manifestation of BWS.
A Transaction-cost Analysis of the Land Development Process
Authors: Buitelaar Edwin
Published: March 2005

The production of our built environment involves many transaction costs. We want to avoid unnecessary transaction costs. Nevertheless, we hardly take account of transaction costs when considering different ways of organising the development process. The most important reason is probably the difficulty in identifying them. This paper shows why transaction costs are important and offers a method for identifying them. With this method, it is possible to compare the efficiency of different institutional arrangements.
Exposure to Environmental Urban Noise Pollution in Birmingham, UK
Authors: Brainard Julii S. , Jones Andrew P. , Bateman Ian J. , Lovett Andrew A.
Published: March 2005

This paper examines the extent to which inequalities in noise exposure are present in the city of Birmingham in the English Midlands. Estimates of road and rail noise levels were made using established sound propagation models and were combined with data on noise generated from the city's airport. Demographic details from the 1991 UK Census provided information on population age, ethnic make-up and deprivation. No relationship was established between noise exposure and population age, and there was only rather weak evidence of an association between noise exposure and ethnicity. Similarly weak disparities were observed in estimated noise exposures and levels of socioeconomic deprivation. The implications of these findings with regard to possible efforts to reduce urban noise levels are discussed.
Modelling ICT Perceptions and Views of Urban Front-liners
Authors: Cohen-Blankshtain Galit , Nijkamp Peter , van Montfort Kees
Published: March 2005

Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) have become important tools to promote and achieve a variety of public goals and policies. The growing importance of ICT in daily life, business activities and governance prompts the need to consider the role of ICT more explicitly in urban administrations and policies. What are the city-makers' expectations of ICT? And how do they assess the future implications of ICT for their city? An analysis of these questions is needed to provide us with a better understanding of the extent to which urban authorities are willing to invest in, and to adopt, ICT policy. This paper offers both a conceptual and an operational model that aims to map out the causes and implications of ICT perceptions and views of urban policy-makers and/or administrative officials (denoted as urban front-liners). This is followed by the presentation of an operational path model-i.e. a linear structural equations model (Lisrel). The model serves to describe and test the relationships between perceptions of the city, policy-makers' beliefs about ICT and the associated urban ICT policy. According to the model, respondents who perceive their city as having many urban functions (such as commercial centre, service centre, higher education centre) have more awareness of various ICT tools and are likely to consider a multiplicity of ICT measures as relevant to their city. Respondents who consider their city as having severe bottlenecks (such as traffic congestion, housing shortage) are less likely to think of ICT measures and ICT-related goals as relevant to their city, and nor do they think that the municipality impacts significantly on ICT in the city. Furthermore, respondents who perceive their city as suffering from many socioeconomic problems (unemployment, ageing population, industrial decline and so on) are likely to consider many ICT tools as relevant to their city, although they have a low awareness of the specific tools to be deployed. Finally, respondents who believe that ICT will significantly (and positively) affect the city and its administration also tend to believe that the municipality has a high municipal influence on ICT and consider many ICT initiatives as relevant to their city.
Policy Beliefs in Spatial Decisions: Contrasting Core Beliefs Concerning Space-making for Waste Infrastructure
Authors: Wolsink Maarten
Published: March 2005

In planning the existence of structural differences in policy, beliefs among stakeholders are crucial. This study concludes that the most salient contrasts in beliefs about spatial and environmental planning concern the way the process is managed. Some of those contrasts reflect fundamental assumptions about the possibilities for reaching consensus and the relevance of involvement of actors in the process. The beliefs of the key actors involved in six siting decisions about waste infrastructure were identified and analysed by using Q methodology and cultural theory. This revealed that core beliefs about choices in environmental policy and waste management are connected with beliefs about spatial planning. The contrasts mainly concern issues of scale linked to competences regarding decision-making. The belief system of dominating actors is mainly hierarchical, combined with a technocratic approach to waste management prioritising incineration. Two alternative belief systems emphasised prevention as priority and egalitarian views on spatial decisions. Although the hierarchical approach of dominant coalitions was far from effective, the tendency remains of increasing top-down planning. Facility siting is increasingly framed in terms of larger areas and the reliance on hierarchical planning fits the authoritarian bias that emerges in such rescaling processes.
Atg17 Functions in Cooperation with Atg1 and Atg13 in Yeast Autophagy
Authors: Kabeya Yukiko , Kamada Yoshiaki , Baba Misuzu , Takikawa Hirosato , Sasaki Mitsuru , Ohsumi Yoshinori
Published: March 2005

In eukaryotic cells, nutrient starvation induces the bulk degradation of cellular materials; this process is called autophagy. In the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, most of the ATG (autophagy) genes are involved in not only the process of degradative autophagy, but also a biosynthetic process, the cytoplasm to vacuole (Cvt) pathway. In contrast, the ATG17 gene is required specifically in autophagy. To better understand the function of Atg17, we have performed a biochemical characterization of the Atg17 protein. We found that the atg17Δ mutant under starvation condition was largely impaired in autophagosome formation and only rarely contained small autophagosomes, whose size was less than one-half of normal autophagosomes in diameter. Two-hybrid analyses and coimmunoprecipitation experiments demonstrated that Atg17 physically associates with Atg1-Atg13 complex, and this binding was enhanced under starvation conditions. Atg17-Atg1 binding was not detected in atg13Δ mutant cells, suggesting that Atg17 interacts with Atg1 through Atg13. A point mutant of Atg17, Atg17C24R, showed reduced affinity for Atg13, resulting in impaired Atg1 kinase activity and significant defects in autophagy. Taken together, these results indicate that Atg17-Atg13 complex formation plays an important role in normal autophagosome formation via binding to and activating the Atg1 kinase.
Neurabin/Protein Phosphatase-1 Complex Regulates Dendritic Spine Morphogenesis and Maturation
Authors: Terry-Lorenzo Ryan T. , Roadcap David W. , Otsuka Takeshi , Blanpied Thomas A. , Zamorano Pedro L. , Garner Craig C. , Shenolikar Shirish , Ehlers Michael D.
Published: March 2005

The majority of excitatory synapses in the mammalian brain form on filopodia and spines, actin-rich membrane protrusions present on neuronal dendrites. The biochemical events that induce filopodia and remodel these structures into dendritic spines remain poorly understood. Here, we show that the neuronal actin- and protein phosphatase-1–binding protein, neurabin-I, promotes filopodia in neurons and nonneuronal cells. Neurabin-I actin–binding domain bundled F-actin, promoted filopodia, and delayed the maturation of dendritic spines in cultured hippocampal neurons. In contrast, dimerization of neurabin-I via C-terminal coiled-coil domains and association of protein phosphatase-1 (PP1) with neurabin-I through a canonical KIXF motif inhibited filopodia. Furthermore, the expression of a neurabin-I polypeptide unable to bind PP1 delayed the maturation of neuronal filopodia into spines, reduced the synaptic targeting of AMPA-type glutamate (GluR1) receptors, and decreased AMPA receptor-mediated synaptic transmission. Reduction of endogenous neurabin levels by interference RNA (RNAi)-mediated knockdown also inhibited the surface expression of GluR1 receptors. Together, our studies suggested that disrupting the functions of a cytoskeletal neurabin/PP1 complex enhanced filopodia and impaired surface GluR1 expression in hippocampal neurons, thereby hindering the morphological and functional maturation of dendritic spines.
The Open Reading Frame VI Product ofCauliflower mosaic virusIs a Nucleocytoplasmic Protein: Its N Terminus Mediates Its Nuclear Export and Formation of Electron-Dense Viroplasms
Authors: Haas Muriel , Geldreich Angèle , Bureau Marina , Dupuis Laurence , Leh Véronique , Vetter Guillaume , Kobayashi Kappei , Hohn Thomas , Ryabova Lyubov , Yot Pierre , Keller Mario
Published: March 2005

The Cauliflower mosaic virus (CaMV) open reading frame VI product (P6) is essential for the viral infection cycle. It controls translation reinitiation of the viral polycistronic RNAs and forms cytoplasmic inclusion bodies (viroplasms) where virus replication and assembly occur. In this study, the mechanism involved in viroplasm formation was investigated by in vitro and in vivo experiments. Far protein gel blot assays using a collection of P6 deletion mutants demonstrated that the N-terminal α-helix of P6 mediates interaction between P6 molecules. Transient expression in tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum) BY-2 cells of full-length P6 and P6 mutants fused to enhanced green fluorescent protein revealed that viroplasms are formed at the periphery of the nucleus and that the N-terminal domain of P6 is an important determinant in this process. Finally, this study led to the unexpected finding that P6 is a nucleocytoplasmic shuttle protein and that its nuclear export is mediated by a Leu-rich sequence that is part of the α-helix domain implicated in viroplasm formation. The discovery that P6 can localize to the nucleus opens new prospects for understanding yet unknown roles of this viral protein in the course of the CaMV infection cycle.
Development of an Epilepsy Comprehensive Care Center: A Japanese Model
Authors: Yagi Kazuichi
Published: March 2005

Summary:  Purpose: To review the requirements of a comprehensive care center for people with epilepsy.

Methods: Twenty‐seven years have passed since the foundation of the Japanese Epilepsy Center in Shizuoka. The development of this center is presented as a model of an epilepsy comprehensive care center.

Results: Between 1926 and 1947, the Shizuoka Higashi Hospital (the former name of SMIND) served as a tuberculosis hospital. In 1975, a proposal for a special center for the care of people with epilepsy was submitted to the Japanese government. An epilepsy center (the Center) was soon built, and the tuberculosis sanatorium ended its 50‐year history. The facilities of the Center include an outpatient clinic, four inpatient wards with 200 beds, a day‐care center for medical rehabilitation, and classrooms for elementary and junior high school children. The Center has modern diagnostic tools such as electroencephalography (EEG), closed‐circuit TV‐EEG (CCTVEEG), computed tomography (CT) scan, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), single‐photon emission CT (SPECT), and magnetoencephalography (MEG). Neurosurgery for intractable seizures has been conducted at the Center since 1983. Approximately 25,000 patients with epilepsy from all over Japan have been registered since 1975. Annually, ∼5,000 outpatients and 600 inpatients attend the Center. As of March 2002, 500 patients had received resective surgery for epilepsy. Other activities in the Center include research and specialized training of professionals, including foreign nationals, in the treatment of epilepsy.

Conclusions: The experience in Shizuoka suggests that management of epilepsy should be oriented toward psychological well‐being, social rehabilitation, and seizure control.
Overview and Perspectives of Employment in People with Epilepsy
Authors: De Boer Hanneke M.
Published: March 2005

Summary:  Even though it is now the viewpoint of the majority of professionals working in epilepsy care that most people with epilepsy should and can perform on the labor market as does anybody else, research tells a different story. Most figures concerning employment rates of people with epilepsy indicate that they do not perform as well on the labor market as others do. Although both research figures and research groups vary, generally unemployment rates are higher for people with epilepsy than for the general population. Early studies showed that the situation for people with epilepsy was rather grim. Later studies showed similar outcomes. Unemployment rates vary between groups and countries. Research shows that being employed is an important ingredient of the quality of life of people with epilepsy. The World Health Organization also recognizes the importance of employment as a part of social health, and therefore, improving the quality of life. It is important to know the perspectives on the labor market for people with epilepsy and what the possible problems are. I describe a Dutch research project and give an overview of the findings concerning the employment and consequent employability of people with epilepsy and questions pertaining to employment and epilepsy. Possible interventions [i.e., public education and employment programs for people with epilepsy with the aim to improve the (re)integration of people with epilepsy into the labor market, thus improving the quality of life of (potential) employees with epilepsy], are described extensively.
Vocational Assessment and Intervention for People with Epilepsy
Authors: Chaplin John
Published: March 2005

Summary:  Employment restrictions have been experienced by many people with epilepsy. In many cases, the restrictions are unjustified and based on stigma or a stereotypical image of the person with epilepsy. Unjustifiable restrictions are a form of discrimination and lead to unemployment and underemployment. Unfortunately, much of the research in this area has been difficult to interpret because of differences in the definition of “people with epilepsy” and differences in the definition of “employment restrictions or problems.” I report on an attempt to develop a classification structure and examine some survey results collected by the IBE Employment Commission from professionals and people with epilepsy concerning the sources of employment restrictions and possible methods to overcome these restrictions.
A blinded in‐vitro study to compare the efficacy of five topical ear drops in clearing grommets blocked with thick middle ear effusion fluid1
Authors: Uppal S. , Sharma R. , Nadig S.K. , Back G. , England R.J.A. , Coatesworth A.P.
Published: March 2005

Objective:  To compare the efficacy of 5% NaHCO3, 3% H2O2, Sofradex (dexamethasone sodium metasulphobenzoate 0.05%, framycetin sulphate 0.5%, gramicidin 0.005%), 0.33% acetic acid and 0.9% NaCl eardrops in clearing grommets blocked with harvested thick middle ear effusion fluid.

Study design:  A blinded in‐vitro study.

Setting:  District general hospital.

Participants:  A total of 473 grommets were blocked with freshly harvested unpooled thick middle ear effusion fluid obtained from 68 patients.

Main outcome measures:  Patency of the grommets before and 7 days after intervention was ascertained by tympanometry and close visual inspection.

Results:  Instillation of eardrops leads to a statistically significant increase in the clearance of grommets as compared with not using any drops (χ2 = 14.3, d.f. = 5, P = 0.006). The numbers needed to treat were 2.8 for NaHCO3, 3.2 for 0.9% NaCl, 3.9 for 0.33% acetic Acid, 4.4 for Sofradex and 9.5 for H2O2 eardrops. Pair‐wise comparison was only significant for comparison between 5% NaHCO3 and 3% H2O2 eardrops (Bonferroni corrected P = 0.01, odds ratio = 4.3, CI = 1.9–9.9).

Conclusions:  Use of eardrops leads to a clinically and statistically significant increase in the clearance of blocked grommets. Of the five drops used, 5% NaHCO3 was the most efficacious and 3% H2O2 the least efficacious. Limitations of this in‐vitro study are recognized and a prospective in‐vivo double blind randomized controlled trial is planned.
Otoplasty: a review of the surgical techniques
Authors: Richards S.D. , Jebreel A. , Capper R.
Published: March 2005

Keypoints

•  Otoplasty surgery carries a high satisfaction rate for participants (96%).

•  Surgeons are more critical of the results of otoplasty than the participants or parents (92% satisfied).

•  There is no statistical difference in qualitative results with different surgical techniques when comparing the published data.

•  Data on otoplasty surgery is numerous, but quantitative assessment of surgical outcome is rare.

•  The authors propose the measurement of cephaloauricular distance to allow comparison between studies.
How we do it: Blood contamination during management of epistaxis – awareness, utilization and availability of barrier protection
Authors: Ho E.C. , Patiar S. , Corbridge R.
Published: March 2005

Keypoints

•  There is a significant risk of blood contamination during the non‐surgical management of epistaxis. Contamination beyond gloves happens in 55% of cases1 and the contamination risk to eyes as high as 18%.2

•  There is a lack of awareness and a majority of ENT doctors underestimate this risk.

•  Protective barrier equipment and eye protection in particular are suboptimally available in all clinical areas where epistaxis is dealt with.

•  Consequently, there is poor utilization of protective barrier equipment.
Impact of altered thyroid hormone status on prostatic glycosidases
Authors: MARAN R. R. M. , ARULDHAS M. M. , UDHAYAKUMAR R. C. R. , SUBRAMANIAN S. , RAJENDIRAN G. , ANTONY F. F. , ARUNAKARAN J. , GOVINDARAJULU P.
Published: March 2005

The impact of hyper‐ and hypothyroidism on prostatic glycosidases was investigated. Hyper‐thyroidism was induced by administering L‐thyroxine (25 μg/100 g body weight/day) for 60 days and hypothyroidism was induced by total thyroidectomy. To test the direct influence of thyroid hormones, prostatic lobes were incubated with different concentrations (10, 25 and 50 ng/mL) of T3 and β‐N‐acetylglucosaminidase and β‐N‐acetylgalactosaminidase were assayed. Serum levels of thyroid hormones, oestradiol and testosterone increased in hyperthyroid, and decreased in hypothyroid rats. TSH decreased in hyperthyroid, and an opposite trend was seen in thyroidectomized, rats. Prostatic [anterior (coagulating glands), dorsolateral and ventral prostates] β‐glucosidase, β‐galactosidase, β‐N‐acetylglucosaminidase and β‐N‐acetylgalactosaminidase activities increased uniformly in hyperthyroid, and decreased in thyroidectomized, rats. In vitro studies showed a dose‐dependent stimulatory effect of T3 on β‐N‐acetylglucosaminidase and β‐N‐acetylgalactosaminidase in all three lobes of the prostate. From the present study, it is concluded that hyperthyroidism augments and hypothyroidism inhibits prostatic glycosidases and T3 has a direct stimulatory effect on these enzymes.
Human sperm surface glycoprotein involved in sperm–zona pellucida interaction
Authors: BATOVA I. N. , IVANOVA M. D. , MOLLOVA M. V. , KYURKCHIEV S. D.
Published: March 2005

To identify peptide‐specific antibodies which define sperm surface antigens, hybridomas were derived from the splenocytes of mice immunized with swollen human spermatozoa which had been subjected to limited proteolytic cleavage under reducing conditions prior to immunization. A total of 13.7% of the hybrid clones secreted antibodies which reacted with deglycosylated human seminal plasma glycoproteins when screened by an ELISA. A monoclonal antibody, designated mAb 4A8 sp., specifying a peptide epitope of human epididymal and a sperm surface glycoprotein was selected which inhibited human sperm–egg binding in a dose‐dependent manner, and totally blocked sperm penetration in vitro. This inhibition did not result from an effect of the antibody on the motility of spermatozoa, nor was it due to premature induction of the acrosome reaction. Exclusion of oligosaccharide chains by chemical hydrolysis with trifluoromethane sulphonic acid (TFMS), enzymatic degradation and binding of lectins, did not abrogate the reactivity of mAb 4A8 to the cognate epitope whereas antibody binding was precluded upon digestion with proteolytic enzymes. In Western immunoblots of human seminal plasma glycoproteins, the antigen presented as a set of immunoreactive polypeptides, a major glycoprotein of Mr 78 kDa and less prominent bands of Mr 56 and 44 kDa. Immunocytochemical staining of a number of human reproductive and somatic tissues revealed strong immunostaining of the luminal epithelium of the epididymis as well as of spermatozoa in the lumen. Immunolocalization to the plasma membrane of ejaculated human spermatozoa was demonstrated by immunofluorescence, although on undigested spermatozoa the antigen epitope was less accessible. Upon capacitation the antigen persisted on the sperm surface and was present on the head of capacitated acrosome‐intact spermatozoa. The pronounced peripheral immunostaining of the sperm head was accentuated after DTT/trypsin treatment, implicating the dynamic accessibility of the epitope on the plasma membrane of capacitated spermatozoa. It is suggested that the protein in question appears on the sperm membrane as a consequence of its modification in the epididymis (insertion and processing), and may be involved in the processes leading to sperm attachment and interaction with the human zona pellucida.
Standardization of sampling and staining methods for the morphometric evaluation of sperm heads in the Cynomolgus monkey (Macaca fascicularis) using computer‐assisted image analysis
Authors: GAGO  , PÉREZ‐SÁNCHEZ  , YEUNG  , TABLADO  , COOPER  , SOLER
Published: March 2005

Automated sperm morphology analysis (ASMA) technology has improved the assessment of sperm morphology, but the results depend on the use of adequate and standardized procedures. In this study the Sperm‐Class Analyzer® (SCA) ASMA system was used to assess sperm head morphometry in the Cynomolgus monkey and to evaluate the influence of sample size, intraslide variation, and the use of three staining techniques on the accuracy of image processing and sperm head morphometry. Haematoxylin is the staining technique of choice for Cynomolgus spermatozoa, as optimum contrast of sperm heads with the surrounding background allows efficient segmentation, i.e. sperm head boundary detection, making the image analysis process more accurate. The analysis of 100 spermatozoa is recommended since a larger sample size did not result in more accurate sperm head morphometry. There were no differences in either the percentage of correctly binarized sperm heads or sperm head dimensions among samples obtained from different zones of the slides, although differences in stain intensity (grey level) were detected. The measurements made on Haematoxylin, Diff‐Quik and Hemacolor‐stained slides yielded different values for all of the sperm head parameters under consideration. This result demonstrates that the procedures of fixation and staining significantly affect the dimensions of sperm heads.
Synthesis of Virus‐Specific Proteins in Escherichia coli Infected with the RNA Bacteriophage MS21
Authors: Viñuela E. , Algranati I. D. , Ochoa S.
Published: March 2005

The synthesis of virus‐specific proteins following infection of Escherichia coli with the RNA phage MS2 was studied using spheroplasts exposed to low concentrations of actinomycin D in the presence of an amino acid mixture containing radioactive leucine or histidine. Under the conditions employed there was about 75% inhibition of virus production and 99% inhibition of host protein synthesis by actinomycin. Fractionation of the phage‐induced prcteins by acrylamide gel electrophoresis revealed the presence of three major peaks, I, II, and III. The largest one (peak III) was characterized as coat protein. The rate of synthesis of proteins I and II declines before that of the coat protein has reached its maximum.
Yeast Malate Dehydrogenase: Enzyme Inactivation in Catabolite Repression
Authors: Ferguson J. J. , Boll M. , Holzer H.
Published: March 2005

The apparent inactivation of malate dehydrogenase activity in yeast following exposure to glucose has been studied. It was found to be prevented by inhibition of protein synthesis with cycloheximide, by addition of sodium azide, and by chilling the yeast to 0°. Kinetic evidence suggests that malate dehydrogenase from acetate‐induced and glucose‐repressed yeast are different molecular species. Possible mechanisms for “inactivation‐repression” are discussed.
Kinetics of Enzyme Inactivation in Solution by Ionizing Radiation
Authors: Sanner T. , Pihl A.
Published: March 2005

Equations are derived without the use of steady state assumptions for the inactivation of enzymes in dilute aqueous solution by ionizing radiation. It is shown that when the exposure times are shorter than the mean life‐time of the water radicals, as is frequently the case in experiments involving pulsed radiation, the main part of the enzyme inactivation occurs after the end of the exposure. The total inactivation under such conditions can be described by the same equation as that developed earlier for protracted irradiation. The recent claim that the absolute rate constant for the inactivation of the enzyme can be determined directly from studies of the initial part of the dose inactivation curve, is not supported by the present study.

The validity of steady state approximations in the treatment of enzyme inactivation in dilute aqueous solution by ionizing radiation is examined. It is concluded that the requirements for the use of this approximation are satisfied when the exposure time exceeds greatly the life‐time of water radicals, as is the case in most enzyme experiments.