bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Race, terror and civil society
Authors: Sivanandan A.
Published: December 2005

The London bombings of 7 July brought home in the deadliest way one facet of globalisation. New anti-terrorist legislation has been brought forward; multiculturalism has come under attack; anti-Muslim racism has increased at every level of British society. Political and public debate are threaded through with the politics of fear. This wide-ranging analysis provides a framework for understanding the dynamic interconnections between the new racism thrown up by the processes of globalisation and modern empire, the increasing threat to civil liberties and the alienation felt by many young Muslims.
The wall and the dismemberment of Palestine
Authors: Usher Graham
Published: December 2005

Israel’s construction of a separation wall through the West Bank and East Jerusalem represents the latest stage in Zionism’s attempts to resolve its ‘native problem’. By confining Palestinians to a series of disconnected cantons, it deprives them of political and territorial contiguity. But the wall also embodies a demographic rationale: it is the threat of a majority Arab population under Israel’s charge that determines the wall’s route and its exclusion of areas where Palestinians are concentrated. The logic is one of a unilateral imposition of Israel’s borders, bound up with the deferral of final status negotiations with the Palestinian Authority. Thus marginalised, the Authority is reduced to a ‘Palestinian state with provisional borders’ - not a sovereign state, but a municipal provider of services. Following the finding of the International Court of Justice on the wall’s illegality, the challenge for the Palestinians is how to develop an effective strategy of resistance to the wall and the occupation of which it is part.
Policy Implications of the Relationship of Sick Leave Benefits, Individual Characteristics, and Fatigue to Employment During Radiation Therapy for Cancer
Authors: Poirier Patricia
Published: December 2005

Undergoing a course of radiation therapy for cancer does not preclude the need to work during treatment. This study examins the impact of sick leave benefits, individual characteristics, and fatigue on employment during radiation therapy. The conceptual model of nursing and health policy (CMNHP) and the Piper integrated fatigue model (IFM) guided this study. Seventy-seven study participants receiving radiation therapy were recruited from one community hospital. The study employed a prospective, longitudinal design. Data were collected at baseline prior to starting radiation therapy, weekly during treatment, and at the 1-month follow-up visit. Only 49% of study participants had paid sick leave benefits available at the start of radiation. Age, pain, gender, side effects, availability of sick leave benefits, and fatigue were associated with work along the trajectory of radiation therapy. Further research addressing the impact of paid leave policies on the relation between work and cancer-related fatigue is warranted.
Talk Dirty/Get Arrested: Policing Social Class Discourse in Education Cultural Studies
Authors: Senese Guy
Published: December 2005

This article is a search for the promises of public education and the place where they are broken by progressive critics feeding at the academic and professional trough. It is an indictment of the exploitation of proliferating education academic simulations of working-class solidarity, borrowing the image of emancipation while feeding off the social capital of postmodernist sign value. The author conducts this exploration as a fellow edu-racketeer, too often guilty himself of this phony lifestyle radicalism. The author uses a comic bit and surrealist techniques to pry open the lid of these researches. In homage to Lenny Bruce, the author charts the course of censorship and academic exclusion from the American Educational Studies Association, where a few radicals who write about transgression threw the author out of the conference and the conversation, because he actually, not virtually, transgressed.
Aqueous and solid-phase speciation of arsenic in Cornish soils
Authors: Hutton C. , Bryce D. W. , Russeau W. , Glass H. J. , Jenkin L. E. T. , Corns W. T. , Stockwell P. B.
Published: December 2005

Cornwall (UK) has suffered extensive arsenic contamination due to the historic mining and processing of mineral ores. Standard procedures for contaminated land risk assessment (DEFRA and Environment Agency, 2002a) are probably unworkable in Cornwall, with a very large number of sites classified as contaminated by arsenic. Methods of measuring the speciation and mobility of arsenic are essential for effective and rapid risk assessments of arsenic contamination.

Three clusters of lysimeters were installed in three different areas of an arsenic-contaminated Cornish site. A novel phosphoric acid microwave extraction technique was applied to the soils removed from the lysimeter holes; HPLC-HG-AFS analysis showed the majority of solid-phase arsenic to be arsenate (AsV). Pore waters obtained from the lysimeters showed variable, relatively low levels of arsenite (AsIII) and arsenate (AsV) to be present (<1–129 μg l–1). Less toxic arsenate predominated in most pore waters, with the presence of minor amounts of arsenite suggesting heterogeneous redox conditions. Pore-water arsenic concentrations were strongly positively related to solid-phase arsenate concentrations.

The use of techniques that assess the speciation of arsenic both in the solid and aqueous phases of a soil provides important information about the mobility of arsenic. The methodology presented in this paper may offer a novel basis for risk assessments of other contaminated sites.
Speciation of adsorbed arsenic(V) on red mud using a sequential extraction procedure
Authors: Rubinos D. A. , Arias M. , Díaz-Fierros F. , Barral M. T.
Published: December 2005

The distribution of sorbed arsenic(V) among different geochemical fractions for arsenic(V)-loaded red mud, an oxide-rich residue from bauxite refining that has been proposed as an adsorbent for arsenic, was studied as a function of sorbed arsenic(V) concentration using a sequential extraction procedure. The release of previously sorbed arsenic(V) was also studied as a function of pH and arsenic(V) concentration. Most sorbed arsenic(V) (0.39–7.86 mmol kg–1) was associated with amorphous and crystalline Al and Fe oxides (24.1–43.8% and 24.7–59.0% of total sorbed arsenic, respectively). Exchangeable arsenic was the smallest fraction (0.4–5.2% of total sorbed arsenic). The distribution of sorbed arsenic(V) was related to the arsenic surface coverage. For arsenic surface coverages >∼30% the percentage of arsenic(V) associated with the amorphous Al oxide fraction increased and that associated with the crystalline oxide fraction decreased. The arsenic(V) exchangeable fraction increased from 1.4 to 756 μmol kg–1 as surface coverage increased from 388 to 7855 μmol kg–1. The release of sorbed arsenic(V) from red mud was greater at alkaline pH values (maximum release of ∼33% of previously sorbed arsenic at pH = 12), but for high arsenic(V) initial concentration (0.2 mM arsenic) considerable amounts of arsenic (6.5% of previously sorbed arsenic) were released at pH 4, in accordance with the dissolution of amorphous Al oxides in the red mud. The results obtained suggest a greater mobility of sorbed arsenic(V) as its surface concentration approaches saturation.
Ecological risk assessment of contaminated soil
Authors: Weeks J. M. , Comber S. D. W.
Published: December 2005

The basis for an ecological risk assessment based on meeting the needs of recent UK and EU legislation is described. The background to the framework and the legislative driver and relevant definitions of harm are provided, prior to an overview of the proposed ecological risk assessment process, which has been broken down into a Tiered approach. Tier 0 requires the establishment of a conceptual site model, where potential contaminant-pathway-receptor linkages are sought and, assuming they are identified, lead on to higher Tier assessments. Tier 1 relies largely on chemical analysis of soil contaminant levels and comparison with soil quality guideline values to assess the likelihood of harm. In some cases biological screening assays may also be undertaken within this Tier. Based on a weight of evidence approach, should data from Tier 1 indicate harm or leave uncertainty, then Tier 2 biological testing is undertaken using assays relevant to the site of interest. In situations where harm is identified under Tier 2 then Tier 3 is reserved for establishing the extent of harm within the ecosystem. Finally the use of the 'weight-of-evidence' approach to generate scientifically robust conclusions regarding the harm (or potential for harm) within the ecosystem is briefly outlined. The framework discussed is currently being adopted by the UK Environment Agency, with implementation expected in 2005. The UK scheme compares favourably with comparative schemes operating in other countries possessing the merits of being iterative, tiered, flexible with agreed exit points subject to satisfying defined criteria and so speeding the decision-making process.
A preliminary study of the release of platinum and palladium from metallic particles in the surface environment by organic acids: relevance to weathering of particles from vehicle exhaust catalysts
Authors: Bowles J. F. W. , Gize A. P.
Published: December 2005

Studies of the weathering of platinum-group minerals in natural deposits have indicated that the platinum-group elements (PGE) can be mobilized under appropriate conditions and have sufficient solubility to move into solution. Although inorganic chemistry provides feasible mechanisms under the extreme conditions encountered in laterites it appears likely that PGE-organic complexes offer a more convincing explanation of the apparent solubility. Experimental work undertaken to illustrate the organic processes and the reaction timescale examined various reactions including those between Pt and Pd foils and humic and fulvic acid solutions. These reactions appear pertinent to those that may occur between the PGE particles ejected by vehicle exhaust catalysts and the natural environment.

The experimental work produced up to 195 μ/l Pt and 102 μ/l Pd in humic acid solutions exposed to the metal foils for about a year at room temperature. The experimental conditions can be compared to those encountered in roadside drainage supplied with PGE particles and decaying vegetation.

Consideration of the possible health effects of the PGE from the particles ejected by vehicle exhaust catalysts has centred on inhalation of the particles or absorption through the skin. Intake from drinking water or from food produced using PGE-bearing water should now also be investigated. Due to the variety of organic compounds produced by decaying vegetation the identity of the PGE-organic products is not yet known so their toxicity cannot be estimated.
The leaching behaviour of lead metallurgical slag in high-molecular-weight (HMW) organic solutions
Authors: Ettler V. , Jehlička J. , Mašek V. , J. Hruška
Published: December 2005

The reactivity of primary Pb metallurgical slags in high-molecular-weight (HMW) organic solutions has been studied in order to determine the processes of release and attenuation of metal and metalloid contaminants (Pb, Zn, Cu, As) in 'soil-like' environments. Slag was submitted to a 112-day batch leaching experiment in Suwannee River fulvic acid solution and peat water (∼50 mg DOC l–1). The leaching was coupled with investigation of the secondary phases (SEM/EDS, Raman microspectrometry) and thermodynamic speciation-solubility modelling using MINTEQA2. Metals and As are released in large amounts during the early stage of the experiment, followed by a decrease in the concentrations in the leachate as a result of adsorption on secondary (hydrous) ferric oxides (HFO/FO), predicted by MINTEQA2 calculations and confirmed on the leached slag surface by SEM and Raman spectrometry. Compared to other contaminants, Zn exhibits more pronounced mobility and is adsorbed on HFO/FO only at pH >7. Such a scavenging process may be predominant during the long-term interaction of slag with an HMW organic solution of real soil. As a result, the soil cover and subsequent re-vegetation of slag dumps may be considered as a possible scenario for slag management.
Gamma-emitting radionuclides and metallic elements in urban dusts and sediments, Coventry, UK: implications of dosages for dispersal and disposal
Authors: Charlesworth S. M. , Foster I. D. L.
Published: December 2005

Gully pot sediments and pavement and road gutter dusts have been collected from the city of Coventry in the West Midlands, UK. These samples have been subjected to metallic element analysis and the activity of a number of gamma-emitting radionuclides have been measured in order to assess whether they exceed published trigger or action levels, and whether their disposal or dispersal may have implications for receiving landfills and/or water courses. Results indicate above-background levels of metallic elements in dusts and sediments with Cu and Zn exceeding ICRCL action levels in some cases. The highest activities of some radionuclides are found in road gutter and street dusts and the lowest activities are found in gully pot sediments. Road dusts are more likely to be recirculated into the ambient air by passing traffic and could potentially pose a risk to pedestrians. The effective dose rates calculated for these dusts and sediments indicate that some samples approach and even exceed the 1 mSv y—1 limit to members of the public recommended by ICRP (1991). Some individual nuclides exceed their clearance levels laid down in the revised basic safety standards of the 1993b Radioactive Substances Act, 1993 (DoETR, 1999), by as much as 2.5 times. This is especially true of 210Pbun and 7Be, two fallout nuclides, and also of 40K.
In situ analysis of thioarsenite complexes in neutral to alkaline arsenic sulphide solutions
Authors: Bostick B. C. , Fendorf S. , Brown G. E.
Published: December 2005

The solubility of arsenic in anoxic soil and sediment pore waters is strongly influenced by complexation with dissolved sulphide. Despite their importance in arsenic chemistry, thioarsenite complexes have not been well characterized, and considerable questions remain regarding their structure, protonation state, and relative stabilities. Here we use X-ray absorption spectroscopy to examine the type and structure of aqueous arsenic-sulphur complexes in sulphidic solutions under neutral to alkaline pH. Arsenic formed a variety of thioarsenites, including AsS(SH)(OH)—, As(SH)S22—, AsS33—and As(SH)4— complexes. The relative fraction of each species varied strongly with the S:As ratio — with the fraction of AsS(SH)(OH)— greatest at low S:As and trithioarsenites dominating As speciation when S:As ratios exceeded 3 in solution. As much as 40% of the total As also was present as AsS3S3+x(SH)3—x—x in solutions at S:As ratios of 3 or greater. Sulphide complexation was somewhat dependent on pH, with sulphide complexation generally increasing with pH. The speciation observed in these experiments is similar to, though distinct from, speciation predicted based on As2S3 solubility (inferred to contain AsS2— and AsS3S3+x(SH)—x3—x) and chromatographic separation of arsenic species (which does not identify polymeric species). Thus, these data indicate that stability constants for arsenic sulphide complexes must be reappraised.
Arsenic hazard in shallow Cambodian groundwaters
Authors: Polya D. A. , A. G. Gault  , Diebe N. , Feldman P. , Rosenboom J. W. , Gilligan E. , Fredericks D. , Milton A. H. , Sampson M. , Rowland H. A. L. , Lythgoe P. R. , Jones J. C. , Middleton C. , Cooke D. A.
Published: December 2005

Our recent discovery of hazardous concentrations of arsenic in shallow sedimentary aquifers in Cambodia raises the spectre of future deleterious health impacts on a population that, particularly in non-urban areas, extensively use untreated groundwater as a source of drinking water and, in some instances, as irrigation water. We present here small-scale hazard maps for arsenic in shallow Cambodian groundwaters based on >1000 groundwater samples analysed in the Manchester Analytical Geochemistry Unit and elsewhere. Key indicators for hazardous concentrations of arsenic in Cambodian groundwaters include: (1) well depths greater than 16 m; (2) Holocene host sediments; and (3) proximity to major modern channels of the Mekong (and its distributary the Bassac). However, high-arsenic well waters are also commonly found in wells not exhibiting these key characteristics, notably in some shallower Holocene wells, and in wells drilled into older Quaternary and Neogene sediments.

It is emphasized that the maps and tables presented are most useful for identifying current regional trends in groundwater arsenic hazard and that their use for predicting arsenic concentrations in individual wells, for example for the purposes of well switching, is not recommended, particularly because of the lack of sufficient data (especially at depths >80 m) and because, as in Bangladesh and West Bengal, there is considerable heterogeneity of groundwater arsenic concentrations on a scale of metres to hundreds of metres. We have insufficient data at this time to determine unequivocally whether or not arsenic concentrations are increasing in shallow Cambodian groundwaters as a result of groundwater-abstraction activities.
Characterization of aquifers conducting groundwaters with low and high arsenic concentrations: a comparative case study from West Bengal, India
Authors: Nath B. , Berner Z. , Basu Mallik S. , Chatterjee D. , Charlet L. , Stueben D.
Published: December 2005

Possible relationships between groundwater arsenic concentration and alluvial sediment characteristics in a ∼19 km2 area in West Bengal have been investigated using a combination of hydrogeochemical, lithogeochemical and geophysical techniques. Arsenic hotspots, typically associated with elevated groundwater Fe and Mn, were found to be correlated to some extent with old river channels (abandoned meanders, oxbow lakes), where sandy aquifers included intercalated fine-grained overbank deposits, rich in As, Fe, Mn and Corg. Otherwise no demonstrably significant overall differences in any of lithology, grain-size distribution, mineral composition or Fe, Mn and organic C content of the sediments were found between two representative sites with contrastingly low (<50 μg 1—1) and high (>200 μg 1—1) As groundwater contents.

Our results are consistent with microbially mediated redox reactions controlled by the presence of natural organic matter within the aquifer and the occurrence of As-bearing redox traps, primarily formed by Fe and Mn oxides/hydroxides, being the most important factors which control the release of As into shallow groundwaters at the study site.
Microcosm depth profiles of arsenic release in a shallow aquifer, West Bengal
Authors: Gault A. G. , Islam F. S. , Polya D. A. , Charnock J. M. , Boothman C. , Chatterjee D. , Lloyd J. R.
Published: December 2005

Arsenic mobilization and Fe(III) reduction in acetate-amended sediments collected from a range of depths from an aquifer with elevated groundwater arsenic concentrations in West Bengal were monitored over a 1 month period. Significant arsenic release was noted in sediment collected from 24 m and 45 m depth, with some Fe(III) reduction also observed in the 24 m sample. The structure of the microbial communities present in the sediments prior to incubation showed marked differences down the sediment column. Profiling of the microbial community in the 24 m and 45 m samples revealed a relatively complex make-up, with Acinetobacter species comprising the bulk of the 24 m sedimentary bacterial population, but no previously characterized As(V)-reducers were detected in either sample.
Potential role of the Fe(III)-reducing bacteria Geobacter and Geothrix in controlling arsenic solubility in Bengal delta sediments
Authors: Islam F. S. , Boothman C. , Gault A. G. , Polya D. A. , Lloyd J. R.
Published: December 2005

Previous studies from our laboratory have suggested a role for indigenous metal-reducing bacteria in the reduction of sediment-bound As(V), and have also shown that a stable enrichment culture of Fe(III)-reducing bacteria was able to mobilize arsenic (as As(III)) from sediments collected from West Bengal (Islam et al., 2004). To identify the Fe(III)-reducing bacteria that may play a role in the reduction of As(V) and mobilization of As(III), we made a detailed molecular analysis of this enrichment culture. It was dominated by a close relative of Geothrix fermentans, but the type strain of this organism was unable to conserve energy for growth via the dissimilatory reduction of As(V), or reduce As(V) present in a defined medium containing fumarate as the electron acceptor. Furthermore, when the cells were grown using soluble Fe(III)-citrate as an electron acceptor in the presence of As(V), bacterial Fe(III) reduction resulted in the precipitation of the Fe(II)-bearing mineral vivianite in 2 weeks. This was accompanied by the efficient removal of As from solution. These results demonstrate that Geothrix fermentans, in common with other key Fe(III)-reducing bacteria such as Geobacter sulfurreducens, does not reduce As(V) enzymatically, but can capture arsenic in Fe(II) minerals formed during respiration using Fe(III) as an electron acceptor. Thus, the reduction of arsenic-bearing Fe(III) oxide minerals is not sufficient to mobilize arsenic, but may result in the formation of Fe(II) biominerals that could potentially act as sinks for arsenic in sediments. Additional mechanisms, including dissimilatory As(V) reduction by other specialist anaerobic bacteria, are implicated in the mobilization of arsenic from sediments.
Core erythropoietin receptor signals for late erythroblast development
Authors: Menon Madhu P. , Fang Jing , Wojchowski Don M.
Published: December 2005

Critical signals for erythroblast formation are transduced by activated, tyrosine-phosphorylated erythropoietin receptor (EpoR) complexes. Nonetheless, steady-state erythropoiesis is supported effectively by EpoR alleles that are deficient in cytoplasmic phosphotyrosine sites. To better define core EpoR action mechanisms, signaling capacities of minimal PY-null (EpoR-HM) and PY343-retaining (EpoR-H) alleles were analyzed for the first time in bone marrow–derived erythroblasts. Jak2 activation via each allele was comparable. Stat5 (and several Stat5-response genes) were induced via EpoR-H but not via EpoR-HM. Stat1 and Stat3 activation was nominal for all EpoR forms. For both EpoR-HM and EpoR-H, Akt and p70S6-kinase activation was decreased multifold, and JNK activation was minimal. ERKs, however, were hyperactivated uniquely via EpoR-HM. In vivo, Epo expression in EpoR-HM mice was elevated, while Epo-induced reticulocyte production was diminished. In vitro, EpoR-HM erythroblast maturation also was attenuated (based on DNA content, forward-angle light scatter, and hemoglobinization). These EpoR-HM–specific defects were corrected not only upon PY343 site restoration in EpoR-H, but also upon MEK1,2 inhibition. Core EpoR PY site-independent signals for erythroblast formation therefore appear to be Stat5, Stat1, Stat3, p70S6-kinase, and JNK independent, but ERK dependent. Wild-type signaling capacities, however, depend further upon signals provided via an EpoR/PY343/Stat5 axis.
Efficient analysis and extraction of MS/MS result data from Mascot™ result files
Authors: Grosse-Coosmann Florian , Boehm Andreas M , Sickmann Albert
Published: December 2005

Background

Mascot™ is a commonly used protein identification program for MS as well as for tandem MS data. When analyzing huge shotgun proteomics datasets with Mascot™'s native tools, limits of computing resources are easily reached. Up to now no application has been available as open source that is capable of converting the full content of Mascot™ result files from the original MIME format into a database-compatible tabular format, allowing direct import into database management systems and efficient handling of huge datasets analyzed by Mascot™.

Results

A program called mres2x is presented, which reads Mascot™ result files, analyzes them and extracts either selected or all information in order to store it in a single file or multiple files in formats which are easier to handle downstream of Mascot™. It generates different output formats. The output of mres2x in tab format is especially designed for direct high-performance import into relational database management systems using native tools of these systems. Having the data available in database management systems allows complex queries and extensive analysis. In addition, the original peak lists can be extracted in DTA format suitable for protein identification using the Sequest™ program, and the Mascot™ files can be split, preserving the original data format. During conversion, several consistency checks are performed. mres2x is designed to provide high throughput processing combined with the possibility to be driven by other computer programs. The source code including supplement material and precompiled binaries is available via http://www.protein-ms.de and http://sourceforge.net/projects/protms/.

Conclusion

The database upload allows regrouping of the MS/MS results using a database management system and complex analyzing queries using SQL without the need to run new Mascot™ searches when changing grouping parameters.
The angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) gene family of Anopheles gambiae
Authors: Burnham Susan , Smith Judith A , Lee Alison J , Isaac R Elwyn , Shirras Alan D
Published: December 2005

Background

Members of the M2 family of peptidases, related to mammalian angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE), play important roles in regulating a number of physiological processes. As more invertebrate genomes are sequenced, there is increasing evidence of a variety of M2 peptidase genes, even within a single species. The function of these ACE-like proteins is largely unknown. Sequencing of the A. gambiae genome has revealed a number of ACE-like genes but probable errors in the Ensembl annotation have left the number of ACE-like genes, and their structure, unclear.

Results

TBLASTN and sequence analysis of cDNAs revealed that the A. gambiae genome contains nine genes (AnoACE genes) which code for proteins with similarity to mammalian ACE. Eight of these genes code for putative single domain enzymes similar to other insect ACEs described so far. AnoACE9, however, has several features in common with mammalian somatic ACE such as a two domain structure and a hydrophobic C terminus. Four of the AnoACE genes (2, 3, 7 and 9) were shown to be expressed at a variety of developmental stages. Expression of AnoACE3, AnoACE7 and AnoACE9 is induced by a blood meal, with AnoACE7 showing the largest (approximately 10-fold) induction.

Conclusion

Genes coding for two-domain ACEs have arisen several times during the course of evolution suggesting a common selective advantage to having an ACE with two active-sites in tandem in a single protein. AnoACE7 belongs to a sub-group of insect ACEs which are likely to be membrane-bound and which have an unusual, conserved gene structure.
Bacterial genome adaptation to niches: Divergence of the potential virulence genes in three Burkholderia species of different survival strategies
Authors: Kim H Stanley , Schell Mark A , Yu Yan , Ulrich Ricky L , Sarria Saul H , Nierman William C , DeShazer David
Published: December 2005

Background

Two closely related species Burkholderia mallei (Bm) and Burkholderia pseudomallei (Bp) are serious human health hazards and are potential bio-warfare agents, whereas another closely related species Burkholderia thailandensis (Bt) is a non-pathogenic saprophyte. To investigate the genomic factors resulting in such a dramatic difference, we first identified the Bm genes responsive to the mouse environment, and then examined the divergence of these genes in Bp and Bt.

Results

The genes down-expressed, which largely encode cell growth-related proteins, are conserved well in all three species, whereas those up-expressed, which include potential virulence genes, are less well conserved or absent notably in Bt. However, a substantial number of up-expressed genes is still conserved in Bt. Bm and Bp further diverged from each other in a small number of genes resulting from unit number changes in simple sequence repeats (ssr) in the homologs.

Conclusion

Our data suggest that divergent evolution of a small set of genes, rather than acquisition or loss of pathogenic islands, is associated with the development of different life styles in these bacteria of similar genomic contents. Further divergence between Bm and Bp mediated by ssr changes may reflect different adaptive processes of Bm and Bp fine-tuning into their host environments.
Generation of functional HLA-DR*1101 tetramers receptive for loading with pathogen or tumour derived synthetic peptides
Authors: Moro Monica , Cecconi Virginia , Martinoli Chiara , Dallegno Eliana , Giabbai Barbara , Degano Massimo , Glaichenhaus Nicholas , Protti Maria Pia , Dellabona Paolo , Casorati Giulia
Published: December 2005

Background

MHC class I-peptide tetramers are currently utilised to characterize CD8+T cell responses at single cell level. The generation and use of MHC class II tetramers to study antigen-specific CD4+T cells appears less straightforward. Most MHC class II tetramers are produced with a homogeneously built-in peptide, reducing greatly their flexibility of use. We attempted the generation of "empty" functional HLA-DR*1101 tetramers, receptive for loading with synthetic peptides by incubation. No such reagent is in fact available for this HLA-DR allele, one of the most frequent in the Caucasian population.

Results

We compared soluble MHC class II-immunoglobulin fusion proteins (HLA-DR*1101-Ig) with soluble MHC class II protein fused with an optimised Bir site for enzymatic biotynilation (HLA-DR*1101-Bir), both produced in insect cells. The molecules were multimerised by binding fluorochrome-protein A or fluorochrome-streptavidin, respectively. We find that HLA-DR*1101-Bir molecules are superior to the HLA-DR*1101-Ig ones both in biochemical and functional terms. HLA-DR*1101-Bir molecules can be pulsed with at least three different promiscuous peptide epitopes, derived from Tetanus Toxoid, influenza HA and the tumour associated antigen MAGE-3 respectively, to stain specific CD4+T cells. Both staining temperature and activation state of CD4+T cells are critical for the binding of peptide-pulsed HLA-DR*1101-Bir to the cognate TCR.

Conclusion

It is therefore possible to generate a soluble recombinant HLA-DR*1101 backbone that is receptive for loading with different peptides to stain specific CD4+T cells. As shown for other HLA-DR alleles, we confirm that not all the strategies to produce soluble HLA-DR*1101 multimers are equivalent.
Octopamine increases the excitability of neurons in the snail feeding system by modulation of inward sodium current but not outward potassium currents
Authors: Vehovszky Ágnes , Szabó Henriette , Elliott Christopher JH
Published: December 2005

Background

Although octopamine has long been known to have major roles as both transmitter and modulator in arthropods, it has only recently been shown to be functionally important in molluscs, playing a role as a neurotransmitter in the feeding network of the snailLymnaea stagnalis. The synaptic potentials cannot explain all the effects of octopamine-containing neurons on the feeding network, and here we test the hypothesis that octopamine is also a neuromodulator.

Results

The excitability of the B1 and B4 motoneurons in the buccal ganglia to depolarising current clamp pulses is significantly (P << 0.05) increased by (10 μM) octopamine, whereas the B2 motoneuron becomes significantly less excitable. The ionic currents evoked by voltage steps were recorded using 2-electrode voltage clamp. The outward current of B1, B2 and B4 motoneurons had two components, a transientIAcurrent and a sustainedIKdelayed-rectifier current, but neither was modulated by octopamine in any of these three buccal neurons. The fast inward current was eliminated in sodium – free saline and so is likely to be carried by sodium ions. 10 μM octopamine enhanced this current by 33 and 45% in the B1 and B4 motoneurons respectively (P << 0.05), but a small reduction was seen in the B2 neuron. A Hodgkin-Huxley style simulation of the B1 motoneuron confirms that a 33% increase in the fast inward current by octopamine increases the excitability markedly.

Conclusion

We conclude that octopamine is also a neuromodulator in snails, changing the excitability of the buccal neurons. This is supported by the close relationship from the voltage clamp data, through the quantitative simulation, to the action potential threshold, changing the properties of neurons in a rhythmic network. The increase in inward sodium current provides an explanation for the polycyclic modulation of the feeding system by the octopamine-containing interneurons, making feeding easier to initiate and making the feeding bursts more intense.
Incidence of cancer in the area around Amsterdam Airport Schiphol in 1988–2003: a population-based ecological study
Authors: Visser Otto , van Wijnen Joop H , van Leeuwen Flora E
Published: December 2005

Background

Amsterdam Airport Schiphol is a major source of complaints about aircraft noise, safety risks and concerns about long term adverse health effects, including cancer. We investigated whether residents of the area around Schiphol are at higher risk of developing cancer than the general Dutch population.

Methods

In a population-based study using the regional cancer registry, we estimated the cancer incidence during 1988–2003 in residents of the area surrounding Schiphol. We defined a study area based on aircraft noise contours and 4-digit postal code areas, since historical data on ambient air pollution were not available and recent emission data did not differ from the background urban air quality.

Results

In residents of the study area 13 207 cancer cases were diagnosed, which was close to the expected number, using national incidence rates as a reference (standardized incidence ratio [SIR] 1.02). We found a statistically significantly increased incidence of hematological malignancies (SIR 1.12, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.05, 1.19), mainly due to high rates for non-Hodgkin lymphoma (SIR 1.22, 95% CI: 1.12, 1.33) and acute lymphoblastic leukemia (SIR 1.34, 95% CI: 0.95, 1.83). The incidence of cancer of the respiratory system was statistically significantly decreased (SIR 0.94, 95% CI: 0.90, 0.99), due to the low rate in males (SIR 0.89). In the core zone of the study area, cancer incidence was slightly higher than in the remaining ring zone (rate ratio of the core zone compared to the ring zone 1.05, 95% CI 1.01, 1.10). This was caused by the higher incidence of cancer of the respiratory system, prostate and the female genital organs in the core zone in comparison to the ring zone.

Conclusion

The overall cancer incidence in the Schiphol area was similar to the national incidence. The moderately increased risk of hematological malignancies could not be explained by higher levels of ambient air pollution in the Schiphol area. This observation warrants further research, for example in a study with focus on substances in urban ambient air pollution, as similar findings were observed in Greater Amsterdam.
Spatiogenetic characteristics of beech stands with different degrees of autochthony
Authors: Gregorius Hans-Rolf , Kownatzki Dierk
Published: December 2005

Background

Autochthony in forest tree stands is characterized by a number of criteria, among which the range over which stands act as a population has been suggested to play a central role. Therefore, measures are needed for the delineation of populations or the detection of subpopulation structure. It is argued here that methods of population delineation must be based on the combined consideration of spatial distances and genetic differences between adult individuals. Conventional approaches and a set of newly developed methods are applied to seven isozyme loci in four beech stands which are distinguished by different types of forest management based on natural regeneration.

Results

Permutation analyses show that correlations between spatial distances and genetic differences vary only little in the studied beech stands. In view of the popularity of this and related descriptors of spatiogenetic covariation, this result came as a surprise. The newly developed methods lead to a different conclusion. Significant spatiogenetic structure is indicated in all stands when considering the mean and variance of spatiogenetic separation, where separation is measured by the smallest spatiogenetic difference of an individual from all others. Spatiogenetic difference is measured here by a combination of the spatial distances and genetic differences between individuals. This descriptor indicates the existence of spatiogenetic clusters in the beech stands. In order to arrive at an explicit representation of cluster structure as a representation of subpopulation structure, two types of cluster structure (primary andα-isolated) are distinguished, both of which reflect desirable characteristics of subpopulation structure. Particularly in theα-isolated structure, the proportion of individuals organized in clusters, the effective size, and the effective number of clusters clearly distinguish and consistently rank the four stands with respect to their types of forest management and the associated criteria of autochthony.

Conclusion

The surprisingly high correspondence between our descriptors of spatiogenetic structure and forest management types confirms the appropriateness of the applied measure of cluster isolation and of the criterion for the choice of the levelαof cluster isolation. The two types of cluster structure and their characteristic descriptors are thus suggested to be promising tools for the detection of subpopulation structure. To include the effects of long-distance gene flow, the presented methods can be extended as outlined to larger spatial scales in order to detect higher order population structure.
The value of Institute of Human Virology meeting abstracts and beyond
Authors: Jeang Kuan-Teh
Published: December 2005

This month Retrovirology publishes the meeting abstracts from the 10th annual Institute of Human Virology conference held August 29th to September 2nd, 2005 in Baltimore, Maryland, USA. In this editorial, the rationale for publishing meeting abstracts is discussed.
Fluorosis and its hematological effects
Authors: Eren Erdal , Özturk Mustafa , Mumcu Ethem Faruk , Canatan Duran
Published: December 2005

Although it has been reported that fluoride ingestion has no influence on various indices of hematopoiesis, some research has been published that excessive fluoride developed anemia and eosinophilia of leukocytes. Isparta is situated on the lake region of Turkey where fluorosis is endemic. Our aim was to explore the hematological effects in rats induced by fluoride. In this study, Wistar-Albino rats were used, divided into two groups as control and fluorized. While the control group was administered commercial water (including 0.07 ppm fluoride), the fluorized group was administered 100 ppm fluoride in commercial drinking water for four months. At the end of four months, hematological indices (Hb, Hct, MCV, MCH, RDW, RBC, WBC, and platelet counts) were measured. In addition, bone marrow samples were investigated. Mean leukocyte counts (WBC) in the control group and fluorized group were 7.07 (2.62-12.25) and 2.76 (3.13-5.24)-/103/mm3, respectively. We observed displastic changes on granulocytes in the bone marrow samples of the fluorized group. Although there were significant statistical changes in WBC, we did not determine red blood cell and platelet changes in the fluorized group.
The elephant in the room: racism in representations, relationships and rituals
Authors: Crewe Emma , Fernando Priyanthi
Published: December 2005

Racism touches many of the relationships created by the international development industry, but has been largely ignored by policy and academic studies. Like its historical precursors, it is in conversation with other forms of inequality based on class, gender, ethnicity and caste. Generalized representations of ‘racial’groups are pervasive and can be trivial in impact. But when combined with exclusionary social networks and rituals, and used to justify white-dominated power structures, the result can be systematic discrimination against people based on their racial identity. With examples from encounters between staff working in development in international agencies, networks, governments and national organizations in Latin America, Africa and Asia, we illustrate how racism is played out. We suggest that such observations emphasize the need to decentralize power to the South and that the subject deserves more thorough investigation.
Simulation of Freight Trains Equipped with Partially Filled Tank Containers and Related Resonance Phenomenon
Authors: Vera C , Paulin J , Suárez B , Gutiérrez M
Published: December 2005

To study the fluid motion-vehicle dynamics interaction, a model of four, liquid filled two-axle container freight wagons was set up. The railway vehicle has been modelled as a multi-body system (MBS). To include fluid sloshing, an equivalent mechanical model has been developed and incorporated. The influence of several factors has been studied in computer simulations, such as track defects, curve negotiation, train velocity, wheel wear, liquid and solid wagonload, and container baffles. SIMPACK has been used for MBS analysis, and ANSYS for liquid sloshing modelling and equivalent mechanical systems validation.

Acceleration and braking manoeuvres of the freight train set the liquid cargo into motion. This longitudinal sloshing motion of the fluid cargo inside the tanks initiated a swinging motion of some components of the coupling gear. The coupling gear consists of UIC standard traction hooks and coupling screws that are located between buffers. One of the coupling screws is placed in the traction hook of the opposite wagon thus joining the two wagons, whereas the unused coupling screw rests on a hanger.

Simulation results showed that, for certain combinations of type of liquid, filling level and container dimensions, the liquid cargo could provoke an undesirable, although not hazardous, release of the unused coupling screw from its hanger. The coupling screw's release was especially obtained when a period of acceleration was followed by an abrupt braking manoeuvre at 1 m/s2. It was shown that a resonance effect between the liquid's oscillation and the coupling screw's rotary motion could be the reason for the coupling screw's undesired release. Possible solutions to avoid the phenomenon are given.
Crises and Capital Requirements in Banking
Authors: Morrison Alan D , White Lucy
Published: December 2005

We analyze a general equilibrium model in which there is both adverse selection of, and moral hazard by, banks. The regulator can screen banks prior to giving them a licence, audit them ex post to learn the success probability of their projects, and impose capital adequacy requirements. Capital requirements combat moral hazard when the regulator has a strong screening reputation, and they otherwise substitute for screening ability. Crises of confidence can occur only in the latter case, and contrary to conventional wisdom, the appropriate policy response may be to tighten capital requirements to improve the quality of surviving banks.
The Impact of Outsourcing to China on Hong Kong's Labor Market
Authors: Hsieh Chang-Tai , Woo Keong T
Published: December 2005

We measure the impact of China's decision to open its economy in 1980 on outsourcing from Hong Kong and the relative demand for less-skilled workers. We show that the relative demand for skilled workers in Hong Kong increased at the same time outsourcing to China began to increase. The reallocation of workers from manufacturing to “outsourcing services” can account for 15 percent, and increased utilization of skilled workers within manufacturing industries for 30 percent, of the aggregate relative demand shift. In addition, the rate of skill upgrading has been greater in manufacturing industries that have seen a greater degree of outsourcing to China.
Annuities and Individual Welfare
Authors: Davidoff Thomas , Brown Jeffrey R , Diamond Peter A
Published: December 2005

Advancing annuity demand theory, we present sufficient conditions for the optimality of full annuitization under market completeness which are substantially less restrictive than those used by Menahem E. Yaari (1965). We examine demand with market incompleteness, finding that positive annuitization remains optimal widely, but complete annuitization does not. How uninsured medical expenses affect demand for illiquid annuities depends critically on the timing of the risk. A new set of calculations with optimal consumption trajectories very different from available annuity income streams still shows a preference for considerable annuitization, suggesting that limited annuity purchases are plausibly due to psychological or behavioral biases.
Estimating the Value of Proposal Power
Authors: Knight Brian
Published: December 2005

This paper investigates the role of proposal power in the allocation of transportation projects across U.S. congressional districts in 1991 and 1998. The evidence supports the key qualitative prediction of legislative bargaining models: members with proposal power -- those sitting on the transportation authorization committee -- secure more project spending for their districts than do other representatives. Support for the quantitative restrictions on the value of proposal power is more mixed. I then empirically address several alternative models of legislative behavior, including partisan models, informational roles for committees, models with appropriations committees, and theories of committees as preference outliers.
Herding and Contrarian Behavior in Financial Markets: An Internet Experiment
Authors: Drehmann Mathias , Oechssler Jörg , Roider Andreas
Published: December 2005

We report results of an Internet experiment designed to test the theory of informational cascades in financial markets (Christopher Avery and Peter Zemsky, 1998). More than 6,400 subjects, including a subsample of 267 consultants from an international consulting firm, participated in the experiment. We find that the presence of a flexible market price prevents herding. The presence of contrarian behavior distorts prices, however, and even after 20 decisions, convergence to the fundamental value is rare. We also report some interesting differences with respect to subjects' fields of study. Reassuringly, the behavior of the consultants turns out to be not significantly different from that of the remaining subjects.
On the Irrelevance of Input Prices for Make-or-Buy Decisions
Authors: Sappington David E. M
Published: December 2005

This paper demonstrates that input prices need not reflect the costs of an efficient incumbent supplier in order to induce entrants to implement efficient make-or-buy decisions. Because of strategic downstream considerations, entrants may always undertake efficient make-or-buy decisions, regardless of the prices at which they are authorized to buy key inputs from incumbent suppliers.
Using Experimental Economics to Measure Social Capital and Predict Financial Decisions
Authors: Karlan Dean S
Published: December 2005

Questions remain as to whether results from experimental economics are generalizable to real decisions in nonlaboratory settings. Furthermore, questions persist about whether social capital helps mitigate information asymmetries in credit markets. I examine whether behavior in two laboratory games, Trust and a Public Goods, predicts loan repayments to a Peruvian group-lending microfinance program. Since this program relies on social capital to enforce repayment, this tests the external validity of the games. Individuals identified as “trustworthy” by the Trust Game are indeed less likely to default on their loans. No similar support is found for the game's identification of “trusting” individuals.