bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A view of Hurricane Katrina with early 21st century technology
Authors: Lin Xin , Li Jui‐Lin E. , Suarez Max J. , Tompkins Adrian M. , Waliser Duane E. , Rienecker Michele M. , Bacmeister Julio , Jiang Jonathan H. , Wu Huey‐Tzu , Tassone Caterina M. , Chern Jiun‐Dar , Chen Baode , Su Hui
Published: October 2006

Observing, modeling, and forecasting systems have been undergoing rapid development in the past two to three decades. For example, Atlantic hurricanes are closely monitored by the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) National Weather Service through a significantly improved upper‐air and ground‐based observational network supplemented by aircraft, ship, and ocean buoy data. Given initial conditions and lateral boundary conditions provided by larger‐scale model analyses, regional models have been widely utilized to predict hurricane track and intensity.

Nowadays, satellite observations are playing an increasingly important role in providing global estimations of precipitation, radiative fluxes, clouds, and winds, with unprecedented temporal and spatial coverage. Global atmospheric models and global operational analyses are moving toward providing forecasts and products at resolutions ranging from 0.1° to 0.5° (10–50 kilometers).There is evidence that improved hurricane structure and track forecasts could result in part from such increases in model resolution.
Ion and polymer dynamics in polymer electrolytes PPO–LiClO4.II. H2 and Li7 NMR stimulated-echo experiments
Authors: Vogel M. , Torbrügge T.
Published: October 2006

We use H2 NMR stimulated-echo spectroscopy to measure two-time correlation functions characterizing the polymer segmental motion in polymer electrolytes PPO–LiClO4 near the glass transition temperature Tg. To investigate effects of the salt on the polymer dynamics, we compare results for different ether oxygen to lithium ratios, namely, 6:1, 15:1, 30:1, and ∞. For all compositions, we find nonexponential correlation functions, which can be described by a Kohlrausch function. The mean correlation times show quantitatively that an increase of the salt concentration results in a strong slowing down of the segmental motion. Consistently, for the high 6:1 salt concentration, a high apparent activation energy Ea=4.1eV characterizes the temperature dependence of the mean correlation times at Tg<T≲1.1Tg, while smaller values Ea≈2.5eV are observed for moderate salt contents. The correlation functions are most nonexponential for 15:1 PPO–LiClO4 whereas the stretching is reduced for higher and lower salt concentrations. This finding implies that the local environments of the polymer segments are most diverse for intermediate salt contents, and, hence, the spatial distribution of the salt is most heterogeneous. To study the mechanisms of the segmental reorientation, we exploit that the angular resolution of H2 NMR stimulated-echo experiments depends on the length of the evolution time tp. A similar dependence of the correlation functions on the value of tp in the presence and in the absence of ions indicates that addition of salt hardly affects the reorientational mechanism. For all compositions, mean jump angles of about 15° characterize the segmental reorientation. In addition, comparison of results from H2 and Li7 NMR stimulated-echo experiments suggests a coupling of ion and polymer dynamics in 15:1 PPO–LiClO4.
The Shape of Urban Experience: A Reevaluation of Lynch's Five Elements
Authors: Stevens Quentin
Published: October 2006

In this paper I attempt to develop a comprehensive, robust model of urban morphology from a phenomenological and behavioral perspective. I do so by comparing the findings of two extensive empirical studies of users' experiences of urban public space: one primarily examining people's perceptions in relation to the practical task of wayfinding, and the other my own research into people's playful behavior in Melbourne, London, Berlin, and New York. Lynch himself called attention to “our delight … in ambiguity, mystery … surprise and disorder”, but little is known about what role specific spatial conditions might have in framing such experiences, or indeed about the diversity of impractical activities people actually pursue in urban spaces. With this paper I seek to fill these gaps. Three elements common to both studies (paths, nodes, and edges) describe the fundamental topological structure of space in relation to movement and visibility. I focus on the four spatial elements which differ between the two models (landmarks, districts, thresholds, and props). Field observations illustrate ways in which the latter two spatial elements frame particular noninstrumental, ‘playful’ experiences which are characteristic of the urban condition: spontaneous encounters with strangers; unfamiliar and risky bodily experiences; distraction, and interpreting new meanings in the urban fabric.
Activity-dependent gene regulation in skeletal muscle is mediated by a histone deacetylase (HDAC)-Dach2-myogenin signal transduction cascade
Authors: Tang Huibin , Goldman Daniel
Published: October 2006

Muscle activity contributes to muscle development and function largely by means of regulated gene expression. Many genes crucial to neuromuscular synapse formation, such as MuSK and nAChRs, are induced before muscle innervation or after muscle denervation, and this induction requires expression of the E-box binding, basic helix–loop–helix muscle-specific transcription factor, myogenin (Mgn). The mechanism by which muscle activity is coupled to gene expression is poorly defined. Here we report that inhibition of histone deacetylase (HDAC) activity attenuates the induction of activity-regulated genes in aneural myotubes and adult denervated muscle. The effect of HDAC inhibitors requires new protein synthesis, suggesting HDACs may regulate the expression of a Mgn transcriptional repressor. We identified Dach2 as a Mgn transcriptional repressor whose expression is dramatically reduced in an HDAC-dependent manner in developing aneural myotubes or adult denervated muscle. Dach2 overexpression in denervated muscle suppressed Mgn, nAChR, and MuSK gene induction, whereas Dach2 knockdown induced Mgn gene expression in innervated muscle and relieved Mgn promoter inhibition by HDAC inhibitors. Thus, a HDAC-Dach2-myogenin signaling pathway has been identified to decode nerve activity and control muscle gene expression in developing and adult skeletal muscle.
Interaction of GATA-3/T-bet transcription factors regulates expression of sialyl Lewis X homing receptors on Th1/Th2 lymphocytes
Authors: Chen Guo-Yun , Osada Hirotaka , Santamaria-Babi Luis F. , Kannagi Reiji
Published: October 2006

Selectin-dependent cell adhesion mediates inflammatory extravasation and routine homing of lymphocytes. Most resting peripheral T lymphocytes lack expression of sialyl Lewis X, the carbohydrate ligand for selectins, and are induced to strongly express it upon activation. T helper 1 (Th1) cells are known to more preferentially express sialyl Lewis X as compared with T helper 2 (Th2) cells upon activation. The molecular basis for this preferential expression, however, has not been elucidated to date. Here we show that the gene for fucosyltransferase VII (FUT7), the rate-limiting enzyme for sialyl Lewis X synthesis, is a unique example of the human genes with binding sites for both GATA-3 and T-bet, two opposing factors for Th1 and Th2 development, and is regulated transcriptionally by a balance of the two interacting transcription factors. T-bet promotes and GATA-3 repressesFUT7transcription. Our results indicated that T-bet interferes with the binding of GATA-3 to its target DNA, and also that GATA-3 significantly interferes with the binding of T-bet to theFUT7promoter. T-bet has a binding ability to GATA-3, CBP/P300, and Sp1 to form a transcription factor complex, and GATA-3 regulatesFUT7transcription by phosphorylation-dependently recruiting histone deacetylase (HDAC)-3/HDAC-5 and by competing with CBP/P300 in binding to the N terminus of T-bet. Suppression of GATA-3 activity by dominant-negative GATA-3 or repressor of GATA (ROG) was necessary to attain a maximum expression ofFUT7and sialyl Lewis X in human T lymphoid cells. These results indicate that the GATA-3/T-bet transcription factor complex regulates the cell-lineage-specific expression of the lymphocyte homing receptors.
Emergence and predominance of an H5N1 influenza variant in China
Authors: Smith G. J. D. , Fan X. H. , Wang J. , Li K. S. , Qin K. , Zhang J. X. , Vijaykrishna D. , Cheung C. L. , Huang K. , Rayner J. M. , Peiris J. S. M. , Chen H. , Webster R. G. , Guan Y.
Published: October 2006

The development of highly pathogenic avian H5N1 influenza viruses in poultry in Eurasia accompanied with the increase in human infection in 2006 suggests that the virus has not been effectively contained and that the pandemic threat persists. Updated virological and epidemiological findings from our market surveillance in southern China demonstrate that H5N1 influenza viruses continued to be panzootic in different types of poultry. Genetic and antigenic analyses revealed the emergence and predominance of a previously uncharacterized H5N1 virus sublineage (Fujian-like) in poultry since late 2005. Viruses from this sublineage gradually replaced those multiple regional distinct sublineages and caused recent human infection in China. These viruses have already transmitted to Hong Kong, Laos, Malaysia, and Thailand, resulting in a new transmission and outbreak wave in Southeast Asia. Serological studies suggest that H5N1 seroconversion in market poultry is low and that vaccination may have facilitated the selection of the Fujian-like sublineage. The predominance of this virus over a large geographical region within a short period directly challenges current disease control measures.
A new method to estimate quantitatively seminal vesicle and prostate gland contributions to ejaculate
Authors: Ndovi Themba T. , Parsons Teresa , Choi Leena , Caffo Brian , Rohde Charles , Hendrix Craig W.
Published: October 2006

Aims

We sought to optimize a quantitative noninvasive method to determine the concentration in their glands of origin of biochemical markers of compartments of the male genital tract as the first step towards validation of a novel method for estimation of drug concentrations in these male genital tract compartments.

Methods

Sixty‐eight men participated. We compared four collection devices to split ejaculate into fractions. Fractions were assayed for fructose and prostate specific antigen (PSA) as unique markers of the seminal vesicle and prostate, respectively. Seminal vesicle fructose and prostatic PSA were estimated using a linear regression method, based on fructose‐PSA axis intercepts, and compared with an older method which solves a simultaneous series of equations.

Results

A five‐compartment collection device performed best with mean (95% confidence interval) PSA vs. fructose r2 of 0.84 (0.71, 0.98, P < 0.001). Using resampling simulations, glandular PSA and fructose estimates were highly variable and often implausible when using only two fractions. Using our method, the prostate contributed 37–44% to the whole ejaculate and the seminal vesicle contributed 55–61%. The novel regression method was highly correlated (r2 ≥ 0.98) with older methods.

Conclusions

We developed a noninvasive quantitative method of male genital tract biochemical marker estimation using a five‐compartment tray to collect three to five ejaculate fractions. Our novel regression method is quantitative and more fully developed than older methods. This noninvasive method for determining glandular marker concentrations should be useful to provide quantitative estimates of drug concentrations in these glands.
The introduction of innovative nursing and midwifery roles: the perspective of healthcare managers
Authors: McKenna Hugh , Richey Roberta , Keeney Sinead , Hasson Felicity , Sinclair Marlene , Poulton Brenda
Published: October 2006

Aim.  This paper reports a study exploring issues arising from the introduction of innovative nursing and midwifery roles from the perspective of healthcare managers.

Background.  In recent years, the number of innovative roles in nursing and midwifery has increased dramatically across all areas of health care. A comprehensive literature review has shown that there is a scarcity of empirical studies to inform policy or the organizational context of this rapidly changing situation.

Method.  Semi‐structured interviews were conducted with all Directors of Nursing, Chief Nurses and Directors of Primary Care in the Health and Social Services Trusts and Boards in Northern Ireland. This study formed the first phase of a larger exploration of innovative roles. Data were collected from July to October 2004.

Findings.  The findings confirm that in recent years there has been a considerable increase in the number and type of innovative nursing and midwifery roles. Themes that emerged from the data included professional identity and number of innovative roles; stimuli for role development; service commissioning; infrastructure support; and perceived value for money.

Conclusion.  Analysis of the impact of innovative nursing and midwifery roles on other members of staff, notably healthcare assistants, is needed. The internationally increasing number of innovative roles need to be evaluated further with regard to their effect on care outcomes for patients, their families and communities, their cost‐effectiveness and to how best to secure the support and commitment of colleagues. Further study should also be undertaken to determine whether innovative role‐holders are pioneers in the development of future nursing, or whether they are responding to the workforce needs of the medical profession or to the requirements of the health service to cut costs.
From expert to tasks, expert nursing practice redefined?
Authors: Christensen Martin , Hewitt‐Taylor Jaqui
Published: October 2006

Aim.  The aim of this paper was to explore the concept of expertise in nursing from the perspective of how it relates to current driving forces in health care in which it discusses the potential barriers to acceptance of nursing expertise in a climate in which quantification of value and cost containment run high on agendas.

Background.  Expert nursing practice can be argued to be central to high quality, holistic, individualized patient care. However, changes in government policy which have led to the inception of comprehensive guidelines or protocols of care are in danger of relegating the ‘expert nurse’ to being an icon of the past. Indeed, it could be argued that expert nurses are an expensive commodity within the nursing workforce. Consequently, with this change to the use of clinical guidelines, it calls into question how expert nursing practice will develop within this framework of care.

Method.  The article critically reviews the evidence related to the role of the Expert Nurse in an attempt to identify the key concepts and ideas, and how the inception of care protocols has implications for their role.

Conclusion.  Nursing expertise which focuses on the provision of individualized, holistic care and is based largely on intuitive decision making cannot, should not be reduced to being articulated in positivist terms. However, the dominant power and decision‐making focus in health care means that nurses must be confident in articulating the value of a concept which may be outside the scope of knowledge of those with whom they are debating.

Relevance to clinical practice.  The principles of abduction or fuzzy logic may be useful in assisting nurses to explain in terms which others can comprehend, the value of nursing expertise.
Inflammation and infection complications of 2285 perineural catheters: a prospective study
Authors: Neuburger M. , Büttner J. , Blumenthal S. , Breitbarth J. , Borgeat A.
Published: October 2006

Background:  Perineural catheters (PNCs) are increasingly being used. Few data are available on the infectious complications of PNCs. The incidence and localization of local inflammation and infection associated with PNCs were assessed.

Methods:  PNCs placed under sterile conditions for regional anesthesia and post‐operative analgesia were evaluated prospectively. Local inflammation was defined as redness, swelling or pain on pressure at the catheter insertion site. Infection was defined as purulent material at the catheter insertion site with or without the need for surgical intervention.

Results:  In total, 2285 PNCs were evaluated: 600 axillary, 303 interscalene, 92 infraclavicular, 65 psoas compartment, 574 femoral, 296 sciatic and 355 popliteal. Local inflammation occurred in 4.2% and infection in 3.2%. The duration of PNC placement was a risk factor (P < 0.05). Surgical intervention was necessary in 0.9%. No late complications occurred in any patient. Interscalene catheters were associated with an increased risk of infection (4.3%; P < 0.05). Anterior proximal sciatic catheters were associated with a lower risk of local inflammation (1.7%; P < 0.05) and infection (0.4%; P < 0.05). Staphylococcus epidermidis and Staphylococcus aureus were isolated in 42% and 58% of catheter tip cultures, respectively.

Conclusion:  In the present study population, infection of PNCs was a rare occurrence, but the incidence increased with the duration of PNC placement, and close clinical monitoring is required.
Development and preliminary psychometric testing of the Multidimensional Assessment of Pain Scale: MAPS
Authors: RAMELET ANNE‐SYLVIE , REES NANCY , MCDONALD SUSAN , BULSARA MAX , ABU‐SAAD HUDA HUIJER
Published: October 2006

Background:  This study aimed to test the preliminary psychometric properties of the Multidimensional Assessment Pain Scale (MAPS), a clinical instrument developed for assessing postoperative pain in critically ill preverbal children.

Methods:  The MAPS was developed using pain indicators observed in postoperative critically ill infants. Content validity was established by a panel of experts. The scale was tested for validity and reliability in 43 postoperative children aged 0–31 months admitted to the pediatric intensive care units of two tertiary referral hospitals. Pain was measured concurrently by three independent assessors using the MAPS, the Face, Leg, Activity, Cry, and Consolability scale (FLACC) and the Visual Analog Scale (VAS) to assess concurrent and convergent validity.

Results:  Internal consistency was moderate (r = 0.68). Interrater reliability of the MAPS was good (κ: 0.68–0.84) for all categories and moderate for breathing pattern (κ = 0.54). Excellent interrater reliability was shown for total MAPS (intraclass correlation 0.91). Agreement measurements between MAPS and FLACC, and MAPS and VAS showed that the risk of measurement error was small.

Conclusion:  Although initial psychometric testing of the MAPS shows promising results, the tool requires further psychometric testing, including responsiveness to analgesic effect (currently in progress).
Terror, corpse symbolism, and taboo violation: the ‘Haredi Disaster Victim Identification Team in Israel’ (Zaka)
Authors: Stadler Nurit
Published: October 2006

Anthropologists dealing with death have pointed to a process of privatization, bureaucratization, and secularization of death in the age of ‘high modernity’. In this article I argue that the exploration of death within the framework of modern terrorism, a form of death that is becoming increasingly common, reveals new expressions and interpretations of death that are public and are represented by a complex religious repertoire of images and practices. Based on a field study that combines in‐depth interviews, observations, films, and textual analyses, this article examines how volunteers from the ‘Zaka’ organization (the Jewish ultra‐Orthodox team for identification of victims of disaster in Israel) explain their deathwork during terror attacks. Generally we would expect that this community's religious norms, which prevent them from involvement with the larger society, would also prevent members from participation in cases of death in the public sphere. Nevertheless,Zaka's tasks involve collecting, matching, and recomposing pieces of human flesh and blood in the public arena. Through these new practices,Zakavolunteers shape new narratives of public death, which are based on two central premises: a discourse of ‘corpse symbolism’ and a narrative of taboo desecration. This language reinforces and revives Haredis' own religious expressions during terror, allowing them to monopolize the death experience and the handling of dead bodies, introduce sacred meanings of corpses and death into the public sphere, and create their new position as specialists and deathworkers.
A Joint Genomewide Linkage Analysis of Symptoms of Alcohol Dependence and Conduct Disorder
Authors: Kendler Kenneth S. , Kuo Po‐Hsiu , Todd Webb B. , Kalsi Gursharan , Neale Michael C. , Sullivan Patrick F. , Walsh Dermot , Patterson Diana G. , Riley Brien , Prescott Carol A.
Published: October 2006

Background: A large linkage peak for alcohol dependence (AD) was detected on chromosome 4q in the Irish Affected Sib Pair Study of Alcohol Dependence (IASPSAD). Are the susceptibility genes underlying this peak specific for AD or do they increase risk for externalizing disorders more generally? Can we, in the IASPSAD, replicate prior evidence for linkage to conduct disorder (CD)?

Methods: The 733 all possible sibling pairs in IASPSAD were typed for 1,020 short‐tandem‐repeat genetic markers. Univariate and bivariate linkage analyses were conducted by the program sequential oligogenic linkage analysis routines (SOLAR), for both the raw and the transformed number of symptoms of AD (ADsx) and number of symptoms of CD (CDsx). In the bivariate analyses, specificity was assessed by the ratio of the variance accounted for in ADsx and CDsx by the quantitative trait locus.

Results: In the univariate linkage analyses, no evidence for linkage to CDsx was found under the 4q peak for ADsx and the largest peaks for CDsx were seen on chromosomes 1q (LOD=3.16) and 14p (LOD=2.36). In the bivariate linkage analysis, the 4q peak had high specificity for AD (AD/CD ratio of 39.9). Several smaller peaks, on chromosomes 1, 7, and 10, had moderate specificity for CD but also impacted on risk for AD, with AD/CD ratios of 0.18 to 0.32.

Conclusions: Genes under the 4q linkage peak for AD in the IASPSAD impact specifically on risk for AD rather than more broadly on risk for externalizing syndromes. Suggestive linkages were found in several locations for CD, 2 of which broadly replicate prior findings. The bivariate analyses identified genomic locations containing susceptibility loci that impacted on risk for both CDsx and ADsx.
Refractory Epilepsy: One Size Does Not Fit All
Authors: French Jacqueline A.
Published: October 2006

A unifying definition of refractory epilepsy has been hotly debated but, to date, has not been agreed upon. Evidence from clinical trials indicates that some patients actually are not refractory, as many will partially respond to add-on treatment or will worsen when antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) are removed. There are several important issues relating to the assessment of AED response that routinely have not been addressed in the determination of treatment responsiveness, such as incorporating baseline seizure severity, including partial response rather than solely an all-or-none response, and the consideration of variability in response over time.
EURAP Outcomes for Seizure Control during Pregnancy: Useful and Encouraging Data
Authors: Pennell Page B.
Published: October 2006

Seizure Control and Treatment in Pregnancy: Observations from the EURAP Epilepsy Pregnancy Registry

EURAP Study Group

Neurology 2006;66:354–360

Objective

To analyze seizure control and treatment in pregnant women with epilepsy.

Methods

Seizure control and treatment were recorded prospectively in 1,956 pregnancies of 1,882 women with epilepsy participating in EURAP, an international antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) and pregnancy registry.

Results

Of all cases, 58.3% were seizure-free throughout pregnancy. Occurrence of any seizures was associated with localization-related epilepsy (OR, 2.5; 1.7 to 3.9) and polytherapy (OR, 9.0; 5.6 to 14.8) and for tonic–clonic seizures, with oxcarbazepine monotherapy (OR, 5.4; 1.6 to 17.1). Using first trimester as reference, seizure control remained unchanged throughout pregnancy in 63.6%, 92.7% of whom were seizure free during the entire pregnancy. For those with a change in seizure frequency, 17.3% had an increase and 15.9% a decrease. Seizures occurred during delivery in 60 pregnancies (3.5%), more commonly in women with seizures during pregnancy (OR, 4.8; 2.3 to 10.0). There were 36 cases of status epilepticus (12 convulsive), which resulted in stillbirth in one case but no cases of miscarriage or maternal mortality. AED treatment remained unchanged in 62.7% of the pregnancies. The number or dosage of AEDs were more often increased in pregnancies with seizures (OR, 3.6; 2.8 to 4.7) and with monotherapy with lamotrigine (OR, 3.8; 2.1 to 6.9) or oxcarbazepine (OR, 3.7; 1.1 to 12.9).

Conclusions

The majority of patients with epilepsy maintain seizure control during pregnancy. The apparently higher risk of seizures among women treated with oxcarbazepine and the more frequent increases in drug load in the oxcarbazepine and lamotrigine cohorts prompts further studies on relationships with pharmacokinetic changes. Risks associated with status epilepticus appear to be lower than previously reported.
Specific membrane binding of the carboxypeptidase Y inhibitor IC, a phosphatidylethanolamine‐binding protein family member
Authors: Mima Joji , Fukada Hiroaki , Nagayama Mitsuru , Ueda Mitsuyoshi
Published: October 2006

IC, an endogenous cytoplasmic inhibitor of vacuolar carboxypeptidase Y in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, is classified as a member of the phosphatidylethanolamine‐binding protein family. The binding of IC to phospholipid membranes was first analyzed using a liposome‐binding assay and by surface plasmon resonance measurements, which revealed that the affinity of this inhibitor was not for phosphatidylethanolamine but for anionic phospholipids, such as phosphatidylserine, phosphatidylinositol 3‐phosphate, phosphatidylinositol 3,4‐bisphosphate, and phosphatidylinositol 3,4,5‐trisphosphate, with KD values below 100 nm. The liposome‐binding assay and surface plasmon resonance analyses of IC, when complexed with carboxypeptidase Y, and the mutant forms of IC further suggest that the N‐terminal segment (Met1–His18) in its carboxypeptidase Y‐binding sites is involved in the specific and efficient binding to anionic phospholipid membranes. The binding of IC to cellular membranes was subsequently analyzed by fluorescence microscopy of yeast cells producing the green fluorescent protein‐tagged IC, suggesting that IC is specifically targeted to vacuolar membranes rather than cytoplasmic membranes, during the stationary growth phase. The present findings provide novel insights into the membrane‐targeting and biological functions of IC and phosphatidylethanolamine‐binding proteins.
The Spitzer Infrared Spectrometer view of V4334 Sgr (Sakurai's Object)
Authors: Evans A. , Tyne V. H. , Van Loon J. Th. , Smalley B. , Geballe T. R. , Gehrz R. D. , Woodward C. E. , Zijlstra A. A. , Polomski E. , Rushton M. T. , Eyres S. P. S. , Starrfield S. G. , Krautter J. , Wagner R. M.
Published: October 2006

We present an observation of the very late thermal pulse object V4334 Sgr (Sakurai's Object) with the Infrared Spectrometer (IRS) on the Spitzer Space Telescope. The emission from 5–38 μm is dominated by the still-cooling dust shell. A number of features are seen in absorption against the dust shell, which we attribute to HCN and polyyne molecules. We use these features to determine the 12C/13C ratio for the absorbing gas to be ∼3.2+3.2−1.6; this implies that, despite the H-content of the molecules, the hydrocarbon-bearing gas must have originated in material produced in the very late thermal pulse. We see no evidence of emission lines, despite the recently-reported optical and radio observations that suggest the effective temperature of the stellar remnant is rising.
Fusion of Fungicidal Peptide dhvar4 to Enterococcal Peptide Pheromone Increases Its Bactericidal Activity against Enterococcus faecalis
Authors: Lu Xiaofeng , Wan Lin , Yang Hao , Zhang Jie , Li Shengfu , Kang Mei , Li Youping , Cheng Jingqiu
Published: October 2006

Bacterial peptide pheromone has a high affinity to its membrane receptor. Fusion of these peptides to pore‐forming antimicrobial peptide might enhance its bactericidal activity against pheromone‐sensing bacteria. We constructed two chimeric peptides by fusing the pore‐forming fungicidal peptide dhvar4 to the C‐terminus of enterococcal peptide pheromones cCF10 and cOB1 individually. Comparison on the bactericidal activities against pheromone‐sensing bacteria Enterococcus faecalis demonstrates that the chimeric peptides cCF10–dhvar4 and cOB1–dhvar4 are more potent than the parent peptide dhvar4. The LD50s of both chimeric peptides (1.0 μm) are 10 times lower than that of dhvar4 (10.8 μm). Free peptide pheromone could inhibit E. faecalis killing mediated by both chimeric peptides. As same as that of the parent peptide, both chimeric peptides kill bacteria by disrupting its cell membrane. These results indicate that fused enterococcal peptide pheromone increases the bactericidal activity of fungicidal peptide against E. faecalis by improving its ability to reach the cell membrane.
The Effects of Baduanjin Qigong in the Prevention of Bone Loss for Middle-Aged Women
Authors: Chen Hsing-Hsia , Yeh Mei-Ling , Lee Fang-Ying
Published: October 2006

This study aimed to assess the efficacy of a 12-week Baduanjin qigong training program in preventing bone loss for middle-aged women. An experimental design was adopted, and subjects were assigned randomly into an experimental group ( n = 44) and a control group ( n = 43). The experimental group received a 12-week Baduanjin qigong training program, whereas the control group did not. Interleukin-6 (IL-6) and bone mineral density (BMD) were measured before and after the intervention. The results showed significant differences in IL-6 (t = -5.19, p < 0.000) and BMD (t = 1.99, p = 0.049) between the groups. Baduanjin reduced IL-6 and maintained BMD in the experimental group. In conclusion, this study demonstrates promising efficacy of Baduanjin in preventing bone loss commonly occurring in middle-aged women. Thus, Baduanjin is valuable for promoting and maintaining the health status of middle-aged women.
DYNAMIC SCAPHOLUNATE DISSOCIATION IN A CHILD
Authors: El Rassi George , Shah Suken A.
Published: October 2006

We describe a case of dynamic scapholunate dissociation in a skeletally immature ten-year-old girl. The patient presented for pain in the anatomical snuffbox and swelling over the dorsum of the wrist and hand. Standard static and dynamic radiographs of the wrist did not reveal any pathology. Magnetic resonance imaging was inconclusive. The scapholunate dissociation was diagnosed by wrist arthroscopy, reduced, and stabilised using standard techniques. Full and pain-free motion of the wrist was restored.
Transcending the Boundary of Death: Ecclesiastes Through a Nabokovian Lens
Authors: Carasik Michael
Published: October 2006

Ch. 12 of Ecclesiastes depicts a scene that combines elements of the death of a person with others that describe the death of an entire world. Vladimir Nabokov's novel Invitation to a Beheading ends with a similar scene. Both Nabokov's writings and his biography suggest that he shared Qohelet's view of life "under the sun" as hevel, but his own experience as a creator led him to believe that there is a higher-order reality than our own. The literary technique described here was Nabokov's attempt to show how one might cross the boundary into that higher reality. With a particular focus on Nabokov's novel Pale Fire, I will argue that the parallel to Ecclesiastes suggests that the writer of Eccl. 12:9-14 was also the writer of that entire book, who chose to drop the persona of Qohelet at the end of his book and speak as himself, to burst through the boundaries of death (in 12:7) and offer a view of the world that the Qohelet persona could not perceive.
Paul and the Introspective Conscience of Martin Luther: The Impact of Luther's Anfechtungen on His Interpretation of Paul
Authors: Chester Stephen
Published: October 2006

All his life Martin Luther experienced what he calls his Anfechtungen, his struggles with spiritual despair and guilt. As is well known, these struggles yielded his "Reformation Discovery" that the righteousness of God in Rom. 1:17 is not the punitive righteousness by which a wrathful God punishes sinners, but the gift of his own righteousness through faith in Christ to all who believe. In recent decades, following the influential lead given by the work of Krister Stendahl, Pauline scholars have often assumed that Luther is guilty of simple anachronism, projecting back onto Paul his own guilty conscience. This article subjects that assumption to careful scrutiny, tracing Luther's reading of Philippians 3 across various texts. Although Luther does not discuss Paul's conscience as an issue in its own right, he in fact repeatedly assumes that Paul's pre-conversion conscience was robust. The article moves on to consider how this finding coheres with Luther's overall reading of Paul, the manner in which he thinks about Paul's post-conversion Christian conscience, and the parallels that Luther does draw between his own biography and that of Paul. These parallels are significant, but do not include a guilty conscience. Luther does not project his own introspective struggles back onto Paul. The paper concludes with an exploration of the origins of the idea that Paul had an introspective conscience and a consideration of the implications of its findings for current "new perspective" debates.
Narrative Surprise in Biblical Parallels
Authors: Alster Baruch
Published: October 2006

Surprise is a common narrative technique, but as it is based on the implied reader's 'false impressions', it undermines the reliability of the narrator, which can be a problem in biblical literature. This article attempts to show that the use of surprise in the Bible corresponds to each story's literary and theological goals. I do this by comparing three pairs of parallel narratives: David's bringing the Ark to Jerusalem in 2 Samuel 6 and 1 Chronicles 13 and 15; Moses' sending messengers to Sihon in Deuteronomy 2 and Numbers 21; and the spies' counsel against conquering the land in Deuteronomy 1 and Numbers 13–14. The first of each pair includes a narrative surprise, while the second conveys the same information without surprise. In the first two pairs—the Ark and Sihon—I find that the use of surprise or lack of it corresponds to the literary and ideological goals of each narrative. In the third pair—the Spies—I find that the supposed surprise in Deuteronomy blatantly contradicts the main theme of the narrative. But by taking into account its Numbers counterpart, and by assuming that the reader of the former has at least partial prior knowledge of the latter (an assumption backed up by a number of previous studies), I find that there is indeed no real surprise in the narrative.
In Go(l)d We Trust: Literary and Economic Currency Exchange in the Debate over Caesar's Coin (Mark 12:13-17)
Authors: Cadwallader Alan
Published: October 2006

The intricate connection between inscription, place and economics in the ancient world is carefully carved in the debate over the payment of taxes to Caesar. The application of a Marxist reading strategy that draws on historical and spatial materialism not only opens up the complex interplay of location, denarius and monetary legend in the story but also raises important questions about the incorporation of this story into further inscribed forms. Mark and Marx enter into a sustained dialogue about the ability of inscription to subvert religio-political power.
La Cohérence narrative de 2 Rois 3: Une Réponse à Jesús Asurmendi La Cohérence narrative de 2 Rois 3: Une Réponse à Jesús Asurmendi
Authors: Wénin André
Published: October 2006

La finale de 2 R 3 fait problème, comme l'a souligné dans un article récent J. Asurmendi (BibInt 13 [2005] 1-12). Selon lui, seule une étude historico-critique peut éclairer ce point qui résiste à l'analyse narrative. Cependant, si on considère que les vv. 1-3 font partie de l'exposition du récit, si on pousse l'enquête narrative plus loin et si on s'interroge sur l'ellipse dans le dernier verset, une cohérence d'ensemble apparaît. De soi, un dénouement avorté n'est pas impossible pour un récit, surtout lorsque celui-ci est intégré à une trame épisodique. Ici, il est même compréhensible dans la dynamique du récit. Dès le début de son règne, Yoram se détourne partiellement de l'idolâtrie de ses parents (v. 2), ce que confirme plus loin sa disposition à consulter Élisée et son insistence lorsque celui-ci le rabroue (vv. 12-13). Mais il ne se détourne pas pour autant de l'apostasie de Jéroboam (v. 3) ; aussi ne réagit-il pas lorsque Israël décampe devant la colère du dieu de Moab suite à l'holocauste du premier-né de Mésha (vv. 25-27) au lieu d'exécuter jusqu'au bout la demande d'Élisée de détruire toutes les villes de Moab une fois la victoire donnée par Yhwh (vv. 18-19). La finale de 2 R 3 fait problème, comme l'a souligné dans un article récent J. Asurmendi (BibInt 13 [2005] 1-12). Selon lui, seule une étude historico-critique peut éclairer ce point qui résiste à l'analyse narrative. Cependant, si on considère que les vv. 1-3 font partie de l'exposition du récit, si on pousse l'enquête narrative plus loin et si on s'interroge sur l'ellipse dans le dernier verset, une cohérence d'ensemble apparaît. De soi, un dénouement avorté n'est pas impossible pour un récit, surtout lorsque celui-ci est intégré à une trame épisodique. Ici, il est même compréhensible dans la dynamique du récit. Dès le début de son règne, Yoram se détourne partiellement de l'idolâtrie de ses parents (v. 2), ce que confirme plus loin sa disposition à consulter Élisée et son insistence lorsque celui-ci le rabroue (vv. 12-13). Mais il ne se détourne pas pour autant de l'apostasie de Jéroboam (v. 3) ; aussi ne réagit-il pas lorsque Israël décampe devant la colère du dieu de Moab suite à l'holocauste du premier-né de Mésha (vv. 25-27) au lieu d'exécuter jusqu'au bout la demande d'Élisée de détruire toutes les villes de Moab une fois la victoire donnée par Yhwh (vv. 18-19).
Computational framework for the prediction of transcription factor binding sites by multiple data integration
Authors: Ambesi-Impiombato Alberto , Bansal Mukesh , Liò Pietro , di Bernardo Diego
Published: October 2006

Control of gene expression is essential to the establishment and maintenance of all cell types, and its dysregulation is involved in pathogenesis of several diseases. Accurate computational predictions of transcription factor regulation may thus help in understanding complex diseases, including mental disorders in which dysregulation of neural gene expression is thought to play a key role. However, biological mechanisms underlying the regulation of gene expression are not completely understood, and predictions via bioinformatics tools are typically poorly specific.

We developed a bioinformatics workflow for the prediction of transcription factor binding sites from several independent datasets. We show the advantages of integrating information based on evolutionary conservation and gene expression, when tackling the problem of binding site prediction. Consistent results were obtained on a large simulated dataset consisting of 13050 in silico promoter sequences, on a set of 161 human gene promoters for which binding sites are known, and on a smaller set of promoters of Myc target genes.

Our computational framework for binding site prediction can integrate multiple sources of data, and its performance was tested on different datasets. Our results show that integrating information from multiple data sources, such as genomic sequence of genes' promoters, conservation over multiple species, and gene expression data, indeed improves the accuracy of computational predictions.
Serum neopterin levels in patients with replicative and nonreplicative HBV carriers
Authors: Kaleli Ilknur , Demir Melek , Cevahir Nural , Yılmaz Mustafa , Demir Suleyman
Published: October 2006

Background

Infection by hepatitis B virus (HBV) causes complicated biochemical, immunological and histological changes in host immune response against the virus which can be specific or non-specific. Recent attention has focused on neopterin as a marker for the activation of cell mediated immunity. The aim of this study was to define the pattern of neopterin levels in replicative and nonreplicative HBV carriers.

Methods

Thirty HBV replicative carriers and 25 nonreplicative HBV carriers and 30 healthy adult patients were included this study. Hepatitis markers were determined by commercial kit based on chemilumminesans assay. HBV DNA was quantified by hybrid capture system. Serum neopterin levels were measured by the method of competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Results were expressed as mean ± SD and ranges.

Results

In the nonreplicative group, except for one patient, all the patients' HBeAg were negative and anti-HBe were positive. That particular patient was HBeAg positive and anti-HBe negative. In the replicative group, 23 out of 30 patients have positive HBeAg and negative anti-HBe; 7 out of 30 patients have negative HBeAg and positive anti-HBe. Serum neopterin concentrations were 14.5 ± 10.0 (4.2–41) nmol/L in replicative HBV carriers, 8.9 ± 4.3 (2.1–22) nmol/L in nonreplicative HBV carriers and 7.1 ± 2.2 (4.0–12) nmol/L in the control group. Serum neopterin levels and the rates of abnormal serum neopterin levels in the replicative group were higher than the control group (P < 0.01 and P < 0.05). In the nonreplicative group, serum neopterin levels were not different from those of the control. There was a difference between replicative and nonreplicative groups in the respect of neopterin levels.

Conclusion

In the hepatitis B infected carriers, elevated neopterin levels may be an indicator of the presence of replication.
Chondrosarcoma of the spine: A rare case with unusual presentation
Authors: Panelos John , Voulgaris Spyridon , Michos Evangelos , Doukas Michael , Charalabopoulos Konstantinos , Batistatou Anna
Published: October 2006

Chondrosarcoma is the third most common primary malignancy of bone, affecting primarily the pelvic and shoulder girdles and being extremely rare in the spine. Herein, we present a case of a 65-year-old woman with a rare chondrosarcoma of the spine, who presented with clinical symptoms from the lung metastasis. The neoplasm was grade II and exhibited overexpression of the p53 tumor suppressor protein. The latter has been associated with a high propensity for distant metastases.
Hypopharyngeal diverticulum
Authors: Kuhn Frederick A. , Sessions Donald G. , Ogura Joseph H.
Published: October 2006

The diagnosis and surgical management of 26 patients with hypopharyn‐geal diverticulum treated in the Department of Otolaryngology of the Washington University Medical School from 1961 to 1973 is discussed. The surgical technique for external excision of the diverticulum is described in detail. Results and complications are presented. The surgical excision of hypophaiyngeal diverticulum is a standard, safe, and proven method of management which can be expected to result in satisfactory long‐term results with minimal morbidity.
Theory of hearing — cellular approach
Authors: Anderson Ernest G. , Nagle Duane W.
Published: October 2006

A model was developed to simulate the combination of Davis's electrical model of cochlear excitation and the electrical model of a neuron; both afferent and efferent fibers were included. The resulting model was stimulated by varying the hair cell resistance. This is equivalent to varying the sound pressure level presented to the cochlea in the physiological system. It was found that, in the normal ear, there was a critical level of hair cell resistance below which no firings were obtained (no information transmitted) . The scala media potential was varied and the previous tests repeated. This was done to simulate changes in the stria vascularis of the physiological system.

It was found that as the scala media potential decreased, the critical value of the hair cell resistance increased. Two clinical procedures are proposed: the first is a procedure to improve hearing for persons with a “linear or flat loss”; the second is a procedure for improving the hearing for persons with a “ski slope loss.”
The effect of aerobic metabolism dissociation on the innervation of the guinea pig cochlea
Authors: Spector Gershon J. , Carr Charles D.
Published: October 2006

Fluorocitrate, a metabolic inhibitor of the Krebs' cycle at the aconitase hydrolase reaction (E.C. 4.2.1.3) and succinic dehydrogenase (E.C. 1.3.99.1) but not the respiratory carrier enzymes (NADH2‐D [E.C. 1.6.99.3] and the cytochromes [E.C. 1.9.3.1]), produces a time and dose related cochlear neural dystrophy by uncoupling aerobic from anaerobic metabolism. Neural degeneration appears to be the result of a dissociation of biochemical reactions which prevents proper utilization of organic fuel molecules for the generation of energy and a direct or indirect inhibition of neural respiration. Since fluorocitrate acts on nerve cell bodies and not directly on axons, it produces initially damage in the afferent nerves and in the spiral ganglia and later in the efferent nerves, whose cell bodies are in the pons. This study provides a biochemical model for selectively damaging the cochlear sensory neurons.
Causes of failure of mastoidectomy for chronic otitis media.
Authors: Nadol Joseph B.
Published: October 2006

The operative findings of 66 patients who underwent revision mastoid surgery for recurrent chronic otitis media were analyzed for the causes of failure of the primary procedures. Recurrent cholesteatoma was found in 41% of the canal wall down and 70% of the canal wall up procedures requiring revision. Additional causes of failure included granulation tissue in unexenterated cells, particularly in the tegmental cells (41% of all cases and 64% of cases without cholesteatoma) and cells of the sinodural angle (38% of all cases and 58% of cases without cholesteatoma). The need for thorough exenteration of cells, particularly the tegmental cells and cells of the sinodural angle, mastoid tip, and facial recess, and the importance of lowering the facial ridge in canal wall down procedures were stressed.

Following these principles, the success rate in creating a dry ear in 48 patients who had undergone from one to three previous mastoid procedures was 85% (mean follow‐up three years).
X‐Linked mixed hearing loss: Four case studies.
Authors: Bento Ricardo Ferreira , Miniti Aroldo
Published: October 2006

To present four cases of an X‐linkcd inner ear malformation, the authors studied inner ear malformations and present here all the radiological, genetic, and audiologicnl tests of these patients.

The importance of this paper is to reinforce the differential diagnosis between this pathology and otosclerosis in order to avoid surgical procedures.
Improved technique for the diagnosis of atypical nasopharyngeal cancer
Authors: Qin Dexing , Hu Yuhua , Gu Xianazhi
Published: October 2006

Nasopharyngeal cancer (NPC) is the most commonly seen tumor in the head and neck region, especially in south China. Diagnosis of this cancer is still difficult particularly in the following atypical conditions

Patients presenting with neck lymphadenopathy only, while the primary lesion is hidden beneath the apparently normal mucosa of the nasopharynx.

Patients having positive serum Epstein‐Barr virus antibody titer but without any apparent lesion in the nasopharynx.

We have tried to improve the instrument used to obtain the cytology specimen by using a gauze ball; the guiding of the biting biopsy by spraying hydrogen peroxide; and the biopsy of submucosal lesions by using the multiple‐hole needle. The technique and the preliminary results are presented.