bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Functional disability and depression in the general population. Results from the Netherlands Mental Health Survey and Incidence Study (NEMESIS)
Authors: Spijker J. , de Graaf R. , Bijl R. V. , Beekman A. T. F. , Ormel J. , Nolen W. A.
Published: July 2004

Objective:  Data on the temporal relationships between duration of depression and recovery and functional disability are sparse. These relationships were examined in subjects from the general population (n = 250) with newly originated episodes of DSM‐III‐R major depression.

Method:  The Netherlands Mental Health Survey and Incidence Study is a prospective epidemiological survey in the adult population (n = 7076), using the Composite International Diagnostic Interview (CIDI). Duration of depression and duration of recovery over 2 years were assessed with a life chart interview. Functional disabilities were assessed with the MOS‐SF‐36 and with absence days from work.

Results:  Functional disabilities and absence days in depressed individuals were not found to be associated with duration of depression. Functioning in daily activities improved with longer duration of recovery but social functioning not.

Conclusion:  Functioning deteriorates by actual depressive symptomatology and comorbid anxiety but not by longer duration of depression. After symptomatic recovery, functioning improves to premorbid level, irrespective of the length of the depression. Improvements in daily activities and work can be expected with longer duration of recovery.
Changes in brain metabolism associated with remission in unipolar major depression
Authors: Holthoff V. A. , Beuthien‐Baumann B. , Zündorf G. , Triemer A. , Lüdecke S. , Winiecki P. , Koch R. , Füchtner F. , Herholz K.
Published: July 2004

Objective:  Functional brain correlates of remission in patients with major depressive disorder (MDD) are measured with positron emission tomography (PET) and 18F‐fluorodeoxyglucose.

Method:  Glucose metabolism was measured in patients (n = 41) with moderate to severe MDD during acute depression and in the remitted state defined as a period of asymptomatic condition over 12 weeks. Data analyses used a region‐of‐interest (ROI) approach and statistical parametric mapping (SPM).

Results:  There were significant decreases in metabolism upon remission with respect to the baseline scan in left prefrontal, anterior temporal and anterior cingulate cortex and bilateral thalamus (SPM analysis) and bilateral putamen and cerebellum (SPM and ROI analyses). There was a significant asymmetry in prefrontal and anterior cingulate cortex metabolism with lower metabolism in the left hemisphere that persisted despite clinical remission.

Conclusion:  These findings support the hypothesis that selective monoamine reuptake inhibition leads to an attenuation of a brain circuit that mediates depressive symptomatology.
The SCL‐90 and SCL‐90R versions validated by item response models in a Danish community sample
Authors: Olsen L. R. , Mortensen E. L. , Bech P.
Published: July 2004

Objective:  To evaluate the internal validity of the subscales of the combined SCL‐90 and SCL‐90R, the SCL‐92, by item response analyses as compared with several previously reported factor analyses of this questionnaire in the literature.

Method:  The SCL‐92 questionnaire was mailed to an age‐ and gender‐stratified random sample of Danish citizens. The sample comprised 2040 individuals. The internal structure of the nine factors of the SCL‐92 questionnaire was evaluated by Mokken‐Loevinger analysis and Rasch analysis.

Results:  In total, 1153 persons or 58% returned the questionnaire fully completed. Mokken analysis found all scales apart from the psychoticism scale acceptable. The Rasch analysis found most of the subscales to be robust. Minor problems were seen for the scales of phobic anxiety, obsession‐compulsion and depression. Analysis of the Global Severity Index showed that the Rasch model was rejected for the full 92‐item scale, but not for a scale consisting of the 63 items from the non‐psychotic subscales. Spearman correlations among the subscales were all positive (range 0.34–0.79) and so were correlations between each of the subscales and the Global Severity Index (range 0.55–0.91).

Conclusion:  In this sample from the Danish general population the non‐psychotic subscales, i.e. the subscales covering psychological distress were observed to function well. In a general population sample, the 63 non‐psychotic items primarily appear to reflect one broad dimension of distress.
Use of stable isotopes to distinguish farmed from wild Atlantic salmon, Salmo salar
Authors: Dempson J. B. , Power M.
Published: August 2004

Abstract –  Stable isotopes of carbon and nitrogen (δ13C and δ15N) were examined in wild and aquaculture origin Atlantic salmon, Salmo salar, to evaluate their utility to identify escaped farmed fish. Samples of muscle tissue obtained from wild Conne River, Newfoundland, salmon were significantly more enriched in nitrogen (δ15N: mean = 12.75; SD ± 0.38‰) but depleted in lipid corrected carbon (δ13C′: mean = −20.51; SD ± 0.23‰) by comparison with aquaculture specimens obtained from Bay d'Espoir, Newfoundland (δ15N = 10.96 ± 0.19‰; δ13C′ = −19.25 ± 0.17‰) resulting in a complete separation of the two groups. Aquaculture specimens differed in δ13C′ from analyses of commercial salmon diet by 0.24‰, within the enrichment range associated with trophic transfers, while the δ15N values in salmon muscle were enriched by 5.01‰. Although differences occurred in direct comparisons of white muscle and adipose tissue (N = 49), the average δ13C′ and δ15N signatures varied in absolute amounts by only 0.5‰, supporting the use of adipose tissue as a nonlethal means to determine isotopic signatures of Atlantic salmon.
Migration of landlocked brown trout in two Scandinavian streams as revealed from trap data
Authors: Carlsson J. , Aarestrup K. , Nordwall F. , Näslund I. , Eriksson T. , Carlsson J. E. L.
Published: August 2004

Abstract –  Anthropogenic barriers that may interfere or prevent fish migration are commonly found in streams throughout the distribution of salmonids. Construction of fish passages in streams is a common solution to this problem. However, the goal with fish passages is often, at least in Scandinavia, to allow Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar L.) and migratory brown trout (S. trutta L.) to get access to spawning areas above these barriers. Hence, the fish passages may often only be open during the spawning migration of salmonids (late summer to autumn). We present data, on wild brown trout migration, from two trapping systems in two Scandinavian streams showing that intra‐ and interstream migrations are common throughout the summer and autumn. Moreover, differences in size were found between trap‐caught trout and electrofished trout where trapped trout were generally larger than electrofished trout. We suggest that the current regime with fish passages only open parts of the year can have negative effects on populations by depriving trout from the possibility to perform migrations throughout the year.
Attenuation of lipopolysaccharide‐induced hyperreactivity of human internal mammary arteries by melatonin
Authors: Müller‐Schweinitzer Else , Gilles Hans , Grapow Martin , Kern Thomas , Reineke David , Zerkowski Hans‐Reinhard
Published: August 2004

Abstract:  Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are thought to be important mediators in ischaemia/reperfusion injury following coronary vasospasm. The most ubiquitous action of melatonin is that of a free radical scavenger. Therefore, we investigated the action of melatonin by monitoring changes in the tone on ring preparations from human internal mammary arteries (IMA). In quiescent IMA rings melatonin (0.1 nm–10 μm) never elicited any change in baseline tension but 1–100 nm melatonin enhanced significantly maximal responses to noradrenaline (NA) in arteries with endothelial function. In NA (1 μm) precontracted arteries inhibition of nitric oxide (NO•) formation by NG‐monomethyl‐l‐arginine (l‐NMMA, 100 and 400 μm) eliminated 43 ± 7 and 61 ± 7% of the acetylcholine (ACH) effect. Melatonin (100 and 400 nm) attenuated maximal endothelium‐dependent relaxant responses to ACH slightly by 23 ± 9 and 17 ± 9% leaving responses to direct stimulation of soluble guanylate cyclase by sodium nitroprusside unchanged. Incubation of IMA for 20 hr at 37°C with 1 μg/mL lipopolysaccharide (LPS) enhanced maximal NA effects to 147 ± 18% (n = 22, P < 0.01) whereas 50 μg/mL LPS reduced the NA maxima to 68 ± 9% (n = 10, P < 0.01) of the control effects. The LPS‐induced potentiation was completely attenuated by coincubation with melatonin (400 nm) and significantly reduced by coincubation with the thromboxane synthase inhibitor dazoxiben (10 μm). It is suggested that the LPS‐induced hyperreactivity of vascular smooth muscle is mediated through enhanced release of ROS and prostanoids and that melatonin inhibits the vascular hyperreactivity through selective scavenging of ROS.
Verbal Certainty in American Politics: An Overview and Extension
Authors: HART RODERICK P. , CHILDERS JAY P.
Published: July 2004

This article reexamines the first author's work over the last three decades in the area of presidential rhetoric, focusing particularly on verbal certainty—the extent to which a speaker depends on resolute and totalistic language. The study then explores the first three years of the George W. Bush presidency along this dimension. Although verbal certainty has declined across presidential administrations during the past 50 years, the Bush presidency has resurrected it, perhaps because of personal or philosophical reasons and perhaps because of the unique circumstances created by the war on terrorism.
The Changing Presidential Media Environment
Authors: WATTENBERG MARTIN P.
Published: July 2004

This article examines the declining audience for presidential speeches and for political news in general. Because of these changes, presidents now face a significantly more difficult task in getting messages through to the entire public than at any time since the birth of the mass media. But perhaps even more important is that the nature of the audience no longer befits the ideal notion of a nationally elected officer who is president of all the people. The presidential audience is now highly skewed in terms of age, with young adults being less and less likely to follow presidential actions.
The Law: Recess Appointments to Article III Courts
Authors: HOGUE HENRY B.
Published: July 2004

Under the Constitution, the president and the Senate share the power to appoint officers of the United States, including federal judges. The Constitution also empowers the president to make temporary appointments without the Senate's approval during Senate recesses. Presidents have made over 300 recess appointments to Article III courts, but the practice has become rare in the last 40 years. Although courts have found tension between Article II and Article III inherent in judicial recess appointments, the practice has been held to be constitutional. Intrasession recess appointments, particularly during recesses of less than 30 days, have sometimes proven controversial.
Selected Pool of Peptides from ESAT-6 and CFP-10 Proteins for Detection of
Mycobacterium tuberculosis
Infection
Authors: Scarpellini Paolo , Tasca Silvana , Galli Laura , Beretta Alberto , Lazzarin Adriano , Fortis Claudio
Published: August 2004

We have validated a new test for detecting
Mycobacterium tuberculosis
infection. A pool of synthetic peptides derived from ESAT-6 and CFP-10 proteins was used to detect the number of specific gamma interferon-producing T cells by means of an enzyme-linked immunospot assay. Sixty-eight individuals positive for
M. tuberculosis
infection, either human immunodeficiency virus-seropositive or -seronegative, were studied. The test results were highly specific (87.5%) and sensitive (93.1%), more so than a classical lymphoproliferative assay (specificity and sensitivity of 77.27%), opening new possibilities for diagnosis and screening of tuberculosis. Moreover, the test allowed us to distinguish individuals infected with
M. tuberculosis
from those vaccinated with BCG.
Characterization of Multiple-Antimicrobial-Resistant
Escherichia coli
Isolates from Diseased Chickens and Swine in China
Authors: Yang Hanchun , Chen Sheng , White David G. , Zhao Shaohua , McDermott Patrick , Walker Robert , Meng Jianghong
Published: August 2004

Escherichia coli
isolates from diseased piglets (
n
= 89) and chickens (
n
= 71) in China were characterized for O serogroups, virulence genes, antimicrobial susceptibility, class 1 integrons, and mechanisms of fluoroquinolone resistance. O78 was the most common serogroup identified (63%) among the chicken
E. coli
isolates. Most isolates were PCR positive for the increased serum survival gene (
iss
; 97%) and the temperature-sensitive hemagglutinin gene (
tsh
; 93%). The O serogroups of swine
E. coli
were not those typically associated with pathogenic strains, nor did they posses common characteristic virulence factors. Twenty-three serogroups were identified among the swine isolates; however, 38% were O nontypeable. Overall, isolates displayed resistance to nalidixic acid (100%), tetracycline (98%), sulfamethoxazole (84%), ampicillin (79%), streptomycin (77%), and trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (76%). Among the fluoroquinolones, resistance ranged between 64% to levofloxacin, 79% to ciprofloxacin, and 95% to difloxacin. DNA sequencing of
gyrA
,
gyrB
,
parC
, and
parE
quinolone resistance-determining regions of 39 nalidixic acid-resistant
E. coli
isolates revealed that a single
gyrA
mutation was found in all of the isolates; mutations in
parC
together with double
gyrA
mutations conferred high-level resistance to fluoroquinolones (ciprofloxacin MIC, ≥8 μg/ml). Class 1 integrons were identified in 17 (19%) isolates from swine and 42 (47%) from chickens. The majority of integrons possessed genes conferring resistance to streptomycin and trimethoprim. These findings suggest that multiple-antimicrobial-resistant
E. coli
isolates, including fluoroquinolone-resistant variants, are commonly present among diseased swine and chickens in China, and they also suggest the need for the introduction of surveillance programs in China to monitor antimicrobial resistance in pathogenic bacteria that can be potentially transmitted to humans from food animals.
Verification of an Assay for Quantification of Hepatitis C Virus RNA by Use of an Analyte-Specific Reagent and Two Different Extraction Methods
Authors: Forman Michael S. , Valsamakis Alexandra
Published: August 2004

Protocols were designed for quantification and detection of hepatitis C virus (HCV) RNA by the use of an analyte-specific reagent (ASR) (Roche COBAS TaqMan48 [CTM48] HCV) after manual and automated RNA extraction. The purposes were to determine (i) assay performance characteristics using manual and automated RNA extraction methods, (ii) whether measurable range and limit of detection (LOD) of the ASR assay were influenced by genotype, and (iii) correlation of quantification by CTM48 HCV ASR and COBAS Monitor HCV v. 2.0. For HCV genotype 1 (Gt1), the lower limits of quantification after manual extraction were slightly lower than those for automated extraction (1.0 versus 1.5 log
10
IU/ml). Results were linear up to the highest concentration tested after extraction by both methods (manual, 6.1 log
10
; automated, 6.4 log
10
). Similar results were obtained for Gt2 (1.8 to 6.8 log
10
IU/ml) and Gt3 (1.6 to 6.8 log
10
IU/ml) after automated extraction. The LOD of Gt1 virus was 10 IU/ml after manual extraction and between 25 and 37.5 IU/ml after automated extraction. Results with Gt2 and Gt3 viruses were similar after automated extraction (Gt2, between 25 and 50 IU/ml; Gt3, 25 IU/ml). Variability (intrarun and interrun, at concentrations throughout the range of quantification) was ≤13% for both extraction methods. Clinical specimens tested by Monitor were quantified using the CTM48 HCV ASR assay. Characteristics of the regression line included a slope of 0.98 and
y
intercept of −0.23. Quantification by the two methods was correlated (
r
= 0.97). CTM48 HCV ASR assay values were on average twofold lower than those for Monitor HCV v. 2.0. These data suggest that our assay combines the characteristics of qualitative and quantitative PCR platforms into a single test.
Use of Fluorescence Resonance Energy Transfer Hybridization Probes To Evaluate Quantitative Real-Time PCR for Diagnosis of Ocular Toxoplasmosis
Authors: Simon Audrey , Labalette Pierre , Ordinaire Isabelle , Fréalle Emilie , Dei-Cas Eduardo , Camus Daniel , Delhaes Laurence
Published: August 2004

Toxoplasma gondiiinfection is an important cause of chorioretinitis in Europe and the United States. Ophthalmological examination and a good clinical response to adequate therapy mainly support ocular toxoplasmosis diagnosis. However, clinical diagnostic may be difficult in some atypical cases. In these cases, laboratory confirmation, based on detection of local specific antibodies and parasite DNA by conventional PCR, is therefore important to confirm the disease etiology. More recently, real-time PCR has been developed to improve prenatal congenital toxoplasmosis diagnosis. We therefore examined the diagnostic value of quantitative real-time PCR for the detection ofT. gondiiin aqueous humor samples, associated with quantification of human β-globin to control sample quantitative quality, by using a double fluorescence resonance energy transfer hybridization probes system with a double fluorescence reading. Of the 23 the clinically toxoplasmosis suspect patients, 22 showed serological evidence of exposure toToxoplasma; one had a serological profile indicative of active infection. The analysis of paired aqueous humor and serum samples revealed an intraocular antibody production in 9 of 23 cases (39.1%). The quantitative real-time PCR revealed positive and high parasite numbers and highToxoplasma/human genome ratios in three cases. Furthermore, PCR was the only positive confirmatory test in two cases (11.1%). None of the patients included in the control group (n= 7) had evidence of either local specific antibody production orT. gondiiDNA detection, suggesting a good relative assay specificity. On the whole, quantitative real-time PCR appears to be useful for diagnosing atypical ocular toxoplasmosis presentations.
Identification of
Escherichia coli
O114 O-Antigen Gene Cluster and Development of an O114 Serogroup-Specific PCR Assay
Authors: Feng Lu , Wang Wei , Tao Jiang , Guo Hongjie , Krause Gladys , Beutin Lothar , Wang Lei
Published: August 2004

Screening for the
Escherichia coli
O serotype is the traditional test for identification of
E. coli
clones. The O-antigen gene cluster of the
E. coli
O114 type strain was sequenced, and 12 open reading frames were assigned functions on the basis of homology. By screening against all 186
E. coli
and
Shigella
O serotypes, five genes specific to
E. coli
O114 were identified. A PCR assay based on the O-antigen-specific genes was developed and tested on 41 clinical isolates of
E. coli
O114. The PCR assay was shown to be highly specific and sensitive. When tested with pork and water samples, as few as 0.12 CFU of
E. coli
O114 g
−1
were detected. Thus, the PCR assays established in this study can be used to reliably identify
E. coli
O114 strains and may also be used to detect
E. coli
O114 strains in food, water, and other environmental samples.
Intrafamilial Spread of the Same Clarithromycin-Resistant
Helicobacter pylori
Infection Confirmed by Molecular Analysis
Authors: Taneike Ikue , Suzuki Keibun , Nakagawa Saori , Yamamoto Tatsuo
Published: August 2004

Clarithromycin-resistant
Helicobacter pylori
(CRHP) is increasing worldwide, especially in children. We report a family case in which both the mother and child were infected with CRHP. DNA analysis revealed that all of the mother's and daughter's isolates were indistinguishable, suggesting that the same CRHP strain spread between the family members. The spread of CRHP within families may be increasing.
The effects of strike-slip motion along the Cobequid - Chedabucto - southwest Grand Banks fault system on the Cretaceous-Tertiary evolution of Atlantic Canada
Authors: Pe-Piper Georgia , Piper David J.W
Published: July 2004

The Newfoundland Fracture Zone, the southwest Grand Banks transform, and the CobequidChedabucto fault zone form a linked strike-slip fault system from the Atlantic Ocean to southeastern Canada. This paper suggests that several large-scale geological features in southeastern Canada are the result of a small amount of strike-slip motion on the system during the mid Cretaceous and Oligocene. Regional extension features developed in the releasing bend in the Laurentian sub-basin during the mid Cretaceous, but the same area experienced Oligocene compression. This tectonic model accounts for the distribution of mid-Cretaceous volcanism, fault-bounded basins, and regional unconformities, as well as mid to late Cretaceous subsidence of the Scotian basin and Oligocene uplift of the eastern Scotian Shelf.
Chemical variation in Al2O3CaONa2OK2O space: controls on the peraluminosity of the South Mountain Batholith
Authors: Clarke D Barrie , MacDonald Michael A , Erdmann Saskia
Published: July 2004

The South Mountain Batholith (SMB) of southwestern Nova Scotia is a large, highly differentiated, peraluminous, granitic batholith in which the average A/CNK (mol Al2O3/mol(CaO + Na2O + K2O)) increases from 1.16 to 1.23 with chemical evolution. We use vector analysis of variations solely in Al2O3(CaO + Na2O + K2O) space to assess the fractionation, assimilation, fluid, and source controls on the peraluminosity of the SMB. With increasing chemical evolution, Al2O3 decreases, CaO decreases sharply, Na2O is approximately constant, and K2O increases in the early and middle stages but decreases in the most evolved stage. Initial 87Sr/86Sr and 143Nd/144Nd isotopic ratios for granites and average Meguma Supergroup country rocks suggest an upper limit of ~33% of wall-rock contamination for the most evolved rocks, if the most primitive rocks are uncontaminated. The trend of chemical evolution of the SMB through Al2O3(CaO + Na2O + K2O) space is the resultant of all input vectors (processes). In the early stages, those processes are fractional crystallization of plagioclase ± K-feldspar ± cordierite ± biotite and contamination by country rocks. In the later stages, those processes are fractionation of plagioclase ± K-feldspar ± andalusite ± muscovite, further contamination by country rocks, and selective partitioning of CaNaK into aqueous fluid phases. Clear geochemical evidence for variation in the source composition is lacking.
Geochemical evolution of a 10 m-thick intrusive body: the South Brenterch diabase dyke, Western Armorican Massif, France
Authors: Caroff Martial , Cotten Joseph
Published: July 2004

The South Brenterch 9.5 m-thick diabase dyke belongs to the intermediate-Ti quartz-normative tholeiitic magmatism, which has intruded the western end of Britanny (France) near the Trias-Lias boundary. It has been previously identified as a "simple" dyke, resulting from a single magmatic injection. The present study is based on ten samples collected along a half transverse section of this dyke. Geochemical analyses and some textural parameters have been used to point out two flow-related differentiation processes, partially masked by alteration. These late magmatic mechanisms have induced subtle geochemical variations among samples, which sometime counteract each other. The processes pointed out here are (i) expulsion of phenocrysts from the borders during flow differentiation, likely by the way of an hydrodynamic grain dispersive pressure, and (ii) emplacement of a more evolved magma in the central part of the intrusion, probably due to a viscosity segregation mechanism during the flow.
Arenigian (Early Ordovician) sea-level history and the response of conodont communities, western Newfoundland
Authors: Zhang Shunxin , Barnes Christopher R
Published: July 2004

Four cluster analyses were performed, which recognized 17 conodont communities in the Arenigian (Lower Ordovician) of western Newfoundland. The analyses include 69 598 identifiable conodont specimens recovered from 153 conodont-bearing samples from four stratigraphical sections representing the environmental settings of the platform, upper proximal slope, lower proximal slope, and distal slope. The distribution of conodont communities along the platform to slope environmental gradient shows that sea-level changes simultaneously affected the development and replacement of the conodont communities in the different facies. The pattern of change in conodont communities allows an interpretation of sea-level change that is correlated precisely into the detailed graptolite biozonation. A gradual transgression lasted most of Tetragraptus approximatus Zone time, which was followed by a brief regression; a transgressionregression cycle occurred in the T. akzharensis Zone time; a major transgression caused a highstand during the entire Pendeograptus fruticosus Zone time, which was followed by a major regression in the early Didymograptus bifidus Zone time; Isograptus victoriae lunatus Zone time included repetitive oscillations of sea level; a severe regression in the earliest I. i. victoriae Zone time was represented by the St. George unconformity on the platform and the Bed 12 megaconglomerate on the slope, reaching the lowest sea level during the I. i. maximus Zone time. The Arenigian sea-level curve developed by this study only partly agrees with that from the Baltic region and central Australia based on trilobite communities.
Late Pleistocene stratigraphy and chronology of lower Chehalis River valley, southwestern British Columbia: evidence for a restricted Coquitlam Stade
Authors: Ward Brent C , Thomson Bruce
Published: July 2004

Sediments in lower Chehalis valley span middle Wisconsin (Olympia nonglacial interval) to Holocene time. Sediments are divided into six units with chronological control provided by 14 new radiocarbon ages. Fluvial gravel spans the transition from the late Olympia nonglacial interval to the early Fraser Glaciation. Glaciolacustrine sedimentation represents the first definitive glacial activity in the valley and indicates that Vashon ice in the Fraser Lowland blocked the mouth of the Chehalis valley at ca. 1817 ka BP. Ice then flowed down the Chehalis valley. The Chehalis valley deglaciated while ice persisted in the Fraser Lowland, forming another lake. After this lake drained, terraces and fans formed. This style of glaciationdeglaciation is typical of many watersheds peripheral to the Fraser Lowland in that local valley ice was slightly out of phase with ice in the lowland. This resulted in glacial lakes forming during both advance and retreat phases. However, in contrast to watersheds in the northwestern Fraser Lowland, no definitive evidence of a Coquitlam ice advance was found within the Chehalis valley. Although glaciers in the area were likely active and advancing, data from the Chehalis valley indicates that they were not as extensive as previously thought. Since ice source areas in the northeastern Fraser Lowland are in the leeward area of the Coast Mountains, it is suggested that lower precipitation resulted in limited glacier activity there during the Coquitlam Stade.
Inter- and intra-population variation in seedling performance of Rio Grande cottonwood under low and high salinity
Authors: Rowland D L , Sher A A , Marshall D L
Published: August 2004

The Rio Grande watershed ecosystem has been increasingly threatened since the construction of dams and severe channelization in the past century. Rio Grande cottonwood (Populus deltoides var. wislizenii (S. Wats.) Eckenw.) has been suffering stress and high mortality rates with decreased water availability and increased salinity levels. Genetic variation in salt tolerance has been documented in adult cottonwoods, and we hypothesized that these traits might be heritable. This potential heritable genetic variation in seedling offspring might be advantageous in reforestation efforts along the Rio Grande. We screened four New Mexican Rio Grande populations for seedling genotypes that might be salt tolerant and correlated seedling performance under both high- and low-salt treatments with the physiological performance of their open-pollinated family. For all populations, we found significant stunting effects of high salinity on mean leaf size, plant height, total plant mass, root mass, and shoot mass, with no effects on chlorophyll content (as measured by a Minolta SPAD-502 meter) or root/shoot ratio. Although there were no significant differences between the four populations, there were highly significant differences between open-pollinated families within each site. In addition, at one site (San Antonio), genetically based open-pollinated family physiology, as measured in a common garden, was significantly correlated with seedling performance, especially under low-salt conditions. This indicates these traits are heritable, and adult salt tolerance may convey an advantage in offspring establishment under high-salt conditions.
PAIRING IN FERMI FLUIDS IN RESTRICTED GEOMETRIES
Authors: BASHKIN EUGENE P. , WOJDYLO JOHN
Published: August 2004

We consider dimerization of 3 He in a dilute solution of 3 He in superfluid 4 He filling narrow channels of a kind typically found in nanoscale porous media. Dimer formation is facilitated by the one dimensional geometry and occurs despite the fact that the interparticle interaction is too weak to lead to a bound state in bulk fluid. At sufficiently low temperatures, dimerization results in the effective "bosonization" of the system: a Bose quantum fluid of (3 He )2 arises in place of the 3 He Fermi component. At sufficiently high temperatures, for which the 3 He impurity quasiparticles form a Maxwell–Boltzmann gas, the thermodynamics is significantly affected by the presence of dimers. In particular, the specific heat and magnetic susceptibility of the 3 He component show a marked deviation from behaviour expected if dimers were absent. Solution of the Schrödinger equation for a smooth cylindrical pore indicates that the binding energy in straight nanoscale channels ought to be of sufficiently high magnitude to make experimental observation feasible. The presence of (3 He )2 dimers gives rise to an extra absorption mechanism for first sound propagating through the superfluid 4 He , due to resonant absorption and decay of dimers in the acoustic field. We have calculated the absorption coefficient. Several experiments suggest themselves, utilizing, perhaps, K-L zeolites or carbon nanotubes. If the dimers themselves turn out to be attractive, then quadrumers may appear: it may even be the case that a single 3 He polymer will form over the entire length of the channel.
STRATIFICATION MECHANISM AND INTERFACE CHARACTERIZATION OF (TiN), (TiC)/NiCrBSi COMPOSITE COATINGS SYNTHESIZED BY LASER REMELTING
Authors: LIU RONGXIANG , LEI TINGQUAN , GUO LIXIN
Published: July 2004

TiC / TiN -reinforced composite coatings were fabricated on the substrate of Ti – 6Al – 4V alloy using laser remelting. X-ray diffraction (XRD) was used to identify the phases in the laser-clad composite coating; the interface characterization of the dilution zone-clad zone (IDC) and the dilution zone-heat-affected zone (IDH) was observed with a scanning electron microscope (SEM). The results show that the microstructure of a cross-section has stratification characterization, and consists of the clad zone (CZ), the dilution zone (DZ), the diffusion layer (DL) and the heat-affected zone (HAZ). The layer-by-layer microstructure results from the boundary layer phenomenon of viscous melt-fluid and diffusion. The kind of reinforced particle has an effect on the interface morphology, microstructure and flow characterization of the melt-fluid. The phase constitution in the clad zone consists of ( Cr – Ni – Fe ), TiC , Ni 4 B 3, Ti 2 Ni , Cr 2 B and M 23 C 6 for TiC + NiCrBSi coating, and ( Cr – Ni – Fe ), TiN , NiB , Cr 2 Ti and Ti 2 Ni for TiN + NiCrBSi coating. The interfaces of the IDC in the NiCrBSi -clad layer is clear and clean; those of TiC + NiCrBSi and TiN + NiCrBSi are illegible. Ti – Ni phases with acicular microstructure link dilution zone and clad zone, and two kinds of phase with acicular microstructure, are similar in composition and shape.
NANOSECOND LASER-INDUCED THERMAL DIFFUSION DURING LASER ABLATION OF EPOXY FROM A MULTILAYERED SURFACE
Authors: ZHENG H. Y. , CHEN Q. , WANG X. C. , TAN J. L. , LIM G. C.
Published: July 2004

Interference ring marks were observed on a copper substrate consisting of plated layers of Au, Pd and Ni after laser ablation of epoxy material from the top surface. These ring marks are the result of laser-induced surface oxidation and need to be avoided or minimized in order to improve the solder wettability on the treated surface. Studies of laser-induced thermal diffusion through the plated layers were carried out using a 532 nm Q-switch Nd:YAG laser. The major process variables investigated were the beam profile, pulse repetition rate and beam scan pattern. Secondary ion mass spectroscopy (SIMS) was used to obtain a depth profile of the laser-treated layers. It revealed that interfusion of Pd and Ni by diffusion occurred during laser irradiation. Calculations of thermal diffusion length and temperature rise of the metal layers without considering the accumulated thermal effect of overlapping pulses are presented in this article. The study results are useful for a better understanding of the process of laser removal of epoxy flashes on leadframe heatsink surfaces.
GROWTH KINETICS OF Cu(Al) SOLID SOLUTION IN Al/Cu DIFFUSION COUPLES
Authors: HANNECH E. B. , LAMOUDI N. , GASMI A.
Published: July 2004

The growth kinetics of the solid solution phase of aluminum in copper in diffusion couples of pure aluminum and copper has been investigated at 425°C using a scanning electron microscope. In the initial stage, the phase layer growth was found to obey the parabolic law, indicating that the rate-controlling process is diffusion. At longer times, the growth rate deviates from the kt-1/2 behavior of the early stage.
LESSONS LEARNED FROM THE GENOME ANALYSIS OF RALSTONIA SOLANACEARUM
Authors: Genin Stéphane , Boucher Christian
Published: July 2004

▪ Abstract  Ralstonia solanacearum is a devastating plant pathogen with a global distribution and an unusually wide host range. This bacterium can also be free-living as a saprophyte in water or in the soil in the absence of host plants. The availability of the complete genome sequence from strain GMI1000 provided the basis for an integrative analysis of the molecular traits determining the adaptation of the bacterium to various environmental niches and pathogenicity toward plants. This review summarizes current knowledge and speculates on some key bacterial functions, including metabolic versatility, resistance to metals, complex and extensive systems for motility and attachment to external surfaces, and multiple protein secretion systems. Genome sequence analysis provides clues about the evolution of essential virulence genes such as those encoding the Type III secretion system and related pathogenicity effectors. It also provided insights into possible mechanisms contributing to the rapid adaptation of the bacterium to its environment in general and to its interaction with plants in particular.
TOBACCO MOSAIC VIRUS: A Model System for Plant Biology
Authors: Scholthof Karen-Beth G.
Published: July 2004

▪ Abstract  Tobacco mosaic virus (TMV) has had an illustrious history for more than 100 years, dating to Beijerinck's description of the mosaic disease of tobacco as a contagium vivum fluidum and the modern usage of the word “virus.” Since then, TMV has been acknowledged as a preferred didactic model and a symbolic model to illuminate the essential features that define a virus. TMV additionally emerged as a prototypic model to investigate the biology of host plants, namely tobacco. TMV also exemplifies how a model system furthers novel, and often unexpected, developments in biology and virology. Today, TMV is used as a tool to study host-pathogen interactions and cellular trafficking, and as a technology to express valuable pharmaceutical proteins in tobacco. The history of TMV illustrates how pragmatic strategies to control an economically important disease of tobacco have had unexpected and transforming effects across platforms that impinge on plant health and public health.

Tobacco mosaic virus: An RNA virus that causes mosaic disease in tobacco and similar effects in other plants, much used as an experimental subject; abbrev. TMV. ( 8 )
INTEGRATED APPROACHES FOR DETECTION OF PLANT PATHOGENIC BACTERIA AND DIAGNOSIS OF BACTERIAL DISEASES
Authors: Alvarez Anne M.
Published: July 2004

▪ Abstract  Disease diagnosis is based on a number of factors, including laboratory tests for pathogen identification. Rapid development of genomic techniques for characterization of bacteria over the past decade has greatly simplified and improved pathogen detection and identification, but DNA-based methods have not yet entirely replaced traditional culture and phenotypic tests in the plant industry. The first section of this review focuses on rapid immunodiagnostic and DNA-based detection methods for known bacterial pathogens in plants or plant products, which often manifest no symptoms of disease. The second section covers the broader topic of disease diagnosis and new methods for identifying and characterizing bacteria.
MANAGEMENT AND RESISTANCE IN WHEAT AND BARLEY TO FUSARIUM HEAD BLIGHT
Authors: Bai Guihua , Shaner Gregory
Published: July 2004

▪ Abstract  Fusarium head blight (FHB) is a devastating disease of wheat and barley worldwide. Resistant cultivars could reduce damage from FHB. Chinese wheat cultivar Sumai 3 and its derivatives represent the greatest degree of resistance to FHB known. A major quantitative trait locus (QTL) on chromosome 3BS and other minor QTL for FHB resistance have been identified in these cultivars and used in wheat-breeding programs worldwide. Many breeding lines with the 3BS resistance QTL and improved agronomic traits have been developed. In barley, only limited sources of FHB resistance are available, especially in six-rowed barley, and none of them contains a DON level low enough to meet the safety requirement of the brewing industry. Several QTL have been identified for lower FHB severity, DON content, and kernel discoloration and used to enhance FHB resistance in barley. Marker-assisted selection for FHB resistance QTL on 3BS of wheat and on 2H of barley is in progress.
NEMATODE MOLECULAR DIAGNOSTICS: From Bands to Barcodes
Authors: Powers Tom
Published: July 2004

▪ Abstract  Nematodes are considered among the most difficult animals to identify. DNA-based diagnostic methods have already gained acceptance in applications ranging from quarantine determinations to assessments of biodiversity. Researchers are currently in an information-gathering mode, with intensive efforts applied to accumulating nucleotide sequence of 18S and 28S ribosomal genes, internally transcribed spacer regions, and mitochondrial genes. Important linkages with collateral data such as digitized images, video clips and specimen voucher web pages are being established on GenBank and NemATOL, the nematode-specific Tree of Life database. The growing DNA taxonomy of nematodes has lead to their use in testing specific short sequences of DNA as a “barcode” for the identification of all nematode species.
Potentiation of effect of PKA stimulation of Xenopus CFTR by activation of PKC: role of NBD2
Authors: Chen Yongyue , Button Brian , Altenberg Guillermo A. , Reuss Luis
Published: July 2004

Activity of the human (h) cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) channel is predominantly regulated by PKA-mediated phosphorylation. In contrast, Xenopus ( X)CFTR is more responsive to PKC than PKA stimulation. We investigated the interaction between the two kinases in XCFTR. We expressed XCFTR in Xenopus oocytes and maximally stimulated it with PKA agonists. The magnitude of activation after PKC stimulation was about eightfold that without pretreatment with PKC agonist. hCFTR, expressed in the same system, lacked this response. We name this phenomenon XCFTR-specific PKC potentiation effect. To ascertain its biophysical mechanism, we first tested for XCFTR channel insertion into the plasma membrane by a substituted-cysteine-accessibility method. No insertion was detected during kinase stimulation. Next, we studied single-channel properties and found that the single-channel open probability ( Po) with PKA stimulation subsequent to PKC stimulation was 2.8-fold that observed in the absence of PKC preactivation and that single-channel conductance (γ) was increased by ∼22%. To ascertain which XCFTR regions are responsible for the potentiation, we constructed several XCFTR-hCFTR chimeras, expressed them in Xenopus oocytes, and tested them electrophysiologically. Two chimeras [hCFTR NH2-terminal region or regulatory (R) domain in XCFTR] showed a significant decrease in potentiation. In the chimera in which XCFTR nucleotide-binding domain (NBD)2 was replaced with the hCFTR sequence there was no potentiation whatsoever. The converse chimera (hCFTR with Xenopus NBD2) did not exhibit potentiation. These results indicate that potentiation by PKC involves a large increase in Po (with a small change in γ) without CFTR channel insertion into the plasma membrane, that XCFTR NBD2 is necessary but not sufficient for the effect, and that the potentiation effect is likely to involve other CFTR domains.
Biophysical characterization of zebrafish connexin35 hemichannels
Authors: Valiunas Virginijus , Mui Rickie , McLachlan Elizabeth , Valdimarsson Gunnar , Brink Peter R. , White Thomas W.
Published: July 2004

A subset of connexins can form unopposed hemichannels in expression systems, providing an opportunity for comparison of hemichannel gating properties with those of intact gap junction channels. Zebrafish connexin35 (Cx35) is a member of the Cx35/Cx36 subgroup of connexins highly expressed in the retina and brain. In the present study, we have shown that Cx35 expression in Xenopus oocytes and N2A cells produced large outward whole cell currents on cell depolarization. Using whole cell, cell-attached, and excised patch configurations, we obtained multichannel and single-channel current recordings attributable to the Cx35 hemichannels ( Ihc) that were activated and increased by stepwise depolarization of membrane potential ( Vm) and deactivated by hyperpolarization. The currents were not detected in untransfected N2A cells or in control oocytes injected with antisense Cx38. However, water-injected oocytes that were not treated with antisense showed activities attributable to Cx38 hemichannels that were easily distinguishable from Cx35 hemichannels by a significantly larger unitary conductance ( γhc: 250–320 pS). The γhc of Cx35 hemichannels exhibited a pronounced Vm dependence; i.e., γhc increased/decreased with relative hyperpolarization/depolarization ( γhc was 72 pS at Vm = −100 mV and 35 pS at Vm = 100 mV). Extrapolation to Vm = 0 mV predicted a γhc of 48 pS, suggesting a unitary conductance of intact Cx35 gap junction channels of ∼24 pS. Channel gating was also Vm dependent: open time declined with negative Vm and increased with positive Vm. The ability to break down the complex gating of intact intercellular channels into component hemichannels in vitro will help to evaluate putative physiological roles for hemichannels in vivo.
Detection of intracellular iron by its regulatory effect
Authors: Li Jau-Yi , Ram Gita , Gast Katherine , Chen Xia , Barasch Kimberly , Mori Kiyoshi , Schmidt-Ott Kai , Wang Jianjun , Kuo Hung-Chieh , Savage-Dunn Cathy , Garrick Michael D. , Barasch Jonathan
Published: July 2004

Intracellular iron regulates gene expression by inhibiting the interaction of iron regulatory proteins (IRPs) with RNA motifs called iron-responsive elements (IREs). To assay this interaction in living cells we have developed two fluorescent IRE-based reporters that rapidly, reversibly, and specifically respond to changes in cellular iron status as well as signaling that modifies IRP activity. The reporters were also sufficiently sensitive to distinguish apo- from holotransferrin in the medium, to detect the effect of modifiers of the transferrin pathway such as HFE, and to detect the donation or chelation of iron by siderophores bound to the lipocalin neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (Ngal). In addition, alternative configurations of the IRE motif either enhanced or repressed fluorescence, permitting a ratio analysis of the iron-dependent response. These characteristics make it possible to visualize iron-IRP-IRE interactions in vivo.
A Gene Encoding Sialic‐Acid‐Specific 9‐O‐Acetylesterase Found in Human Adult Testis
Authors: Zhu Hu , Chan Hsiao Chang , Zhou Zuoming , Li Jianming , Zhu Hui , Yin Lanlan , Xu Ming , Cheng Lijun , Sha Jiahao
Published: July 2004

Using differential display RT‐PCR, we identified a gene of 2750 bp from human adult testis, named H-Lse, which encoded a putative protein of 523 amino acids and molecular weight of 58 kd with structural characteristics similar to that of mouse lysosome sialic‐acid‐specific 9‐O‐acetylesterase. Northern blot analysis showed a widespread distribution of H‐Lse in various human tissues with high expression in the testis, prostate, and colon. In situ hybridization results showed that while H‐Lse was not detected in embryonic testis, positive signals were found in spermatocytes but not spermatogonia in adult testis of human. The subcellular localization of H‐Lse was visualized by green fluorescent protein (GFP) fused to the amino terminus of H‐Lse, showing compartmentalization of H‐Lse in large dense‐core vesicles, presumably lysosomes, in the cytoplasm. The developmentally regulated and spermatogenic stage‐specific expression of H‐Lse suggests its possible involvement in the development of the testis and/or differentiation of germ cells.
A Simple Chemical Method for Rendering Wild‐Type Yeast Permeable to Brefeldin A That Does Not Require the Presence of an erg6 Mutation
Authors: Pannunzio Vanesa G. , Burgos Hilda I. , Alonso Manuel , Mattoon James R. , Ramos Eugenia H. , Stella Carlos A.
Published: July 2004

The present work aims to develop a growth medium to render a wild‐type strain of Saccharomyces cerevisiae permeable to the antifungal drug Brefeldin A. In the current study, a synthetic medium containing 0.1% L‐proline and supplemented with 3.0 × 10−3% SDS is employed. When Brefeldin A is added to this medium, a wild‐type strain shows increased growth sensitivity and a diminished transport of the amino acid L‐leucine. Since Brefeldin A exerts its effect on the endoplasmic reticulum and the Golgi apparatus, the medium permits the study of the drug effect on the intracellular traffic of L‐leucine permeases.
ELISA for Determination of Human Growth Hormone: Recognition of Helix 4 Epitopes
Authors: Moura Juliana F. , DeLacerda Luiz , Sandrini Romolo , Borba Fernanda M. , Castelo Denise N. , Sade Elis R. , Sella Sandra , Minozzo João C. , Callefe Luis G. , Figueiredo Bonald C.
Published: July 2004

Human growth hormone (hGH) signal transduction initiates with a receptor dimerization in which one molecule binds to the receptor through sites 1 and 2. A sandwich enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay was developed for quantifying hGH molecules that present helix 4 from binding site 1. For this, horse anti‐rhGH antibodies were eluted by an immunoaffinity column constituted by sepharose‐rhGH. These antibodies were purified through a second column with synthetic peptide correspondent to hGH helix 4, immobilized to sepharose, and used as capture antibodies. Those that did not recognize synthetic peptide were used as a marker antibody. The working range was of 1.95 to 31.25 ng/mL of hGH. The intra‐assay coefficient of variation (CV) was between 4.53% and 6.33%, while the interassay CV was between 6.00% and 8.27%. The recovery range was between 96.0% to 103.8%. There was no cross‐reactivity with human prolactin. These features show that our assay is an efficient method for the determination of hGH.