bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Bicameral Negotiations: The Navette System in France
Authors: Tsebelis George , Money Jeannette 
Published: January 2009

This article investigates the decision-making process in the French bicameral legislature: the navette system. In this system, the legislation shuttles between the two houses until agreement is reached or until a stopping rule is applied. We examine the interaction between upper and lower houses as a bargaining game with complete and one-sided incomplete information.The complete information model permits us to evaluate the political implications of the navette's various institutional features (where the bill is first introduced, number of iterations, final veto power, etc.). The incomplete information approach permits us to predict the duration of the navette process. Data from the French Fifth Republic in the 1959–86 period corroborate the conclusions of the model. Because the navette system is the most commonly used method of decision making in bicameral legislatures, the model can be usefully generalized to other countries.
A dominant hereditary ossicular anomaly: bilateral incus anomaly and stapes fixation
Authors: Lee J H , Jung S H , Kim H C , Park C H , Hong S M 
Published: January 2009

AbstractObjective:We report three generations of one family suffering from bilateral conductive hearing loss due to a congenital anomaly of the incus and stapes fixation.Case report:All three female patients presented with similar symptoms and findings of hearing impairment since birth. Their computed tomography findings were the same. An abnormally shaped incus, fixed stapes and hanging tympanic portion of the facial nerve were seen at surgery. Stapedotomy could not be performed because the hanging facial nerve blocked the operating field.Conclusion:Although several cases of familial ossicular anomaly have been reported, this is the first report of an incus anomaly and stapes fixation combined with a facial nerve anomaly.
Collisional instability in a rare magnetized plasma: an experimental model for magnetospheric and space plasma study
Authors: XAPLANTERIS CONSTANTINE L. 
Published: January 2009

AbstractIn a suitable experimental device, laboratory plasma is produced with conditions and parameters analogous to magnetospheric plasma; we light a rare plasma in a semi-machine using rf-frequency discharge. Three ranges of low-frequency instabilities appear, one of which is identified as drift, caused by electron–neutral collisions. A full theoretical elaboration adapted to production conditions and geometrical symmetry is carried out; one solution of the dispersion relation is sufficient justification for the existence of the instability. The mathematical analysis also has the ambition to give interpretation for other low-frequency waves. Here we make a sound identification of the instability type as drift resistive due to electron–neutral collisions by an investigation of the growth rate. An agreement between experimental results and the theoretical model is obtained. As in the magnetosphere, an external magnetic field restrains the plasma.
Number systems and tilings over Laurent series
Authors: BECK TOBIAS , BRUNOTTE HORST , SCHEICHER KLAUS , THUSWALDNER JÖRG M. 
Published: January 2009

AbstractLetbe a field and[x,y] the ring of polynomials in two variables over. Letf∈[x,y] and consider the residue class ringR:=[x,y]/f[x,y]. Our first aim is to study digit representations inR, i.e., we ask for whichfeach element ofRadmits a digit representation of the formd0+d1x+ ⋅ ⋅ ⋅ +dℓxℓwith digitsdi∈[y] satisfying degy(di) < degy(f). These digit systems are motivated by the well-known notion of canonical number systems. Next we enlarge the ring in order to allow representations including negative powers of the “base”x. In particular, we define and characterize digit representations for the ringS:=((x−1,y−1))/f((x−1,y−1)) and give easy to handle criteria for finiteness and periodicity of such representations. Finally, we attach fundamental domains to our digit systems. The fundamental domain of a digit system is the set of all elements having only negative powers ofxin their “x-ary” representation. The translates of the fundamental domain induce a tiling ofS. Interestingly, the fundamental domains of our digit systems turn out to be unions of boxes. If we choose=qto be a finite field, these unions become finite.
The developmental potential of mouse somatic cell nuclear-transferred oocytes treated with trichostatin A and 5-aza-2′-deoxycytidine
Authors: Tsuji Yuta , Kato Yoko , Tsunoda Yukio 
Published: January 2009

SummaryTo facilitate nuclear reprogramming, somatic cells or somatic cell nuclear-transferred (SCNT) oocytes have been treated with the histone deacetylase inhibitor trichostatin A (TSA), or the DNA methyltransferase inhibitor, 5-aza-2′-deoxycytidine (5-aza-dC), to relax epigenetic marks of differentiated somatic cells. TSA-treated SCNT oocytes have increased developmental potential, but the optimal treatment period is unknown. Reduced methylation levels in somatic cells have no positive effect on SCNT oocytes, but the treatment of SCNT embryos with 5-aza-dC has not been investigated. We examined the effect of TSA treatment duration on the developmental potential of mouse SCNT oocytes and the effect of 5-aza-dC treatment on their in vitro and in vivo developmental potential. To determine the effects of TSA treatment duration, nuclear-transferred (NT) oocytes were cultured for 0 to 26 h with 100 nM TSA. SCNT oocytes treated with TSA for 8 to 12 h had the higher rate of development to blastocysts and full-term fetuses were obtained after treatment for 8 to 12 h. When oocytes were treated for 14 h and 26 h, blastocyst rates were significantly decreased and fetuses were not obtained. To examine the effect of 5-aza-dC, 2-cell stage SCNT embryos were cultured with 10 or 100 nM 5-aza-dC for 48 h to the morula stage and transferred. The potential of embryos treated with 5-aza-dC to develop into blastocysts was decreased and no fetuses were obtained after transfer. The findings demonstrated that long-term TSA treatment of SCNT mouse oocytes and treatment with 5-aza-dC inhibit the potential to develop into blastocysts and to fetuses after transfer.
Comparison of the retinal microvasculature in European and African-Caribbean people with diabetes
Authors: Mahal Sharleet , Strain W. David , Martinez-Perez M. Elena , Thom Simon A. McG. , Chaturvedi Nish , HUGHES Alun D. 
Published: January 2009

Diabetes aggravates the impact of elevated BP (blood pressure) on the microcirculation, and people of African ancestry with diabetes are more susceptible to microvascular damage than Europeans. In the present study, we investigated possible differences in the retinal microcirculation in people of European and African-Caribbean ethnicity with diabetes that might account for this. A total of 51 subjects with Type 2 diabetes (age 40–65 years; 25 male; 29 African-Caribbean) were studied. Clinic and 24 h ambulatory BP, and fasting glucose, insulin and lipids were measured. Digital retinal images were analysed using custom-written semi-automatic software to determine: LDR (length/diameter ratio) and AVR (arteriolar/venular diameter ratio), branching angles, vessel tortuosity and NT (number of terminal vessel branches). Arterioles were narrower in European people with diabetes than in African-Caribbean people with diabetes [mean (S.D.) arteriolar diameter, 76 (7) compared with 82 (11) μm respectively (P=0.03); arteriolar LDR, 28.1 (8.5) compared with 23.7 (7.0) respectively (P=0.046); and AVR, 0.66 (0.21) compared with 0.90 (0.36) respectively (P=0.028)]. Ethnic differences in arteriolar LDR, arteriolar diameter and AVR were not explained by differences in BP, but were attenuated by adjustment for the duration of diabetes. There was no significant relationship between BP and arteriolar narrowing in the group as a whole, although the relationship between arteriolar LDR and systolic BP was stronger in Europeans than African-Caribbeans [β=0.08 (0.07) compared with β=0.03 (0.06); P=0.03]. In conclusion, in the presence of diabetes, a relationship between BP and retinal arteriolar diameter was not evident and implies impaired small artery remodelling in the presence of diabetes. African-Caribbean people with diabetes have wider retinal arterioles and this could contribute to enhanced microvascular damage in this ethnic group.
Volume-dependent overestimation of spontaneous intracerebral hematoma volume by the ABC/2 formula
Authors: Wang Chih-Wei , Juan Chun-Jung , Liu Yi-Jui , Hsu Hsian-He , Liu Hua-Shan , Chen Cheng-Yu , Hsueh Chun-Jen , Lo Chung-Ping , Kao Hung-Wen , Huang Guo-Shu 
Published: January 2009

Background: Although the ABC/2 formula has been widely used to estimate the volume of intracerebral hematoma (ICH), the formula tends to overestimate hematoma volume. The volume-related imprecision of the ABC/2 formula has not been documented quantitatively. Purpose: To investigate the volume-dependent overestimation of the ABC/2 formula by comparing it with computer-assisted volumetric analysis (CAVA). Material and Methods: Forty patients who had suffered spontaneous ICH and who had undergone non-enhanced brain computed tomography scans were enrolled in this study. The ICH volume was estimated based on the ABC/2 formula and also calculated by CAVA. Based on the ICH volume calculated by the CAVA method, the patients were divided into three groups: group 1 consisted of 17 patients with an ICH volume of less than 20 ml; group 2 comprised 13 patients with an ICH volume of 20 to 40 ml; and group 3 was composed of 10 patients with an ICH volume larger than 40 ml. Results: The mean estimated hematoma volume was 43.6 ml when using the ABC/2 formula, compared with 33.8 ml when using the CAVA method. The mean estimated difference was 1.3 ml, 4.4 ml, and 31.4 ml for groups 1, 2, and 3, respectively, corresponding to an estimation error of 9.9%, 16.7%, and 37.1% by the ABC/2 formula ( P<0.05). Conclusion: The ABC/2 formula significantly overestimates the volume of ICH. A positive association between the estimation error and the volume of ICH is demonstrated.
The gene regulatory network for root epidermal cell-type pattern formation in Arabidopsis
Authors: Schiefelbein John , Kwak Su-Hwan , Wieckowski Yana , Barron Christa , Bruex Angela 
Published: January 2009

Abstract
A fundamental aspect of multicellular development is the patterning of distinct cell types in appropriate locations. In this review, the molecular genetic control of cell-type pattern formation in the root epidermis of Arabidopsis thaliana is summarized. This developmental system represents a simple and genetically tractable example of plant cell patterning. The distribution of the two epidermal cell types, root-hair cells and non-hair cells, are generated by a combination of positional signalling and lateral inhibition mechanisms. In addition, recent evidence suggests that reinforcing mechanisms are used to ensure that the initial cell fate choice is adopted in a robust manner.
Regulation of Carotenoid Composition and Shoot Branching inArabidopsisby a Chromatin Modifying Histone Methyltransferase, SDG8
Authors: Cazzonelli Christopher I. , Cuttriss Abby J. , Cossetto Susan B. , Pye William , Crisp Peter , Whelan Jim , Finnegan E. Jean , Turnbull Colin , Pogson Barry J. 
Published: January 2009

AbstractCarotenoid pigments are critical for plant survival, and carotenoid composition is tuned to the developmental stage, tissue, and to environmental stimuli. We report the cloning of the CAROTENOID CHLOROPLAST REGULATORY1 (CCR1) gene. The ccr1 mutant has increased shoot branching and altered carotenoid composition, namely, reduced lutein in leaves and accumulation of cis-carotenes in dark-grown seedlings. The CCR1 gene was previously isolated as EARLY FLOWERING IN SHORT DAYS and encodes a histone methyltransferase (SET DOMAIN GROUP 8) that methylates histone H3 on Lys 4 and/or 36 (H3K4 and H3K36). ccr1 plants show reduced trimethyl-H3K4 and increased dimethyl-H3K4 surrounding the CAROTENOID ISOMERASE (CRTISO) translation start site, which correlates with low levels of CRTISO mRNA. Microarrays of ccr1 revealed the downregulation of 85 genes, including CRTISO and genes associated with signaling and development, and upregulation of just 28 genes. The reduction in CRTISO transcript abundance explains the altered carotenoid profile. The changes in shoot branching are additive with more axillary branching mutants, but the altered carotenoid profile may partially affect shoot branching, potentially by perturbed biosynthesis of the carotenoid substrates of strigolactones. These results are consistent with SDG8 regulating shoot meristem activity and carotenoid biosynthesis by modifying the chromatin surrounding key genes, including CRTISO. Thus, the level of lutein, the most abundant carotenoid in higher plants that is critical for photosynthesis and photoprotection, appears to be regulated by a chromatin modifying enzyme in Arabidopsis thaliana.
Inflammatory and oxidative stress biomarkers in allergic rhinitis: the effect of smoking
Authors: Tanou K. , Koutsokera A. , Kiropoulos T. S. , Maniati M. , Papaioannou A. I. , Georga K. , Zarogiannis S. , Gourgoulianis K. I. , Kostikas K. 
Published: January 2009

SummaryBackground
Accumulating evidence confirms the presence of pan‐airway inflammation in allergic rhinitis patients. Smoking is known to affect the asthmatic airway inflammation. However, no study has evaluated the impact of smoking on airway inflammation of allergic rhinitis patients.Objective
The aim of the present study was to evaluate the impact of smoking on inflammatory and oxidative stress biomarkers in patients with seasonal allergic rhinitis, using non‐invasive methods for sample collection.Methods
Forty patients with seasonal allergic rhinitis (20 smokers and 20 non‐smokers) and 30 healthy subjects (15 smokers and 15 non‐smokers) were recruited for the study during pollen season. All subjects were submitted to measurement of the fraction of exhaled NO (FeNO), exhaled breath condensate (EBC) collection, nasal lavage collection, pre‐ and post‐ bronchodilation spirometry and metacholine bronchial challenge testing. pH, leukotriene B4 (LTB4) and 8‐isoprostane were determined in EBC and nasal lavage samples.Results
Patients with allergic rhinitis presented higher LTB4 and 8‐isoprostane levels in nasal lavage (P<0.0001 for both comparisons), with no significant differences between smokers and non‐smokers. Patients with allergic rhinitis also presented higher LTB4 levels and lower pH in EBC (P<0.001 and P=0.004, respectively), with prominent differences between smokers and non‐smokers (P<0.0001 and P=0.003, for LTB4 and pH, respectively). A significant correlation between nasal lavage and EBC LTB4 values was observed (rs=0.313, P=0.048).Conclusions
Patients with allergic rhinitis present increased LTB4 and 8‐isoprostane in their nasal cavity, however, with no significant differences between smokers and non‐smokers. In contrast, smokers with allergic rhinitis present higher LTB4 levels and lower pH in EBC, suggesting that these patients may be more susceptible to the deleterious effects of smoking, compared with non‐smokers.
Linking spatial pattern of bottom fish assemblages with water masses in the North Sea
Authors: EHRICH SIEGFRIED , STELZENMÜLLER VANESSA , ADLERSTEIN SARA 
Published: January 2009

AbstractUnderstanding the links between large scale spatial structuring of fish assemblages and shaping factors is essential to develop comprehensive ecosystem‐based fisheries management. In this study, we investigated spatial patterns of bottom fish assemblages in the North Sea in relation to prevailing water masses in the region. We based our analysis on catch data from the German Small‐Scale Bottom Trawl Survey conducted between 1987 and 2005 and used both ordination techniques and Mantel tests. Spatial variability of bottom fish assemblages was larger than inter‐annual variability. Five significantly different bottom fish assemblages were associated with the following prevailing hydrographical regimes: i) the English Channel, ii) Continental Coastal, iii) central North Sea, iv) northern North Sea, and v) northern Atlantic water masses. Associations were generated by gradients in relative proportions of abundant species such as grey gurnard (Eutrigla gurnardus), dab (Limanda limanda), whiting (Merlangius merlangus), haddock (Melanogrammus aeglefinus) and Norway pout (Trisopterus esmarki). Taking into account large scale spatial structuring of catch data Mantel tests confirmed significant correlation between the fish assemblages and hydrographical variables. In summary, our results strongly support the hypotheses that hydrographical features such as water masses, fronts, and residual currents could shape bottom fish associations in the North Sea. Spatial demarcations of bottom fish assemblages indicated by this study can be used to support ecosystem‐based fisheries management strategies.
Larval fish abundance and distribution during the late winter bloom off Gran Canaria Island, Canary Islands
Authors: MOYANO M. , RODRÍGUEZ J. M. , HERNÁNDEZ‐LEÓN S. 
Published: January 2009

AbstractThe species composition, distribution and abundance of fish larvae off Gran Canaria (Canary Islands), an oceanic island in the NE Atlantic, were studied from January to August 2005. Weekly samplings were carried out at six stations in the eastern and southern flanks of the island, at the edge of the island shelf, in order to analyze the fluctuations of the planktonic community. The highest chlorophyll a values were recorded in March, coinciding with the lowest values of temperature in the mixed layer, which gave rise to the ‘late winter bloom’. Mesozooplankton biomass peaked with only a week‐lag to phytoplankton, and its average value (13.5 ± 10.9 SD mg dry weight m−3) was typical for the area. A clear windward‐leeward distribution pattern was found for small mesozooplankton and neritic larvae, showing higher values in two stagnation points, upstream and downstream of the island. A total of 128 taxa of fish larvae were identified. Neritic and oceanic larvae appeared in quite similar proportions. Only three families accounted for half of the total larval fish collected: Myctophidae (24.9%), Sparidae (12.7%) and Clupeidae (11.9%). Sardinella aurita (8% of total larvae collected) was the most abundant species, appearing during the whole period of study and at each of the six sampled stations. Sardina pilchardus larvae were rarely captured but were always encountered with the arrival of NW African upwelling filaments to the island coast, suggesting that these larvae were transported in those mesoscale structures.
A Bayesian model for anchovy (Engraulis encrasicolus): the combined forcing of man and environment
Authors: RUIZ JAVIER , GONZÁLEZ‐QUIRÓS RAFAEL , PRIETO LAURA , NAVARRO GABRIEL 
Published: January 2009

AbstractFishery collapses frequently result from combined pressures of the environment and man, which are difficult to discern because of the complexities involved and our limited knowledge. Models to resolve this complexity often become too sophisticated, with too many assumptions and, consequently, with little capacity to predict beyond calibration data. In this paper we implement a different procedure where the model is kept simple and uncertainty accounts for the equation imperfectness to reproduce ecological complexity. Human and environmental forcing on an anchovy (Engraulis encrasicolus) stock are simulated with only six parameters plus their error terms, and the uncertainty is computed with Bayesian methods. The simple structure is able to reproduce the major dynamical features of this species in the Gulf of Cádiz, including data on life stages and age structure that had no contact with the model. This is a distinct performance for a frugal approach working on a mid‐trophic species and a positive instance where parsimony can simulate the interaction of man, fish and the environment, provided uncertainty is accounted for in the process.
Chemically specific imaging of cryptosporidium oocysts using coherent anti‐Stokes Raman scattering (CARS) microscopy
Authors: MURUGKAR S. , EVANS C.L. , XIE X.S. , ANIS H. 
Published: January 2009

SummaryWe demonstrate the application of coherent anti‐Stokes Raman scattering microscopy for the rapid, label‐free chemical imaging of waterborne pathogens. Chemically selective images of cryptosporidium were acquired in just a few seconds using coherent anti‐Stokes Raman scattering microscopy, demonstrating its capability for the rapid detection of cryptosporidium at the single oocyst level. We discuss the applicability of such a technique in a near‐real time automated water testing system.
Shack‐Hartmann wave front measurements in cortical tissue for deconvolution of large three‐dimensional mosaic transmitted light brightfield micrographs
Authors: OBERLAENDER M. , BROSER P.J. , SAKMANN B. , HIPPLER S. 
Published: January 2009

SummaryWe present a novel approach for deconvolution of 3D image stacks of cortical tissue taken by mosaic/optical‐sectioning technology, using a transmitted light brightfield microscope. Mosaic/optical‐sectioning offers the possibility of imaging large volumes (e.g. from cortical sections) on a millimetre scale at sub‐micrometre resolution. However, a blurred contribution from out‐of‐focus light results in an image quality that usually prohibits 3D quantitative analysis. Such quantitative analysis is only possible after deblurring by deconvolution. The resulting image quality is strongly dependent on how accurate the point spread function used for deconvolution resembles the properties of the imaging system. Since direct measurement of the true point spread function is laborious and modelled point spread functions usually deviate from measured ones, we present a method of optimizing the microscope until it meets almost ideal imaging conditions. These conditions are validated by measuring the aberration function of the microscope and tissue using a Shack‐Hartmann sensor. The analysis shows that cortical tissue from rat brains embedded in Mowiol and imaged by an oil‐immersion objective can be regarded as having a homogeneous index of refraction. In addition, the amount of spherical aberration that is caused by the optics or the specimen is relatively low. Consequently the image formation is simplified to refraction between the embedding and immersion medium and to 3D diffraction at the finite entrance pupil of the objective. The resulting model point spread function is applied to the image stacks by linear or iterative deconvolution algorithms. For the presented dataset of large 3D images the linear approach proves to be superior. The linear deconvolution yields a significant improvement in signal‐to‐noise ratio and resolution. This novel approach allows a quantitative analysis of the cortical image stacks such as the reconstruction of biocytin‐stained neuronal dendrites and axons.
Accuracy assessment of elastic strain measurement by EBSD
Authors: VILLERT S. , MAURICE C. , WYON C. , FORTUNIER R. 
Published: January 2009

SummaryA detailed accuracy analysis of electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) elastic strain measurement has been carried out using both simulated and experimental patterns. Strains are determined by measuring shifts between two EBSD patterns (one being the reference) over regions of interest (ROI) using an iterative cross‐correlation algorithm. An original minimization procedure over 20 regions of interests gives a unique solution for the eight independent components of the deviatoric displacement gradient tensor. It is shown that this method leads to strain measurements on simulated patterns with an accuracy better than 10−4. The influence of the projection parameters is also investigated. The accuracy assessment is illustrated by two worked examples: (i) four‐point bending of a silicon single crystal and (ii) Si1 –xGex layers on a Si substrate. Experimental results are compared with finite‐element simulations.