bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Mixed Pollutant Degradation by
Methylosinus trichosporium
OB3b Expressing either Soluble or Particulate Methane Monooxygenase: Can the Tortoise Beat the Hare?
Authors: Lee Sung-Woo , Keeney David R. , Lim Dong-Hee , Dispirito Alan A. , Semrau Jeremy D.
Published: December 2006

Methanotrophs have been widely investigated for in situ bioremediation due to their ubiquity and their ability to degrade halogenated hydrocarbons through the activity of methane monooxygenase (MMO). It has been speculated that cells expressing the soluble form of MMO (sMMO) are more efficient in cleaning up sites polluted with halogenated hydrocarbons due to its broader substrate range and relatively fast degradation rates compared cells expressing the other form of MMO, the particulate MMO (pMMO). To examine this issue, the biodegradation of mixtures of chlorinated solvents, i.e., trichloroethylene (TCE),
trans
-dichloroethylene (
t
-DCE), and vinyl chloride (VC), by
Methylosinus trichosporium
OB3b in the presence of methane using either form of MMO was investigated over longer time frames than those commonly used, i.e., days instead of hours. Growth of
M. trichosporium
OB3b along with pollutant degradation were monitored and analyzed using a simple comparative model developed from the Ω model created for analysis of the competitive binding of oxygen and carbon dioxide by ribulose bisphosphate carboxylase. From these findings, it appears that at concentrations of VC,
t
-DCE, and TCE greater than 10 μM each, methanotrophs expressing pMMO have a competitive advantage over cells expressing sMMO due to higher growth rates. Despite such an apparent growth advantage, pMMO-expressing cells degraded less of these substrates at these concentrations than sMMO-expressing cells during active growth. If the concentrations were increased to 100 μM, however, not only did pMMO-expressing cells grow faster, they degraded more of these pollutants and did so in a shorter amount of time. These findings suggest that the relative rates of growth substrate and pollutant degradation are important factors in determining which form of MMO should be considered for pollutant degradation.
Population Dynamics of
Bifidobacterium
Species in Human Feces during Raffinose Administration Monitored by Fluorescence In Situ Hybridization-Flow Cytometry
Authors: Dinoto Achmad , Marques Tatiana M. , Sakamoto Kanta , Fukiya Satoru , Watanabe Jun , Ito Susumu , Yokota Atsushi
Published: December 2006

The population dynamics of bifidobacteria in human feces during raffinose administration were investigated at the species level by using fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) coupled with flow cytometry (FCM) analysis. Although double-staining FISH-FCM using both fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC) and indodicarbocyanine (Cy5) as labeling dyes for fecal samples has been reported, the analysis was interfered with by strong autofluorescence at the FITC fluorescence region because of the presence of autofluorescence particles/debris in the fecal samples. We circumvented this problem by using only Cy5 fluorescent dye in the FISH-FCM analysis. Thirteen subjects received 2 g of raffinose twice a day for 4 weeks. Fecal samples were collected, and the bifidobacterial populations were monitored using the established FISH-FCM method. The results showed an increase in bifidobacteria from about 12.5% of total bacteria in the prefeeding period to about 28.7 and 37.2% after the 2-week and 4-week feeding periods, respectively.
Bifidobacterium adolescentis
, the
Bifidobacterium catenulatum
group, and
Bifidobacterium longum
were the major species, in that order, at the prefeeding period, and these bacteria were found to increase nearly in parallel during the raffinose administration. During the feeding periods, indigenous bifidobacterial populations became more diverse, such that minor species in human adults, such as
Bifidobacterium breve
,
Bifidobacterium bifidum
,
Bifidobacterium dentium
, and
Bifidobacterium angulatum
, proliferated. Four weeks after raffinose administration was stopped, the proportion of each major bifidobacterial species, as well as that of total bifidobacteria, returned to approximately the original values for the prefeeding period, whereas that of each minor species appeared to differ considerably from its original value. To the best of our knowledge, these results provide the first clear demonstration of the population dynamics of indigenous bifidobacteria at the species level in response to raffinose administration.
Sec-Mediated Transport of Posttranslationally Dehydrated Peptides in
Lactococcus lactis
Authors: Kuipers Anneke , Wierenga Jenny , Rink Rick , Kluskens Leon D. , Driessen Arnold J. M. , Kuipers Oscar P. , Moll Gert N.
Published: December 2006

Nisin is a lanthionine-containing antimicrobial peptide produced by
Lactococcus lactis
. Its (methyl)lanthionines are introduced by two posttranslational enzymatic steps involving the dehydratase NisB, which dehydrates serine and threonine residues, and the cyclase NisC, which couples these dehydrated residues to cysteines, yielding thioether-bridged amino acids called lanthionines. The prenisin is subsequently exported by the ABC transporter NisT and extracellularly processed by the peptidase NisP.
L. lactis
expressing the
nisBTC
genes can modify and secrete a wide range of nonlantibiotic peptides. Here we demonstrate that in the absence of NisT and NisC, the Sec pathway of
L. lactis
can be exploited for the secretion of dehydrated variants of therapeutic peptides. Furthermore, posttranslational modifications by NisB and NisC still occur even when the nisin leader is preceded by a Sec signal peptide or a Tat signal peptide 27 or 44 amino acids long, respectively. However, transport of fully modified prenisin via the Sec pathway is impaired. The extent of NisB-mediated dehydration could be improved by raising the intracellular concentration NisB or by modulating the export efficiency through altering the signal sequence. These data demonstrate that besides the traditional lantibiotic transporter NisT, the Sec pathway with an established broad substrate range can be utilized for the improved export of lantibiotic enzyme-modified (poly)peptides.
EhRho1, a RhoA-Like GTPase of
Entamoeba histolytica
, Is Modified by Clostridial Glucosylating Cytotoxins
Authors: Majumder Shubhra , Schmidt Gudula , Lohia Anuradha , Aktories Klaus
Published: December 2006

Clostridial glucosylating cytotoxins inactivate mammalian Rho GTPases by mono-O glucosylation of a conserved threonine residue located in the switch 1 region of the target protein. Here we report that EhRho1, a RhoA-like GTPase from the protozoan parasite
Entamoeba histolytica
, is glucosylated by clostridial cytotoxins. Recombinant glutathione
S
-transferase-EhRho1 and EhRho1 from cell lysate of
Entamoeba histolytica
were glucosylated by
Clostridium difficile
toxin B and
Clostridium novyi
alpha-toxin. In contrast,
Clostridium difficile
toxin A, which shares the same mammalian protein substrates with toxin B, did not modify EhRho1. Change of threonine 52 of EhRho1 to alanine prevented glucosylation by toxin B from
Clostridium difficile
and by alpha-toxin from
Clostridium novyi
, which suggests that the equivalent threonine residues are glucosylated in mammalian and
Entamoeba
Rho GTPases. Lethal toxin from
Clostridium sordellii
did not glucosylate EhRho1 but labeled several other substrate proteins in lysates from
Entamoeba histolytica
in the presence of UDP-[
14
C]glucose.
Genetic Manipulation of
Prochlorococcus
Strain MIT9313: Green Fluorescent Protein Expression from an RSF1010 Plasmid and Tn
5
Transposition
Authors: Tolonen Andrew C. , Liszt Gregory B. , Hess Wolfgang R.
Published: December 2006

Prochlorococcus
is the smallest oxygenic phototroph yet described. It numerically dominates the phytoplankton community in the mid-latitude oceanic gyres, where it has an important role in the global carbon cycle. The complete genomes of several
Prochlorococcus
strains have been sequenced, revealing that nearly half of the genes in each genome are of unknown function. Genetic methods, such as reporter gene assays and tagged mutagenesis, are critical to unveiling the functions of these genes. Here, we describe conditions for the transfer of plasmid DNA into
Prochlorococcus
strain MIT9313 by interspecific conjugation with
Escherichia coli
. Following conjugation,
E. coli
bacteria were removed from the
Prochlorococcus
cultures by infection with
E. coli
phage T7. We applied these methods to show that an RSF1010-derived plasmid will replicate in
Prochlorococcus
strain MIT9313. When this plasmid was modified to contain green fluorescent protein, we detected its expression in
Prochlorococcus
by Western blotting and cellular fluorescence. Further, we applied these conjugation methods to show that a mini-Tn
5
transposon will transpose in vivo in
Prochlorococcus
. These genetic advances provide a basis for future genetic studies with
Prochlorococcus
, a microbe of ecological importance in the world's oceans.
Immunogenicity of Eight Dormancy Regulon-Encoded Proteins of
Mycobacterium tuberculosis
in DNA-Vaccinated and Tuberculosis-Infected Mice
Authors: Roupie Virginie , Romano Marta , Zhang Lei , Korf Hannelie , Lin May Young , Franken Kees L. M. C. , Ottenhoff Tom H. M. , Klein Michèl R. , Huygen Kris
Published: December 2006

Hypoxia and low concentrations of nitric oxide have been reported to upregulate in vitro gene expression of 48 proteins of the dormancy (DosR) regulon of
Mycobacterium tuberculosis
. These proteins are thought to be essential for the survival of bacteria during persistence in vivo and are targeted by the immune system during latent infection in humans. Here we have analyzed the immunogenicity of eight DosR regulon-encoded antigens by plasmid DNA vaccination of BALB/c and C57BL/6 mice, i.e., Rv1733c, Rv1738, Rv2029c (
pfkB
), Rv2031c/
hspX
(
acr
), Rv2032 (
acg
), Rv2626c, Rv2627c, and Rv2628. Strong humoral and/or cellular Th1-type (interleukin-2 and gamma interferon) immune responses could be induced against all but one (Rv1738) of these antigens. The strongest Th1 responses were measured following vaccination with DNA encoding Rv2031c and Rv2626c. Using synthetic 20-mer overlapping peptides, 11 immunodominant, predicted major histocompatibility complex class II-restricted epitopes and one K
d
-restricted T-cell epitope could be identified. BALB/c and (B6D2)F
1
mice persistently infected with
M. tuberculosis
developed immune responses against Rv1733c, Rv2031c, and Rv2626c. These findings have implications for proof-of-concept studies in mice mimicking tuberculosis (TB) latency models and their extrapolation to humans for potential new vaccination strategies against TB.
Oral Administration of a
Salmonella enterica
-Based Vaccine Expressing
Bacillus anthracis
Protective Antigen Confers Protection against Aerosolized
B. anthracis
Authors: Stokes Margaret G. M. , Titball Richard W. , Neeson Brendan N. , Galen James E. , Walker Nicola J. , Stagg Anthony J. , Jenner Dominic C. , Thwaite Joanne E. , Nataro James P. , Baillie Leslie W. J. , Atkins Helen S.
Published: December 2006

Bacillus anthracis
is the causative agent of anthrax, a disease that affects wildlife, livestock, and humans. Protection against anthrax is primarily afforded by immunity to the
B. anthracis
protective antigen (PA), particularly PA domains 4 and 1. To further the development of an orally delivered human vaccine for mass vaccination against anthrax, we produced
Salmonella enterica
serovar Typhimurium expressing full-length PA, PA domains 1 and 4, or PA domain 4 using codon-optimized PA DNA fused to the
S. enterica
serovar Typhi ClyA and under the control of the
ompC
promoter. Oral immunization of A/J mice with
Salmonella
expressing full-length PA protected five of six mice against a challenge with 10
5
CFU of aerosolized
B. anthracis
STI spores, whereas
Salmonella
expressing PA domains 1 and 4 provided only 25% protection (two of eight mice), and
Salmonella
expressing PA domain 4 or a
Salmonella
-only control afforded no measurable protection. However, a purified recombinant fusion protein of domains 1 and 4 provided 100% protection, and purified recombinant 4 provided protection in three of eight immunized mice. Thus, we demonstrate for the first time the efficacy of an oral
S. enterica
-based vaccine against aerosolized
B. anthracis
spores.
Streptococcus pneumoniae
Pilus Subunits Protect Mice against Lethal Challenge
Authors: Gianfaldoni Claudia , Censini Stefano , Hilleringmann Markus , Moschioni Monica , Facciotti Claudia , Pansegrau Werner , Masignani Vega , Covacci Antonello , Rappuoli Rino , Barocchi Michèle Anne , Ruggiero Paolo
Published: December 2006

Streptococcus pneumoniae
is a major public health threat worldwide. The recent discovery that this pathogen possesses pili led us to investigate their protective abilities in a mouse model of intraperitoneal infection. Both active and passive immunization with recombinant pilus subunits afforded protection against lethal challenge with the
S. pneumoniae
serotype 4 strain TIGR4.
Modification of the Structure of Peptidoglycan Is a Strategy To Avoid Detection by Nucleotide-Binding Oligomerization Domain Protein 1
Authors: Wolfert Margreet A. , Roychowdhury Abhijit , Boons Geert-Jan
Published: December 2006

Nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain (NOD) protein 1 (NOD1) and NOD2 are pathogen recognition receptors that sense breakdown products of peptidoglycan (PGN) (muropeptides). It is shown that a number of these muropeptides can induce tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) gene expression without significant TNF-α translation. This translation block is lifted when the muropeptides are coincubated with lipopolysaccharide (LPS), thereby accounting for an apparently synergistic effect of the muropeptides with LPS on TNF-α protein production. The compounds that induced synergistic effects were also able to activate NF-κB in a NOD1- or NOD2-dependent manner, implicating these proteins in synergistic TNF-α secretion. It was found that a diaminopimelic acid (DAP)-containing muramyl tetrapeptide could activate NF-κB in a NOD1-dependent manner, demonstrating that an exposed DAP is not essential for NOD1 sensing. The activity was lost when the α-carboxylic acid of iso-glutamic acid was modified as an amide. However, agonists of NOD2, such as muramyl dipeptide and lysine-containing muramyl tripeptides, were not affected by amidation of the α-carboxylic acid of iso-glutamic acid. Many pathogens modify the α-carboxylic acid of iso-glutamic acid of PGN, and thus it appears this is a strategy to avoid recognition by the host innate immune system. This type of immune evasion is in particular relevant for NOD1.
Difference in the Cytotoxic Effects of Toxin B fromClostridium difficileStrain VPI 10463 and Toxin B from VariantClostridium difficileStrain 1470
Authors: Huelsenbeck Johannes , Dreger Stefanie , Gerhard Ralf , Barth Holger , Just Ingo , Genth Harald
Published: December 2006

Glucosylation of RhoA, Rac1, and Cdc42 byClostridium difficiletoxin B from strain VPI 10463 (TcdB) results in actin reorganization (cytopathic effect) and apoptosis (cytotoxic effect). Toxin B from variantC. difficilestrain 1470 serotype F (TcdBF) differs from TcdB with regard to substrate proteins, as it glucosylates Rac1 and R-Ras but not RhoA and Cdc42. In this study, we addressed the question of whether the cellular effects of the toxins depend on their protein substrate specificity. Rat basophilic leukemia (RBL) cells were synchronized using the thymidine double-block technique. We show that cells were most sensitive to the cytotoxic effect of TcdB in S phase, as analyzed in terms of phosphatidyl serine externalization, fragmentation of nuclei, and activation of caspase-3; in contrast, TcdBF induced only a marginal cytotoxic effect, suggesting that inactivation of RhoA (but not of Rac1) was required for the cytotoxic effect. The glucosylation of Rac1 was correlated to the cytopathic effect of either toxin, suggesting a close connection of the two effects. The cytotoxic effect of TcdB was executed by caspase-3, as it was responsive to inhibition by acetyl-Asp-Met-Gln-Asp-aldehyde (Ac-DMQD-CHO), an inhibitor of caspase-3. The viability of TcdB-treated RBL cells was reduced, whereas the viability of TcdBF-treated cells was unchanged, further confirming that inactivation of RhoA is required for the cytotoxic effect. In conclusion, the protein substrate specificity of the glucosylating toxins determines their biological activity.
Global Gene Expression Profiling of Asymptomatic Bacteriuria
Escherichia coli
during Biofilm Growth in Human Urine
Authors: Hancock Viktoria , Klemm Per
Published: December 2006

Urinary tract infection (UTI) is an important health problem worldwide, with many millions of cases each year, and
Escherichia coli
is the most common organism causing UTI in humans. Also,
E. coli
is responsible for most infections in patients with chronic indwelling bladder catheter. The two asymptomatic bacteriuria (ABU)
E. coli
strains 83972 and VR50 are significantly better biofilm formers in their natural growth medium, human urine, than the two uropathogenic
E. coli
isolates CFT073 and 536. We used DNA microarrays to monitor the expression profile during biofilm growth in urine of the two ABU strains 83972 and VR50. Significant differences in expression levels were seen between the biofilm expression profiles of the two strains with the corresponding planktonic expression profiles in morpholinepropanesulfonic acid minimal laboratory medium and human urine; 417 and 355 genes were up- and down-regulated, respectively, during biofilm growth in urine of 83972 and VR50. Many genes involved in transcription and stress were up-regulated in biofilm-grown cells. The role in biofilm formation of four of the up-regulated genes, i.e.,
yceP
,
yqgA
,
ygiD
, and
aaeX
, was investigated by creating single-knockout mutant versions of 83972 and VR50; all mutants showed reduced biofilm formation in urine by 18 to 43% compared with the wild type (
P
< 0.05). Also, the expression profile of strain 83972 in the human urinary tract partially overlaps with the biofilm expression profile.
Hip resurfacing: a technology reborn
Authors: Cutts Steven , Carter Paul B
Published: December 2006

In recent years there has been a resurgence of interest in the concept of hip resurfacing. Much of this interest has stemmed from the work of McMinn in the West Midlands. Hip resurfacing is now emerging as a viable alternative to conventional hip replacement. In this article, we discuss the conceptual advantages offered by hip resurfacing and review the early clinical results and the ongoing clinical concerns regarding this technology.
Chagas disease
Authors: Teixeira A R L , Nitz N , Guimaro M C , Gomes C , Santos-Buch C A
Published: December 2006

Chagas disease is the clinical condition triggered by infection with the protozoan Trypanosoma cruzi. The infection is transmitted by triatomine insects while blood feeding on a human host. Field studies predict that one third of an estimated 18 million T cruzi-infected humans in Latin America will die of Chagas disease. Acute infections are usually asymptomatic, but the ensuing chronic T cruzi infections have been associated with high ratios of morbidity and mortality: Chagas heart disease leads to unexpected death in 37.5% of patients, 58% develop heart failure and die and megacolon or megaoesophagus has been associated with death in 4.5%. The pathogenesis of Chagas disease appears to be related to a parasite-induced mutation of the vertebrate genome. Currently, treatment is unsatisfactory.
Evidence-based medicine: assessment of knowledge of basic epidemiological and research methods among medical doctors
Authors: Novack L , Jotkowitz A , Knyazer B , Novack V
Published: December 2006

Background

An understanding of statistical methods and basic epidemiology are crucial for the practice of modern medicine.

Aims

To assess (1) the knowledge of basic methods of conducting research and data analysis among residents and practicing doctors and (2) the effect of country of medical school graduation, professional status, medical article reading and writing experience on the level of this knowledge.

Methods

Data were collected by means of a supervised self-administered questionnaire, which was distributed among doctors at Soroka Medical Center, Beer-Sheva, Israel. The questionnaire included 10 multiple-choice questions on basic epidemiology and statistics, and respondent demographical data.

Results

Of the 260 eligible doctors, 219 (84.2%) returned completed questionnaires. Of the 219 doctors, 50% graduated more than 8.5 years ago, 39.7% were specialists and the remaining were residents. The most frequent specialty was internal medicine (37.4%). Israel was the most frequent country of graduation (45.7%), followed by the former Soviet Union (Eastern medical education; 38.4%). The median total score of knowledge was 4 of 10 questions (interquartile range 2–6). A higher score was associated with a Western medical education, being a specialist, shorter elapsed time since graduation, higher number of publications and self-reported reading of “methods” and “discussion” sections in scientific articles.

Conclusion

This study found a low level of knowledge of basic principles of research methods and data analysis among doctors, and this knowledge considerably differed by country of medical school graduation.
Genetic background of pancreatitis
Authors: Hirota Masahiko , Ohmuraya Masaki , Baba Hideo
Published: December 2006

Trypsin activity is properly suppressed by pancreatic secretory trypsin inhibitor (PSTI), which is also known as serine protease inhibitor Kazal type 1 (SPINK1), thereby preventing damage to pancreatic acinar cells as a first line of defence. However, if trypsin activation exceeds the capacity of PSTI/SPINK1, a subsequent cascade of events leads to the activation of various proteases that damage cells. Five mutations (R122H, N29I, A16V, D22G and K23R) in cationic trypsinogen and two mutations (N34S and M1T) in the PSTI/SPINK1 gene have been found to correlate significantly with the onset of pancreatitis. From analyses of hereditary pancreatitis and the phenotype of PSTI/SPINK1 (Spink3) knockout mice, we showed that the imbalance of trypsin activation and its inhibition by PSTI/SPINK1 would lead to the development of pancreatitis.
SPIN GAUGE THEORY OF GRAVITY IN CLIFFORD SPACE: A REALIZATION OF KALUZA–KLEIN THEORY IN FOUR-DIMENSIONAL SPACE–TIME
Authors: PAVŠIČ MATEJ
Published: December 2006

A theory in which four-dimensional space–time is generalized to a larger space, namely a 16-dimensional Clifford space (C-space) is investigated. Curved Clifford space can provide a realization of Kaluza–Klein. A covariant Dirac equation in curved C-space is explored. The generalized Dirac field is assumed to be a polyvector-valued object (a Clifford number) which can be written as a superposition of four independent spinors, each spanning a different left ideal of Clifford algebra. The general transformations of a polyvector can act from the left and/or from the right, and form a large gauge group which may contain the group U (1) × SU (2) × SU (3) of the standard model. The generalized spin connection in C-space has the properties of Yang–Mills gauge fields. It contains the ordinary spin connection related to gravity (with torsion), and extra parts describing additional interactions, including those described by the antisymmetric Kalb–Ramond fields.
THE BEHAVIOR OF THE GAUGE-BOSON PROPAGATOR IN THE DIFFERENT PHASES OF QED3
Authors: FENG HONG-TAO , CHANG LEI , SUN WEI-MIN , ZONG HONG-SHI , LIU YU-XIN
Published: December 2006

As a toy model of quantum chromodynamics (QCD), we investigate the influence of the vacuum polarization on the photon propagator, in massless quantum electrodynamics in 2+1 dimensions (QED3), using the coupled Dyson–Schwinger equations for the fermion and photon propagators with a range of fermion–photon vertices. It is found that the form of the photon propagators in the Nambu–Goldstone and Wigner phases exhibit distinctly different behaviors and it is expected that similar things happen in QCD. Hence in the phenomenological application of QCD one should choose different forms of gluon propagator as input to solve the quark self-energy functions in the two different phases, especially in the study of QCD phase transitions. In addition, employing these results, we discuss the causation of dynamical chiral symmetry breaking (DCSB) in QED3 and compare it with that in QCD.
REALIZATION OF DYNAMICAL GROUP FOR A SYMMETRIC WELL POTENTIAL tan2(πx/a) AND ITS CONTROLLABILITY
Authors: DONG SHI-HAI , LOZADA-CASSOU M. , ARJONA L MARCO A.
Published: December 2006

The exact solutions of quantum system with a symmetric well potential V(x) = D tan 2(πx/a) are obtained. The ladder operators are constructed directly from the normalized eigenfunctions with the factorization method. It is shown that these ladder operators satisfy the commutation relations of the generators for an su(1, 1) algebra. The infinitely deep square well and harmonic limits of this potential are briefly studied. The controllability of this system is also investigated. It is demonstrated that this system with discrete bound states can be strongly completely controlled. This may be realized theoretically by acting the creation operator [Formula: see text] on the ground state.
DARBOUX TRANSFORMATION FOR THE ONE-DIMENSIONAL STATIONARY DIRAC EQUATION WITH NON-HERMITIAN INTERACTION
Authors: SINHA A. , ROY P.
Published: December 2006

The Darboux algorithm is applied to an exactly solvable one-dimensional stationary Dirac equation, with non-Hermitian, pseudoscalar interaction V0(x). This generates a hierarchy of exactly solvable Dirac Hamiltonians, [Formula: see text], defined by new non-Hermitian interactions V1(x), which are also pseudoscalar. It is shown that [Formula: see text] are isospectral to the initial Hamiltonian h0, except for certain missing states.
STRUCTURE OF NEUTRON STAR WITH A QUARK CORE
Authors: BORDBAR G. H. , BIGDELI M. , YAZDIZADEH T.
Published: December 2006

The equation of state of deconfined quark matter within the MIT bag model is calculated. This equation of state is used to compute the structure of a neutron star with quark core. It is found that the limiting mass of the neutron star is affected considerably by this modification of the equation of state. Calculations are carried out for different choices of the bag constant.
PERSISTENT CHALLENGES OF QUANTUM CHROMODYNAMICS
Authors: SHIFMAN M.
Published: December 2006

Unlike some models whose relevance to Nature is still a big question mark, Quantum Chromodynamics (QCD) will stay with us forever. QCD, born in 1973, is a very rich theory supposed to describe the widest range of strong interaction phenomena: from nuclear physics to Regge behavior at large E, from color confinement to quark–gluon matter at high densities/temperatures (neutron stars); the vast horizons of the hadronic world: chiral dynamics, glueballs, exotics, light and heavy quarkonia and mixtures thereof, exclusive and inclusive phenomena, interplay between strong forces and weak interactions, etc. Efforts aimed at solving the underlying theory, QCD, continue. In a remarkable entanglement, theoretical constructions of the 1970's and 1990's combine with today's ideas based on holographic description and strong–weak coupling duality, to provide new insights and a deeper understanding.
PRESSURE DISSOCIATION AND THE MELTING CURVE OF HYDROGEN AT VERY HIGH DENSITY
Authors: HOU JI-XUAN
Published: December 2006

Thermodynamics is used in calculations of the pressure dissociation effect of compressed hydrogen, and the iso-composition lines are constructed in the p–T plane. The creation of the dense species H in the liquid hydrogen causes the appearance of the melting curve maxima.
A FOOD CHAIN SYSTEM WITH DENSITY-DEPENDENT BIRTH RATE AND IMPULSIVE PERTURBATIONS
Authors: ZHANG SHUWEN , WANG FENYAN , CHEN LANSUN
Published: December 2006

We investigate a three-species food chain system with density-dependent birth rate and impulsive effect concerning biological and chemical control strategy — periodic releasing of natural enemies or spraying pesticide at different fixed times. Conditions for the extinction of the prey and top predator are given. By using the Floquet theory of impulsive differential equations and small amplitude perturbation skills, we consider the local stability of the prey and top predator eradication periodic solution. Further, we obtain the conditions of permanence of the system.
Marinobufagenin Stimulates Fibroblast Collagen Production and Causes Fibrosis in Experimental Uremic Cardiomyopathy
Authors: Elkareh Jihad , Kennedy David J. , Yashaswi Belvadi , Vetteth Sandeep , Shidyak Amjad , Kim Eric G. R. , Smaili Sleiman , Periyasamy Sankaridrug M. , Hariri Imad M. , Fedorova Larisa , Liu Jiang , Wu Liang , Kahaleh M. Bashar , Xie Zijian , Malhotra Deepak , Fedorova Olga V. , Kashkin Vladimir A. , Bagrov Alexei Y. , Shapiro Joseph I.
Published: December 2006

We have observed recently that experimental renal failure in the rat is accompanied by increases in circulating concentrations of the cardiotonic steroid, marinobufagenin (MBG), and substantial cardiac fibrosis. We performed the following studies to examine whether MBG might directly stimulate cardiac fibroblast collagen production. In vivo studies were performed using the 5/6th nephrectomy model of experimental renal failure (PNx), MBG infusion (MBG), PNx after immunization against MBG, and concomitant PNx and adrenalectomy. Physiological measurements with a Millar catheter and immunohistochemistry were performed. In vitro studies were then pursued with cultured isolated cardiac fibroblasts. We observed that PNx and MBG increased MBG levels, blood pressure, heart size, impaired diastolic function, and caused cardiac fibrosis. PNx after immunization against MBG and concomitant PNx and adrenalectomy had similar blood pressure as PNx but less cardiac hypertrophy, diastolic dysfunction, and cardiac fibrosis. MBG induced increases in procollagen-1 expression by cultured cardiac fibroblasts at 1 nM concentration. These increases in procollagen expression were accompanied by increases in collagen translation and increases in procollagen-1 mRNA without any demonstrable increase in procollagen-1 protein stability. The stimulation of fibroblasts with MBG could be prevented by administration of inhibitors of tyrosine phosphorylation, Src activation, epidermal growth factor receptor transactivation, and N-acetyl cysteine. Based on these findings, we propose that MBG directly induces increases in collagen expression by fibroblasts, and we suggest that this may be important in the cardiac fibrosis seen with experimental renal failure.
Chronic Hypertension Enhances the Postsynaptic Effect of Baclofen in the Nucleus Tractus Solitarius
Authors: Zhang Weirong , Herrera-Rosales Myrna , Mifflin Steve
Published: December 2006

Microinjection of the inhibitory neurotransmitter γ-aminobutyric acid B-subtype receptor agonist baclofen into the nucleus tractus solitarius increases arterial blood pressure and sympathetic nerve discharge. The baclofen-induced pressor response is enhanced in chronic hypertension. We hypothesized that a postsynaptic mechanism contributes to the enhanced responses to baclofen in hypertension. We investigated the postsynaptic effect of baclofen on second-order baroreceptor neurons, identified by 1,1′-dilinoleyl-3,3,3′,3′-tetra-methylindocarbocyanine, 4-chlorobenzenesulphonate labeling of the aortic nerve, in nucleus tractus solitarius slices from sham-operated normotensive and unilateral nephrectomized, renal-wrap hypertensive rats. After 4 weeks, arterial blood pressure was 153±7 mm Hg in hypertensive rats (n=9) and 93±3 mm Hg in normotensive rats (n=8;
P
<0.05). There was no difference in resting membrane potential (54.5±0.7 versus 53.3±0.6 mV) or input resistance (1.07±0.11 versus 1.03±0.11 GΩ) between hypertensive and normotensive neurons (both n=18). Baclofen induced a net outward current in nucleus tractus solitarius neurons in the presence of 1 μmol/L tetrodotoxin. The EC
50
of the baclofen effect was greater in normotensive cells (9.1±3.2 μmol/L; n=5) than hypertensive cells (3.0±0.5 μmol/L; n=7;
P
<0.05), and baclofen (10 μmol/L) induced a greater decrease in input resistance in hypertensive cells (61±2%; n=6) than in normotensive cells (45±4%; n=9;
P
<0.05). Both potassium and calcium channels were involved in the baclofen-evoked whole-cell current. The results suggest an enhanced postsynaptic response to activation of inhibitory neurotransmitter γ-aminobutyric acid B-subtype receptors in second-order baroreceptor neurons in the nucleus tractus solitarius in renal-wrap hypertensive rats. This enhanced inhibition could alter baroreflex function in chronic hypertension.
Trends in Acute Myocardial Infarction in 4 US States Between 1992 and 2001
Authors: Masoudi Frederick A. , Foody JoAnne M. , Havranek Edward P. , Wang Yongfei , Radford Martha J. , Allman Richard M. , Gold Jay , Wiblin R. Todd , Krumholz Harlan M.
Published: December 2006

Background—

Because of the health impact of acute myocardial infarction (AMI), substantial resources have been dedicated to improving AMI care and outcomes. Long-term trends in the clinical characteristics, quality of care, and outcomes for AMI over time from the health system perspective in geographically diverse populations are not well known.

Methods and Results—

The present study included 20 550 Medicare patients aged ≥65 years hospitalized in 4 US states (Alabama, Connecticut, Iowa, Wisconsin) with the confirmed primary discharge diagnosis of AMI in 4 periods: 1992–1993 (n=10 292), 1995 (n=5566), 1998–1999 (n=2413), and 2000–2001 (n=2279). With the use of standard quality indicator definitions, treatment of ideal candidates with aspirin and β-blockers within 24 hours after presentation, β-blockers, and angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors at discharge was assessed. Multivariable models were constructed to calculate adjusted 1-year mortality. The hospitalized Medicare population with AMI changed substantially during 1992–2001, with increasing age, more comorbidity, and fewer meeting ideal treatment criteria. Although treatment rates increased significantly for all medications, aspirin, β-blockers, and angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors were not provided at discharge to 12.6%, 19.7%, and 25.2% of ideal candidates, respectively, in 2000–2001. Crude 1-year mortality increased (27.6%, 28.3%, 30.6%, and 31.0%;
P
=0.003 for trend, but adjusted mortality declined (compared with 1992–1993, relative risk in 1995=0.94 [95% CI, 0.88 to 1.01]; relative risk in 1998–1999=0.91 [95% CI, 0.85 to 0.98]; relative risk in 2000–2001=0.87 [95% CI, 0.81 to 0.94]).

Conclusions—

The quality of care and adjusted 1-year mortality improved significantly for Medicare beneficiaries with AMI during 1992–2001. Nevertheless, fewer were ideal for guideline-based therapy, and absolute mortality remains high, suggesting the need for treatment strategies applicable to a broader range of older patients.
Thoracic Aortic Aneurysm and Dissection
Authors: Olsson Christian , Thelin Stefan , Ståhle Elisabeth , Ekbom Anders , Granath Fredrik
Published: December 2006

Background—

Current knowledge of prevalence, incidence, and survival in thoracic aortic diseases (aneurysm and dissection) is based on small studies from a dated era of treatment and diagnostic procedures. The objective of the present study was to reappraise epidemiology and long-term outcomes in subjects with thoracic aortic disease in a large contemporary population.

Methods and Results—

All subjects with thoracic aortic aneurysm or dissection identified in Swedish national healthcare registers from 1987 to 2002 were included in the present study. Of 14 229 individuals with thoracic aortic disease, 11 039 (78%) were diagnosed before death. Incidence of thoracic aortic disease rose by 52% in men and by 28% in women to reach 16.3 per 100 000 per year and 9.1 per 100 000 per year, respectively. Operations increased 7-fold in men and 15-fold in women over time. Of the 2455 patients who underwent operation, 389 (16%) died within 30 days, with older age and thoracic aortic rupture as risk factors. In Cox analysis, increasing age was the only variable associated with long-term mortality. Both short- and long-term mortality improved over time. In patients who underwent operation, actuarial survival (95% CI) at 1, 5, and 10 years was 92% (91% to 93%), 77% (75% to 80%), and 57% (53% to 61%), respectively. The cumulative incidence of thoracic aortic reoperations was 7.8% at 10 years.

Conclusions—

The prevalence and incidence of thoracic aortic disease was higher than previously reported and increasing. The annual number of operations increased substantially. Surgical (30-day) and long-term survival improved significantly over time to form a growing cohort of patients needing counseling, management decisions, operations, and extended postoperative surveillance.
Network Analysis of Human In-Stent Restenosis
Authors: Ashley Euan A. , Ferrara Rossella , King Jennifer Y. , Vailaya Aditya , Kuchinsky Allan , He Xuanmin , Byers Blake , Gerckens Ulrich , Oblin Stefan , Tsalenko Anya , Soito Angela , Spin Joshua M. , Tabibiazar Raymond , Connolly Andrew J. , Simpson John B. , Grube Eberhard , Quertermous Thomas
Published: December 2006

Background—

Recent successes in the treatment of in-stent restenosis (ISR) by drug-eluting stents belie the challenges still faced in certain lesions and patient groups. We analyzed human coronary atheroma in de novo and restenotic disease to identify targets of therapy that might avoid these limitations.

Methods and Results—

We recruited 89 patients who underwent coronary atherectomy for de novo atherosclerosis (n=55) or in-stent restenosis (ISR) of a bare metal stent (n=34). Samples were fixed for histology, and gene expression was assessed with a dual-dye 22 000 oligonucleotide microarray. Histological analysis revealed significantly greater cellularity and significantly fewer inflammatory infiltrates and lipid pools in the ISR group. Gene ontology analysis demonstrated the prominence of cell proliferation programs in ISR and inflammation/immune programs in de novo restenosis. Network analysis, which combines semantic mining of the published literature with the expression signature of ISR, revealed gene expression modules suggested as candidates for selective inhibition of restenotic disease. Two modules are presented in more detail, the procollagen type 1 α2 gene and the ADAM17/tumor necrosis factor-α converting enzyme gene. We tested our contention that this method is capable of identifying successful targets of therapy by comparing mean significance scores for networks generated from subsets of the published literature containing the terms “sirolimus” or “paclitaxel.” In addition, we generated 2 large networks with sirolimus and paclitaxel at their centers. Both analyses revealed higher mean values for sirolimus, suggesting that this agent has a broader suppressive action against ISR than paclitaxel.

Conclusions—

Comprehensive histological and gene network analysis of human ISR reveals potential targets for directed abrogation of restenotic disease and recapitulates the results of clinical trials of existing agents.
Cartelization and Corporatism: Bureaucratic Rule in Authoritarian Portugal, 1926-45
Authors: Madureira Nuno Luís
Published: December 2006

This article examines institution building in the course of the transition to the authoritarian regime of the New State (Estado Novo) in Portugal. The special interest of the Portuguese experience derives from the fact that cartelization and corporatism were combined under the same policy and governed by the same legal framework. The first part of the article reconstructs the historical path from the micro perspective of the introduction of cartelization in the canning industry, which constituted the prototype for future developments in economic policy. Next is emphasized the way the accumulation of spontaneous and discrete individual adjustments of producers to regulation generated a series of unexpected consequences, i.e. consequences that were not in the initial plans of the regulators. The development of ‘bureaucratic corporatism’ then appears as the historical consequence of the State's overhauling of contradictory policies, its correction of the distortions brought about by economic regulation and the need to preserve ever larger mechanisms for the consultation of interests, without lessening State control.
A Strange Obsession with Nazi Christianity: A Critical Comment on Richard Steigmann-Gall's The Holy Reich
Authors: Gailus Manfred
Published: December 2006

Christianity, as Richard Steigmann-Gall argues in his study on the Holy Reich, did not constitute a barrier to nazism. Quite the opposite, he says: for many of the leading nazis he explores in his book the battles waged against Germany's enemies constituted a war in the name of Christianity. He aims to prove this central thesis by text analysis of prominent nazi leaders as well as some selected fields of nazi action. However, his main line of argumentation is far from being persuasive. A strange obsession to depict National Socialism as emphatically as Christian as possible runs throughout the book. It seduces the author into a series of systematic blind spots about National Socialism as a whole. Time and again he tends to over-generalize his partial findings. He refuses to adopt important sources like the Goebbels diaries and relevant literature, especially if they provide evidence contrary to his central thesis. In the end, the whole of his line of reasoning goes awry. Although Steigmann-Gall provides an interesting, stimulating and provocative interpretation of religious dimensions of the Third Reich, it is necessary to remind the author of the essential fact that National Socialism, above all, waged a war in the name of the ‘Aryan-Germanic race’, and preached a new and predominantly non-Christian faith, but not Christianity, the ‘old faith’.
Inventing ‘Paganists’: a Close Reading of Richard Steigmann-Gall's the Holy Reich
Authors: Hexham Irving
Published: December 2006

This article questions Richard Steigmann-Gall's claim that leading National Socialists were essentially ‘Christian’ and that neo-pagan ideas played an insignificant role in the ideology of nazism. This is done by examining the argument of Dr Goebbels' novel Michael. Ein deutsches Schicksal in Tagebuchblättern (1929) to reveal its anti-Christian structure. Speeches and other statements by and about Goebbels are then looked at to show that his work is consistent with German neo-pagan thought. The role of Alfred Rosenberg is then re-examined, demonstrating that, contrary to the claims of Steigmann-Gall and many other writers, his work was highly regarded by Hitler and other nazi leaders and played a prominent role in promoting the National Socialist Weltanschauung. Finally, the argument is reviewed in terms of historical method, the problem of using literature to illustrate an author's ideas, and the researcher's encounter with a totally alien outlook.
Young Graduates and Lifelong Learning: The Impact of Institutional Stratification
Authors: Brooks Rachel
Published: December 2006

The National Adult Learning Survey and the 1970 British Cohort Study have pointed to considerable differences by level of educational qualification in attitude to and participation in adult or ‘lifelong’ learning.They suggest that graduates are more likely than other groups to engage in adult learning, generally, and to be motivated to do so by the intrinsic interest of the subject matter. However, exploring the wider meaning attached to participation in such activities has been outside the remit of these studies. In an attempt to redress this gap, this article draws on life history interviews with recent graduates to consider the significance they attribute to taking part in lifelong learning. In particular, it focuses on the extent to which decisions about education and training after graduation can be seen as consonant with ‘individualized’ life plans, and the degree of similarity between these decisions and previous processes of ‘educational choice’.
Unequalizing Citizenship: The Politics of Poland’s Health Care Change
Authors: Watson Peggy
Published: December 2006

This article discusses health care change with respect to the transformation of the social order within Poland and transnationally. It considers the implications for health care equality and the understanding of citizenship, of a process of health care reform which constitutes part of a transition involving the formation of new power asymmetries based on poverty and wealth. Drawing on qualitative research carried out in Nowa Huta, the article shows how health care change has contributed to poverty and how the introduction of liberal democracy has been accompanied by the perception of a loss of health rights.The article questions the language of citizenship which underpins the aspiration for health equality in the EU, and indicates the implications of the occlusion of the politico-economic effects of capitalism in citizenship discourse.
Teenagers Telling Sectarian Stories
Authors: Leonard Madeleine
Published: December 2006

The purpose of this article is to examine the socially constructed nature of the story telling process by drawing on an example from one locality in Northern Ireland. The research draws on focus group interviews with teenagers from polarized working-class communities in North Belfast. The overall locality is divided into Catholic and Protestant areas and a recurring feature of the data is the tendency for each group to define themselves in opposition to the other. Throughout the focus group interviews, the teenagers produced four types of stories and the article assesses the relevance of each type to producing, reproducing or challenging sectarian divisions. The first three groups of stories, First-hand stories, Second-hand stories and Collective stories reflect individual and group attitudes to distinctions between ‘us’ and ‘them’ while the fourth, Alternative stories, questions the homogeneity of the in-group and the immutability of these divisions. These stories verbalize the internal recollections of both individuals and groups and rely on real and imagined memories. The thrust of the article illustrates the ways in which sectarian identities are constructed, shaped and diluted through these narrative encounters.
Homologies of Social Space and Elective Affinities: Researching Cultural Capital
Authors: Silva Elizabeth B.
Published: December 2006

This article discusses homologies of social space by considering the coherence of elective affinities identified in research on cultural capital when the same person was asked for similar sorts of information in both a survey questionnaire and a semi-structured interview. It shows the methodological complexities of situating individual lives within social contexts, by considering the processual and fluid accounts of social space emerging in the study. The discussion challenges Bourdieu’s views of homogeneous social worlds, considered as ‘spaces of lifestyles’. The coherent pattern he envisaged is not always found because significantly dissonant cases exist. Moreover, different affinities can be emphasized depending on the research methods and contexts. Consequently, the article also engages with the argument that different research methods contribute to different sorts of knowledge about the social world, stressing the influence of ontological politics in research findings and the privileged perspective of a multiple-methods approach.