bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Does Hospitalization Make Elderly Households Poor? An Examination of the Case of Kerala, India
Authors: Prasad Syam
Published: July 2007

Physical and health risks are very high among aged persons. The precise implications of population ageing for future levels of health and healthcare utilization depend on whether the increases in life expectancy experienced in general are accompanied by an increase or a decrease in health problems in later life. The health risks of the presence of an aged person in a household can result in a catastrophic shock for the family and render such households more exposed to poverty. The increased cost of medical bills means that large numbers of the elderly in the developing world are deprived of access to health and to better health treatment. This article examines this question empirically, using the largest national survey in the Indian state of Kerala, comparing elderly with non‐elderly households. We also attempt to find the impact of unhealthy lifestyles on the financial status of these households, due to hospitalization as a result of an aged person's illness.
Child Budgeting as a Strategy for Policy Change
Authors: Mathew Leemamol
Published: July 2007

This article analyses how ‘child budgeting’ is used as a strategy to influence government towards better welfare policies for children in India. Though children constitute more than one‐third of the population, the budgetary expenditure for this age‐group is comparatively very low. The article describes the situation of children in India, and the method of child budgeting being practised by advocacy institutions in India.
The Emergence of Pro‐Regularization Movements in Western Europe
Authors: Laubenthal Barbara
Published: July 2007

Contrary to the image conveyed by existing research on irregular migrants as powerless and exploited victims of restrictive immigration policies, irregular migrants in some European countries display a strong potential for collective action. In France, Spain and Switzerland since the mid‐1990s pro‐regularization movements have emerged which have claimed the collective regularization of illegal migrants. At the centre of these new social movements were illegal migrants from sub‐saharan Africa, Latin America and former Yugoslavia who went public and claimed a legal residence status. This article starts form the assumption that despite important differences between the three countries, they share several central characteristics which enabled the emergence of these pro‐regularization movements. In order to identify these pre‐conditions, three country studies, based on an innovative social movement research approach, were carried out. The findings of the country studies show that the findings of the country studies shows that in the three countries the same specific preconditions existed which encouraged the emergence of the pro‐regularization movements.
Battling for Survival, Battling for Moral Clarity: “Illegality” and Illness in the Everyday Struggles of Undocumented HIV+ Women Migrant Workers in Tel Aviv
Authors: Rosenthal Anat
Published: July 2007

Undocumented migrant workers living with HIV/AIDS in Israel, like their counterparts elsewhere, are doubly abject due to their lack of legal status on one hand and their ill health on the other. Unlike Israeli citizens living with HIV/AIDS, who can access an array of state funded treatments and support services, undocumented migrant workers living with HIV/AIDS are marginalized both by the state's exclusive immigration regime and by its efforts to shake off responsibility for their health needs. At the same time, HIV treatment and care are generally unavailable in migrants' countries of origin. Despite the state's exclusionary orientation and in contradiction of official policies, certain forms of HIV treatment are available to undocumented migrants through the day‐to‐day efforts of a small array of activist Israeli NGOs, (state‐employed) doctors, and state officials.

The tension between these simultaneous, oppositional processes of exclusion and inclusion generate a “gray area”— a zone of competing values, claims and interests‐ in which undocumented migrants living with HIV/AIDS and these other stakeholders search for new options and possibilities while continually taking pains to protect their own varied, and often competing, interests. Actors thus constantly bargain with laws, health policies, and one another in a collective battle not only over migrants' chances of survival, but also over the rationality and the morality underlying the state's “and their own” decisions and choices.

Anchored within this complex, indeterminate zone, the present article draws upon ethnographic field research conducted among undocumented HIV+ migrant women in Tel Aviv to explore some of the stakes, mechanisms, and outcomes of these complicated, high stakes negotiation processes.
Irregular Workers or Ethnic Kin? Post‐1990s Labour Migration from Bulgaria to Turkey
Authors: Parla Ayse
Published: July 2007

This paper addresses the invisibility of the post‐1990s irregular migration flows from Bulgaria to Turkey in the literature despite the increasingly significant number of such migrants. I suggest that this invisibility stems partially from a problem of classification that has to do with implicit suppositions about ethnicity and migration. The post‐1990s Turkish immigrants from Bulgaria are not specified in accounts of irregular migrant flows directed towards Turkey since they are assumed to belong to the category of ethnic “return” migrants: Because of their ethnic identity as Turkish, all Turkish migrants from Bulgaria tend to get considered as part of the intermittent “return” migration waves from Bulgaria, the most notable and well‐known of these being the fight of more than 300,000 Turks in 1989. However, while the ethnic affiliation of the post‐1990s migrants from Bulgaria renders them invisible as irregular migrants within scholarly migrant typologies, the same ethnic affiliation does not necessarily work to their advantage when it comes to their legal and social reception in Turkey. Based on ethnographic fieldwork that prioritizes micro‐level analysis from below, the paper demonstrates that the self designated ethnic affiliation of these migrants, counterpoised against their social marginalization as “the Bulgarian” domestics, heightens the paradoxes of belonging and affects migration strategies. The paper thus underscores the significance of ethnic affiliation as a factor that needs to be adequately taken into account in describing the present and in assessing the future of this particular migratory pattern.
Nociceptin (1–13)NH2 Inhibits Stimulated Calcitonin-Gene-Related-Peptide Release From Primary Cultures of Rat Trigeminal Ganglia Neurones
Authors: Capuano A , Curró D , Russo C Dello , Tringali G , Pozzoli G , Trapani G Di , Navarra P
Published: July 2007

In this work we have developed and characterized primary cultures of neonatal rat trigeminal ganglia neurones; calcitonin-gene-related-peptide (CGRP) released from cells was taken as a marker of neuronal function. A significant and consistent increase in CGRP secretion was elicited by non-specific (56 mM KCl or veratridine) or specific (capsaicin) depolarizing stimuli. This paradigm was subsequently used to investigate the effects of nociceptin, an opioid-like peptide involved in central and peripheral control of nociception. We found that the nociceptin analogue nociceptin (1–13)NH2 (NOC) did not affect baseline CGRP release, but it reduced in a concentration-dependent manner CGRP release induced by all tested stimuli. NOC-induced reduction was statistically significant from 0.01 nM onward and achieved maximal effects at 10 nM. Such effects of NOC were seemingly mediated by the activation of specific ORL1 receptors, as a well-known nociceptin antagonist, N(Phe1)nociceptin (1–13)NH2, was able to completely revert NOC inhibition of capsaicin-stimulated CGRP release.
Decreased plasma folate concentration in young and elderly healthy subjects after a short‐term supplementation with isotretinoin
Authors: Chanson A , Cardinault N , Rock E , Martin JF , Souteyrand P , D’Incan M , Brachet P
Published: July 2007

Background  In the last two decades, there has been an increasing use of isotretinoin (13‐cis‐retinoic acid or 13‐CRA) for treatment of severe, and recently mild and moderate, acne in Westernized populations. Recent human and animal studies emphasized alterations caused by 13‐CRA administration on folate‐dependent, one‐carbon metabolism. Folate deficiency and subsequent hyperhomocysteinemia increase the risk of degenerative diseases.

Objectives  We determine whether a short‐term supplementation with 13‐CRA alters folate status and homocysteinemia in young and elderly healthy human subjects.

Methods  Twenty young and 20 elderly (age mean, 26.1 and 65.4 years, respectively) healthy male volunteers were supplemented with ~0.5 mg/kg/day of 13‐CRA for 28 days. Fasting plasma concentrations of 13‐CRA, 5‐methyltetrahydrofolate (5‐mTHF) as the main circulating form of folate, and homocysteine (Hcy), as well as haematologic parameters and biochemical markers of liver and renal function, were measured at baseline and at the end of supplementation. Statistical analyses were carried out using two‐way anova and standard tests.

Results  In both groups, isotretinoin supplementation caused a dramatic increase in the circulating concentration of 13‐CRA and its derivatives. It also led to significant increases in serum triglyceride (P < 0.0001) and creatinine (P = 0.002) concentrations and γ‐glutamyltranspeptidase activity (P = 0.0001) and decrease in serum level of urea (P = 0.027). However, the latter four parameters remained within normal ranges. These changes were accompanied by a 17.7% and 13.5% decrease in the plasma level of 5‐mTHF (P = 0.001) in the young and elderly volunteers, respectively. Supplementation with 13‐CRA did not cause significant variations in their plasma Hcy concentration. However, the latter parameter seemed to respond differently in each group of age (P = 0.046).

Conclusions  Our data indicate that a 28‐day supplementation with isotretinoin alters the plasma folate in young and old healthy individuals. This stresses the necessity of studying the long‐term effects of retinoid therapy on folate status and homocysteinemia in acne patients, given that alteration in the latter parameters is known to increase the risk of degenerative diseases.
Thermal Waves for Imaging of Defects with Lockin‐Speckle Interferometry
Authors: Gerhard H. , Busse G.
Published: July 2007

ABSTRACT:  A temporal modulated deformation field was monitored by a phase shifted out‐of‐plane interferometer. The periodical deformation was generated by exposure to intensity modulated light which produces a thermal wave by absorption at the surface of the object. From the recorded sequence of speckle‐interferograms time‐varying absolute displacement maps are derived by an unwrapping process. The transformation in the frequency domain and the evaluation at the modulation frequency (lockin‐technique) allows to improve the signal‐to‐noise ratio and to investigate the depth where the defects are located. The measuring time for depth localisation can be reduced when the object is simultaneously excited and evaluated at several frequencies. The potential of this new method is shown on different model samples.
An Integrative Approach for Treating Postherpetic Neuralgia—A Case Report
Authors: Wang Shu‐Ming
Published: July 2007

Abstract:  This report describes the successful treatment of a patient with postherpetic neuralgia using traditional pharmacology in combination with acupuncture.

Case Report:  A 13‐year‐old girl developed postherpetic neuralgia following a severe attack of varicella zoster. Despite a 1‐week course of intravenous acyclovir initiated at the onset of symptoms, the patient developed persistent left facial pain and constant nausea after lesions were healed. A comprehensive pain treatment regimen, consisting of a stellate ganglia block, medications, transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation and hypnosis, was administered, but the patient did not gain any incremental pain relief. The acupuncture service was consulted to provide assistance with this patient's pain management. A combination of body and auricular acupuncture as well as related techniques, including acupressure and transcutaneous acupoint electrical stimulation, was added to the pain treatment regimen.

After 10 complementary acupuncture treatments over a 2‐month period, the patient's nausea disappeared. Her left facial pain continued to decline from a maximum of 10 to 0 as assessed by a visual analog scale over a period of 4 months following self‐administered treatments of acupressure and transcutaneous acupoint electrical stimulation. The patient was then gradually weaned off all her medications and the complementary acupuncture treatment. She was discharged from the pediatric pain clinic after 5 months of the combined therapy.

Conclusions:  Acupuncture and its related techniques may be an effective adjunctive treatment for symptoms associated with postherpetic neuralgia and deserve further study.
Molecular mechanism underlying B19 virus inactivation and comparison to other parvoviruses
Authors: Mani Bernhard , Gerber Marco , Lieby Patricia , Boschetti Nicola , Kempf Christoph , Ros Carlos
Published: July 2007

BACKGROUND: B19 virus (B19V) is a human pathogen frequently present in blood specimens. Transmission of the virus occurs mainly via the respiratory route, but it has also been shown to occur through the administration of contaminated plasma‐derived products. Parvoviridae are highly resistant to physicochemical treatments; however, B19V is more vulnerable than the rest of parvoviruses. The molecular mechanism governing the inactivation of B19V and the reason for its higher vulnerability remain unknown.

STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: After inactivation of B19V by wet heat and low pH, the integrity of the viral capsid was examined by immunoprecipitation with two monoclonal antibodies directed to the N‐terminal of VP1 and to a conformational epitope in VP2. The accessibility of the viral DNA was quantitatively analyzed by a hybridization‐extension assay and by nuclease treatment.

RESULTS: The integrity of the viral particles was maintained during the inactivation procedure; however, the capsids became totally depleted of viral DNA. The DNA‐depleted capsids, although not infectious, were able to attach to target cells. Comparison studies with other members of the Parvoviridae family revealed a remarkable instability of B19V DNA in its encapsidated state.

CONCLUSION: Inactivation of B19V by heat or low pH is not mediated by capsid disintegration but by the conversion of the infectious virions into DNA‐depleted capsids. The high instability of the viral DNA in its encapsidated state is an exclusive feature of B19V, which explains its lower resistance to inactivation treatments.
Detection and characterization of hepatitis B virus of anti‐hepatitis B core antigen–reactive blood donors in Quebec with an in‐house nucleic acid testing assay
Authors: Chevrier Marie‐Claire , St‐Louis Maryse , Perreault Josée , Caron Brigitte , Castilloux Cindy , Laroche Jérôme , Delage Gilles
Published: July 2007

BACKGROUND: Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection can be detected in blood donations by many serologic markers. Since the introduction of routine anti‐hepatitis B core antigen (HBc) donor screening at Héma‐Québec in April 2003, a large number of donors have been deferred on the basis of reactive anti‐HBc test results. The objective of this study was to evaluate the correlation between the anti‐HBc–reactive donations and the detection of HBV DNA with an in‐house nucleic acid testing (NAT) assay.

STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: The in‐house HBV NAT assay is a conventional polymerase chain reaction amplifying part of the viral S gene. From October 2004 to November 2005, a total of 1169 anti‐HBc–reactive donations were tested with this in‐house assay. The results were correlated with hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) and anti‐HBs markers. HBV DNA–positive samples were further investigated by DNA sequencing.

RESULTS: All HBsAg‐positive samples were detected by the NAT assay. Overall, 38 (3.25%) of anti‐HBc–positive samples were found to be positive for the presence of HBV DNA. Of these 38, a total of 12 donations with a low level of HBV DNA were HBsAg‐negative. The sequencing results clearly showed various genotypes and subtypes within a same genotype.

CONCLUSION: The 3.25 percent HBV DNA positivity rate among the anti‐HBc–reactive donations and more particularly the low level of HBV DNA observed in occult donations underline the importance of the use of a sensitive assay to detect HBV DNA in conjunction with other markers. The HBV genetic diversity found in our donor population reflects the province demographics, particularly in the Montreal area where most of the positive donors were from.
Evaluation of a multiplex human immunodeficiency virus‐1, hepatitis C virus, and hepatitis B virus nucleic acid testing assay to detect viremic blood donors in northern Thailand
Authors: Nantachit Niwes , Thaikruea Lakkana , Thongsawat Satawat , Leetrakool Nipapan , Fongsatikul Ladda , Sompan Prakai , Fong Yiu‐Lian , Nichols David , Ziermann Rainer , Ness Paul , Nelson Kenrad E.
Published: July 2007

BACKGROUND: Screening of blood donors with nucleic acid testing (NAT) for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) has been implemented recently in the United States. There are limited data, however, on the additional NAT yield of donors in developing countries in Asia where the prevalence of infection is higher. In addition, data on hepatitis B virus (HBV) NAT in high prevalence areas are minimal.

STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: A total of 5083 whole‐blood donors at the Chiang Mai University Hospital, Thailand, blood bank were evaluated with a commercially available NAT assay (Procleix Ultrio, Gen‐Probe, Inc.) to screen individual donations.

RESULTS: No NAT yield cases were found for HIV‐1 or HCV. There were 17 samples with discrepant HBV DNA NAT and hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) tests, however. Seven of these were HBV DNA NAT–positive, HBsAg‐negative; of these 7, 1 was NAT‐positive at baseline, but negative on follow‐up, and considered a false‐positive, 1 had an acute infection, and 5 had chronic prevalent HBV infections, for a NAT yield of 6 in 4798 HBsAg negative donors (1:800). In addition there were 10 NAT‐negative, HBsAg‐positive serum samples. All were anti‐hepatitis B core antigen immunoglobulin G–positive; on testing with a more sensitive NAT target capture assay, 5 were positive (1.8‐20.6 IU/mL) and 5 were negative.

CONCLUSION: Multiplex NAT screening of individual‐donor serum samples in Northern Thailand detected approximately 1 per 800 HBV NAT–positive, HBsAg‐negative donors. The especially high prevalence of HBV infection in Thailand and other Asian countries suggests that HBV NAT screening of donors will be more cost‐effective than in other areas.
Rheolytic Thrombectomy during Percutaneous Coronary Intervention Improves Long‐Term Outcome in High‐Risk Patients with Acute Myocardial Infarction
Authors: DE ROSA SALVATORE , CIRILLO PLINIO , DE LUCA GIUSEPPE , GALASSO GENNARO , ESPOSITO GIOVANNI , LEOSCO DARIO , PISCIONE FEDERICO , CHIARIELLO MASSIMO
Published: July 2007

Objectives: Aim of the present study was to compare the immediate and long‐term effects of AngioJet® rheolytic thrombectomy performed in the setting of a percutaneous coronary angioplasty (PTCA) with those of conventional PTCA in patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) and angiographic evidence of high intracoronary thrombus burden.

Background: Plaque rupture, with subsequent exposure to the flowing bloodstream of high thrombotic materials often leads to intravascular thrombosis, representing the main pathophysiological event of acute coronary syndromes. PTCA is the first‐choice treatment for these patients in hospitals with cardiac catheterization facilities. However, distal embolization of thrombotic material, fibrin, and other fragments from atherosclerotic plaques might lead to procedural failure.

Methods: Immediate and 1‐year follow‐up results of a group of 30 consecutive patients, presenting with AMI and angiographic evidence of high thrombus burden, who underwent rheolytic thrombectomy and PTCA were compared with those of 30 consecutive patients with similar clinical presentation, risk profile, and angiographic picture, and treated with standard PTCA procedure.

Results: After the procedure, angiographic analysis showed a higher incidence of final thrombolysis in myocardial infarction (TIMI) flow grade 3 in the AngioJet® group (93.3% vs 83.3%, P = 0.034). In addition, mean corrected TIMI frame count (cTFC) was significantly lower in the AngioJet® group (22.4 vs 32.4, P = 0,0004). At 1‐year follow‐up, patients treated with AngioJet® showed a significantly lower incidence of death (3.33% vs 13.33%,P < 0.001), major adverse cardiac events (MACE: 10% vs 30%, P = 0.026), and need of revascularization (6.67% vs 20%, P = 0.013).

Conclusions: Data of the present study highlight that AngioJet® thrombectomy in selected AMI patients at high risk for distal thrombotic embolization results not only in immediately improved angiographic results as compared to conventional PTCA but, indeed, seems to be associated with a significantly better long‐term clinical outcome.
Survey on the teaching and use of mineral trioxide aggregate in UK dental schools
Authors: Pitt Ford Thomas , Mannocci Francesco , Woolford Mark
Published: July 2007

Abstract:  The aim was to find out whether undergraduate students in UK dental schools were taught about and used clinically Mineral Trioxide Aggregate (MTA). The census point was the end of October 2005 when a total of 220 papers were cited on PubMed. A questionnaire was sent to 13 schools, all of which responded. Three schools had dedicated units, or departments, of endodontology. The endodontic staff in every school used MTA in clinical practice. In all 13 schools undergraduate students were taught about the clinical use of MTA in endodontics, but in only nine schools were they taught about its use in paediatric dentistry. In none of the 13 schools did students have the opportunity to use MTA in preclinical exercises. The opportunity for some students to observe the use of MTA in specific procedures varied according to the procedure. Students in seven schools had the opportunity to observe pulp capping with MTA, as well as its use in immature roots, in nine schools to observe use of MTA in surgical endodontics, and in 12 schools to observe perforation repair. The opportunity for students to use MTA in specific procedures varied according to the procedure, and was less than that for observation. The material routinely used by students varied according to the procedure; in five schools the routine material for root‐end surgery was MTA, otherwise students largely used traditional materials. Despite there being 220 papers on MTA over a 10‐year period the introduction of its clinical use in the undergraduate curriculum was limited.
The attitudes of dental students towards socially acceptable and unacceptable group working practices
Authors: Sisson K. , Newton J.
Published: July 2007

Objectives:  To explore the attitudes of undergraduate dental students towards academically unacceptable behaviour.

Methods:  Three sets of vignettes were designed exploring; attitudes towards sharing essays which students present as their own work (set 1), attitudes towards purchasing an essay from a commercial website (set 2), and attitudes towards working in a group (set 3). Eighty‐nine dental students read the vignettes, then indicated whether they felt the student depicted should engage in the behaviour, and whether any assessment of the work would be a fair assessment of the student's ability. In addition for the group working vignette, respondents were asked to indicate whether in that situation they would speak to the tutor about their own contribution to the group product.

Results:  Twenty‐one respondents (24%) reported that students should share essays, 11 (12%) felt that the essay would be a fair assessment; 13 (15%) felt that students should buy commercially produced essays, five (6%) felt it would be a fair assessment. For the vignettes involving group work, 31 (35%) respondents felt that group‐based assessments were fair, 65 (73%) of respondents felt it unlikely that they would speak to the tutor about their individual contribution.

Conclusions:  A disturbing proportion of dental students report that cheating is acceptable, the majority feel that unacceptable academic practices are not a fair indication of students’ ability. The respondents reported that they were unlikely to report the unacceptable working practices of fellow students.
Curriculum content, structure and ECTS for European dental schools. Part II: methods of learning and teaching, assessment procedures and performance criteria
Authors: Plasschaert A. J. M. , Manogue M. , Lindh C. , McLoughlin J. , Murtomaa H. , Nattestad A. , Sanz M.
Published: July 2007

Summary:  This paper presents a brief context of dental undergraduate curricular structure and content and lays out the Association for Dental Education in Europe's views on requirements and recommendations for learning, teaching and assessment procedures/performance.
Decreased locomotor activity in mice expressing tTA under control of the CaMKIIα promoter
Authors: McKinney B. C. , Schneider J. S. , Schafer G. L. , Lowing J. L. , Mohan S. , Zhao M. X. , Heng M. Y. , Albin R. L. , Seasholtz A. F. , Akil H. , Murphy G. G.
Published: July 2007

Transgenic mice in which the tetracycline transactivator (tTA) is driven by the forebrain‐specific calcium–calmodulin‐dependent kinase IIα promoter (CaMKIIα‐tTA mice) are used to study the molecular genetics of many behaviors. These mice can be crossed with other transgenic mice carrying a transgene of interest coupled to the tetracycline‐responsive promoter element to produce mice with forebrain‐specific expression of the transgene under investigation. The value of using CaMKIIα‐tTA mice to study behavior, however, is dependent on the CaMKIIα‐tTA mice themselves lacking a behavioral phenotype with respect to the behaviors being studied. Here we present data that suggest CaMKIIα‐tTA mice have a behavioral phenotype distinct from that of their wild‐type (WT) littermates. Most strikingly, we find that CaMKIIα‐tTA mice, both those with a C57BL/6NTac genetic background (B6‐tTA) and those with a 129S6B6F1/Tac hybrid genetic background (F1‐tTA), exhibit decreased locomotor activity compared with WT littermates that could be misinterpreted as altered anxiety‐like behavior. Despite this impairment, neither B6‐tTA nor F1‐tTA mice perform differently than their WT littermates in two commonly used learning and memory paradigms – Pavlovian fear conditioning and Morris water maze. Additionally, we find data regarding motor coordination and balance to be mixed: B6‐tTA mice, but not F1‐tTA mice, exhibit impaired performance on the accelerating rotarod and both perform as well as their WT littermates on the balance beam.
Muscle and neuronal nicotinic acetylcholine receptors
Authors: Kalamida Dimitra , Poulas Konstantinos , Avramopoulou Vassiliki , Fostieri Efrosini , Lagoumintzis George , Lazaridis Konstantinos , Sideri Anastasia , Zouridakis Marios , Tzartos Socrates J.
Published: July 2007

Nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) are integral membrane proteins and prototypic members of the ligand‐gated ion‐channel superfamily, which has precursors in the prokaryotic world. They are formed by the assembly of five transmembrane subunits, selected from a pool of 17 homologous polypeptides (α1–10, β1–4, γ, δ, and ε). There are many nAChR subtypes, each consisting of a specific combination of subunits, which mediate diverse physiological functions. They are widely expressed in the central nervous system, while, in the periphery, they mediate synaptic transmission at the neuromuscular junction and ganglia. nAChRs are also found in non‐neuronal/nonmuscle cells (keratinocytes, epithelia, macrophages, etc.). Extensive research has determined the specific function of several nAChR subtypes. nAChRs are now important therapeutic targets for various diseases, including myasthenia gravis, Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases, and schizophrenia, as well as for the cessation of smoking. However, knowledge is still incomplete, largely because of a lack of high‐resolution X‐ray structures for these molecules. Nevertheless, electron microscopy studies on 2D crystals of nAChR from fish electric organs and the determination of the high‐resolution X‐ray structure of the acetylcholine binding protein (AChBP) from snails, a homolog of the extracellular domain of the nAChR, have been major steps forward and the data obtained have important implications for the design of subtype‐specific drugs. Here, we review some of the latest advances in our understanding of nAChRs and their involvement in physiology and pathology.
Photovoltaic Cells Based on GaSb and Ge for Solar and Thermophotovoltaic Applications
Authors: Khvostikov V. P. , Khvostikova O. A. , Gazaryan P. Y. , Sorokina S. V. , Potapovich N. S. , Malevskaya A. V. , Kaluzhniy N. A. , Shvarts M. Z. , Andreev V. M.
Published: July 2007

In the present work, high efficient photovoltaic (PV) cells based on gallium antimonide have been developed and fabricated with the use of the liquid phase epitaxy (LPE) and diffusion from the gas phase techniques. They are intended for conversion of the infrared (IR) part of the solar spectrum into electricity by tandems of mechanically stacked cells and for conversion of the thermal radiation of emitters heated by the sunlight. On the ground of investigation of the LPE temperature regimes and the tellurium doping effect, GaSb PV cells have been fabricated with the efficiency of 6% at the concentration of 300 suns behind the single-junction GaAs top cell and of 5.6% at the same sunlight concentration of the cells behind the dual-junction GaInP∕GaAs structure, the substrate thickness being 100μm (the efficiency of PV cells was calculated for AM1.5D Low AOD spectrum, 1000W∕m2). The rated efficiency of conversion of solar powered tungsten emitter radiation by PV cells based on gallium antimonide in a thermophotovoltaic (TPV) module appeared to be about 19%. Photovoltaic cells based on germanium with a wide-gap GaAs window grown by LPE or metalorganic chemical vapor deposition and with a p-n junction formed by means of the zinc diffusion from the gas phase have been fabricated. Ge based PV cells without a wide-gap GaAs window had the efficiency of up to 8.6% at a concentration of 150 suns. The efficiency of Ge based cells with a wide-gap GaAs window was 10.9% at the concentration of 150 suns. 4.3% efficiency Ge cells behind a single-junction GaAs top cell at the concentration of 400 suns have been also obtained. The maximum rated conversion efficiency of Ge PV cells appeared to be about 12% in the case of conversion of the tungsten emitter thermal radiation. These efficiency values for Ge based cells are among the highest.
Lattice-Matched III–V Dual-Junction Solar Cells for Concentrations Around 1000 Suns
Authors: Algora C. , Rey-Stolle I. , García I. , Galiana B. , Baudrit M. , González J. R.
Published: July 2007

Concentration photovoltaic (PV) based on III–V solar cells is one of the most promising technologies for dramatically reducing the cost of PV electricity. In order to reduce costs, a high efficiency is usually pursued. This is the main reason for the huge development of multijunction cells (MJCs) which are able to achieve very high efficiencies thanks to their more efficient use of the solar spectrum. In the first stage, our approach to reduce the cost of photovoltaic electricity consists of a further development of the lattice matched GaInP∕GaAs dual junction solar cell in order to achieve efficiencies of over 30% at 1000 suns (AM1.5D low aerosol optical depth (AOD)). In the second stage, this approach will allow us to develop lattice matched GaInP∕Ga(In)As∕Ge triple junction solar cells with higher efficiency and lower cost. In this technical brief, we have set out the philosophy, including a brief incursion into economics, and our first results of dual-junction solar cells for high concentrator applications. Our best result is an efficiency of 27.6% at 180 suns while at 1000 suns the efficiency is 26% (AM1.5D low AOD). The price of a PV installation based on our best solar cell to date (efficiency of 26% operating at 1000 suns) would be 3.6$∕Wp. For solar cells with efficiencies of 30% at 1000 suns, the price after a cumulated production of 10MWp of a PV installation would be 3.3$∕Wp. The efficiencies attained (∼26%) at 1000 suns although still far from our objective of 30%, establish a reasonable starting point for future developments. It is evident that the conservative design implemented has much room for improvement which is now under development in our lab.
Boundary Layer Halogens in Coastal Antarctica
Authors: Saiz-Lopez Alfonso , Mahajan Anoop S. , Salmon Rhian A. , Bauguitte Stephane J.-B. , Jones Anna E. , Roscoe Howard K. , Plane John M. C.
Published: July 2007

Halogens influence the oxidizing capacity of Earth's troposphere, and iodine oxides form ultrafine aerosols, which may have an impact on climate. We report year-round measurements of boundary layer iodine oxide and bromine oxide at the near-coastal site of Halley Station, Antarctica. Surprisingly, both species are present throughout the sunlit period and exhibit similar seasonal cycles and concentrations. The springtime peak of iodine oxide (20 parts per trillion) is the highest concentration recorded anywhere in the atmosphere. These levels of halogens cause substantial ozone depletion, as well as the rapid oxidation of dimethyl sulfide and mercury in the Antarctic boundary layer.
Spontaneous Superlattice Formation in Nanorods Through Partial Cation Exchange
Authors: Robinson Richard D. , Sadtler Bryce , Demchenko Denis O. , Erdonmez Can K. , Wang Lin-Wang , Alivisatos A. Paul
Published: July 2007

Lattice-mismatch strains are widely known to control nanoscale pattern formation in heteroepitaxy, but such effects have not been exploited in colloidal nanocrystal growth. We demonstrate a colloidal route to synthesizing CdS-Ag
2
S nanorod superlattices through partial cation exchange. Strain induces the spontaneous formation of periodic structures. Ab initio calculations of the interfacial energy and modeling of strain energies show that these forces drive the self-organization of the superlattices. The nanorod superlattices exhibit high stability against ripening and phase mixing. These materials are tunable near-infrared emitters with potential applications as nanometer-scale optoelectronic devices.
Complex Adenovirus-Mediated Expression of West Nile Virus C, PreM, E, and NS1 Proteins Induces both Humoral and Cellular Immune Responses
Authors: Schepp-Berglind Jennifer , Luo Min , Wang Danher , Wicker Jason A. , Raja Nicholas U. , Hoel Brian D. , Holman David H. , Barrett Alan D. T. , Dong John Y.
Published: July 2007

West Nile Virus (WNV), a member of the familyFlaviviridae, was first identified in Africa in 1937. In recent years, it has spread into Europe and North America. The clinical manifestations of WNV infection range from mild febrile symptoms to fatal encephalitis. Two genetic lineages (lineages I and II) are recognized; lineage II is associated with mild disease, while lineage I has been associated with severe disease, including encephalitis. WNV has now spread across North America, significantly affecting both public and veterinary health. In the efforts to develop an effective vaccine against all genetic variants of WNV, we have studied the feasibility of inducing both neutralizing and cellular immune responses by de novo synthesis of WNV antigens using a complex adenoviral vaccine (CAdVax) vector. By expressing multiple WNV proteins from a single vaccine vector, we were able to induce both humoral and cellular immune responses in vaccinated mice. Neutralization assays demonstrated that the antibodies were broadly neutralizing against both lineages of WNV, with a significant preference for the homologous lineage II virus. The results from this study show that multiple antigens synthesized de novo from a CAdVax vector are capable of inducing both humoral and cellular immune responses against WNV and that a multiantigen approach may provide broad protection against multiple genetic variants of WNV.
Development of Real-Time PCR Assays and Evaluation of Their Potential Use for Rapid Detection of
Burkholderia pseudomallei
in Clinical Blood Specimens
Authors: Supaprom Chonthida , Wang Dongling , Leelayuwat Chanvit , Thaewpia Wisansanee , Susaengrat Wattanachai , Koh Victor , Ooi Eng Eong , Lertmemongkolchai Ganjana , Liu Yichun
Published: July 2007

The early initiation of appropriate antimicrobial therapy is critical for improving the prognosis of patients with septicemic melioidosis. Thus, the use of a rapid molecular diagnosis may affect the outcome of this disease, which has a high mortality rate. We report the development of two TaqMan real-time PCR assays (designated 8653 and 9438) that detect the presence of two novel genes unique to
Burkolderia pseudomallei
. The analytical sensitivity and specificity of the assays were assessed with 91 different
B. pseudomallei
isolates, along with 96 isolates and strains representing 28 other bacterial species, including the closely related
Burkholderia
/
Ralstonia
. The two assays performed equally well with both purified DNA and crude cell lysates, with 100% analytical specificity for the detection of
B. pseudomallei
. The limit of detection was 50 fg of DNA (equivalent to six bacterial genomes) per PCR for both assay 8563 and 9438. We also evaluated these assays with DNA extracted from blood specimens taken from 45 patients with culture-confirmed septicemic melioidosis or other septicemias. Of the 28 melioidosis blood specimens, assays 8653 and 9438 gave sensitivities of 71% (20/28) and 54% (15/28), respectively. Effectively, all fatal cases of septicemic melioidosis were detected by 8653. For the 17 non-melioidosis blood specimens, specificities of 82% (14/17) and 88% (15/17) were obtained for assays 8653 and 9438, respectively. The real-time PCR assays developed in this study provide alternative, rapid molecular tools for the specific detection of
B. pseudomallei
, and this may be of particular use in the early diagnosis and treatment of septicemic melioidosis.
Evaluation of BBL CHROMagar O157 versus Sorbitol-MacConkey Medium for Routine Detection of
Escherichia coli
O157 in a Centralized Regional Clinical Microbiology Laboratory
Authors: Church D. L. , Emshey D. , Semeniuk H. , Lloyd T. , Pitout J. D.
Published: July 2007

The performance of BBL CHROMagar O157 (CHROM) versus that of sorbitol-MacConkey (SMAC) media for detection of
Escherichia coli
O157 was determined for a 3-month period. Results for 27/3,116 (0.9%) stool cultures were positive. CHROM had a higher sensitivity (96.30%) and negative predictive value (100%) and a better diagnostic efficiency than SMAC. Labor and material costs decreased when CHROM was used.
Reverse Line Blot Hybridization Assay for Identification of Medically Important Fungi from Culture and Clinical Specimens
Authors: Zeng Xianyu , Kong Fanrong , Halliday Catriona , Chen Sharon , Lau Anna , Playford Geoffrey , Sorrell Tania C.
Published: July 2007

We evaluated a combined panfungal PCR-reverse line blot (RLB) hybridization assay based on internal transcribed spacer 1 (ITS1) and ITS2 region polymorphisms to identify 159
Candida
,
Cryptococcus neoformans
, and
Aspergillus
isolates (22 species). Its utility to identify fungal pathogens directly from 27 clinical specimens was also determined. ITS sequence analysis was performed to resolve discrepant identifications or where no RLB result was obtained. Species-specific ITS2- and ITS1-based probes correctly identified 155 of 159 isolates (98%) and 149 (93.7%) isolates, respectively. All strains were unambiguously differentiated with the exception of cross-reactivity between the
Candida norvegensis
probe and
Candida haemulonii
DNA product. Species identification of the pathogen was made for all 21 specimens (sensitivity of 100%) where species-specific probes were included in the RLB; however, there was no ITS2 probe-based hybridization signal for two specimens. Results were concordant with the culture results for 18 (85.7%) specimens. The assay was able to provide species identification in the absence of a culture result (two specimens) and to detect mixed infection (one specimen). The results indicate that the RLB assay is capable of reliably detecting yeasts and
Aspergillus
spp. in clinical specimens and that the incorporation of both ITS1- and ITS2-targeted probes is required for optimal sensitivity. The test has potential utility in the early diagnosis of invasive fungal infection, since “fungal” DNA was detected in all 27 specimens. Prior to incorporation of probes to detect other fungal species, ITS sequencing may be performed to achieve species identification.
Isolation ofSalmonella entericaSerotype Newport from a Partly Ruptured Splenic Abscess in a Traveler Returning from Zanzibar
Authors: Tappe Dennis , Müller Andreas , Langen Heinz-Jakob , Frosch Matthias , Stich August
Published: July 2007

Salmonella entericasubsp.entericaserotype Newport is a pathogen of growing importance because of its epidemic spread in dairy cattle and increasing rate of antimicrobial resistance. Human infections, however, are rare. We report a case of a splenic abscess in a young traveler returning from East Africa.
Outbreak of
Pseudomonas aeruginosa
Infections with PER-1 Extended-Spectrum β-Lactamase in Warsaw, Poland: Further Evidence for an International Clonal Complex
Authors: Empel Joanna , Filczak Krzysztof , Mrówka Agnieszka , Hryniewicz Waleria , Livermore David M. , Gniadkowski Marek
Published: July 2007

Forty-one
Pseudomonas aeruginosa
isolates with extended-spectrum β-lactamases (ESBLs) from a hospital in Warsaw, Poland, were analyzed. Thirty-seven isolates from several wards were collected over 9 months in 2003 and 2004. The isolates were recovered from patients with multiple types of infections, mostly respiratory tract and postoperative wound infections. All 41 isolates produced the PER-1 ESBL, originally observed in Turkey but recently also identified in several countries in Europe and the Far East. The
bla
PER-1
gene resided within the Tn
1213
composite transposon, which was chromosomally located. Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis and multilocus sequence typing (MLST) revealed the presence of three separate clones among the isolates. Two of these, corresponding to sequence types (STs) ST244 and ST235, were responsible for parallel outbreaks. Apart from PER-1, all the isolates produced OXA-2 oxacillinase. ST235 isolates additionally expressed a novel enzyme, OXA-74, differing by one amino acid from the OXA-17 ESBL identified originally in PER-1- and OXA-2-positive
P. aeruginosa
isolates from Ankara, Turkey, in 1992. These earlier Ankara isolates with PER-1, OXA-2, and OXA-17 were also classified into ST235, which is a single-locus variant of two other STs, ST227 and ST230. ST227, ST230, and ST235 all correspond to the recently described clonal complex BG11, which seems to be internationally distributed, having spread in Turkey, Greece, Italy, Hungary, Poland, Sweden, and much of Russia. It is associated with various β-lactamases, including PER-1 and VIM metalloenzymes. This work further demonstrates the value of MLST of
P. aeruginosa
.
Processing of Open Reading Frame 1a Replicase Proteins nsp7 to nsp10 in Murine Hepatitis Virus Strain A59 Replication
Authors: Deming Damon J. , Graham Rachel L. , Denison Mark R. , Baric Ralph S.
Published: July 2007

Coronaviruses express open reading frame 1a (ORF1a) and ORF1b polyproteins from which 16 nonstructural proteins (nsp) are derived. The highly conserved region at the carboxy terminus of ORF1a is processed by the nsp5 proteinase (M
pro
) into mature products, including nsp7, nsp8, nsp9, and nsp10, proteins with predicted or identified activities involved in RNA synthesis. Although continuous translation and proteolytic processing of ORF1ab by M
pro
is required for replication, it is unknown whether specific cleavage events within the polyprotein are dispensable. We determined the requirement for the nsp7 to nsp10 proteins and their processing during murine hepatitis virus (MHV) replication. Through use of an MHV reverse genetics system, in-frame deletions of the coding sequences for nsp7 to nsp10, or ablation of their flanking M
pro
cleavage sites, were made and the effects upon replication were determined. Viable viruses were characterized by analysis of M
pro
processing, RNA transcription, and growth fitness. Deletion of any of the regions encoding nsp7 to nsp10 was lethal. Disruption of the cleavage sites was lethal with the exception of that of the nsp9-nsp10 site, which resulted in a mutant virus with attenuated replication. Passage of the attenuated nsp9-nsp10 cleavage mutant increased fitness to near-wild-type kinetics without reversion to a virus capable of processing nsp9-nsp10. We also confirmed the presence of a second cleavage site between nsp7 and nsp8. In order to determine whether a distinct function could be attributed to preprocessed forms of the polyprotein, including nsp7 to nsp10, the genes encoding nsp7 and nsp8 were rearranged. The mutant virus was not viable, suggesting that the uncleaved protein may be essential for replication or proteolytic processing.
Effects of Recombination Rate on Human Endogenous Retrovirus Fixation and Persistence
Authors: Katzourakis Aris , Pereira Vini , Tristem Michael
Published: July 2007

Endogenous retroviruses (ERVs) result from germ line infections by exogenous retroviruses. They can proliferate within the genome of their host species until they are either inactivated by mutation or removed by recombinational deletion. ERVs belong to a diverse group of mobile genetic elements collectively termed transposable elements (TEs). Numerous studies have attempted to elucidate the factors determining the genomic distribution and persistence of TEs. Here we show that, within humans, gene density and not recombination rate correlates with fixation of endogenous retroviruses, whereas the local recombination rate determines their persistence in a full-length state. Recombination does not appear to influence fixation either via the ectopic exchange model or by indirect models based on the efficacy of selection. We propose a model linking rates of meiotic recombination to the probability of recombinational deletion to explain the effect of recombination rate on persistence. Chromosomes 19 and Y are exceptions, possessing more elements than other regions, and we suggest this is due to low gene density and elevated rates of human ERV integration in males for chromosome Y and segmental duplication for chromosome 19.