bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Limited Contribution of Photovoltaic Energy Technology to Economic Development of Sub-Saharan Africa
Authors:   Soboyejo,   Otiti
Published: May 2006

AbstractThis paper argues that the cost of solar PV system is beyond the reach of most rural poor households in sub-Saharan Africa. The other disadvantage of PV technology is limited power output. PV technology is unsuitable for agro-processing activities that represent the most attractive options for generating incomes in sub-Saharan Africa. Agro-processing activities require equipment with average power output of not less than 1000 W. A PV system of 1000 W is suggested as being too costly for most rural homes, based on the current silicon technologies. The paper concludes by suggesting that sub-Saharan Africa urgently needs alternative energy technologies that can meet the overall energy requirements of the region and promote economic development in the rural areas. Alternative approaches are also suggested to improve the effectiveness of PV technology in providing the energy needs in sub-Saharan Africa in the short, medium and long term.
Paradigms and Reality in Micro-Finance: The Indian Case
Authors: Edward Peter , Olsen Wendy 
Published: May 2006

AbstractIn India, micro-finance has grown rapidly. We examine qualitative local data on micro-finance in southern Andhra Pradesh. We compare and contrast Mayoux's three paradigms of micro-finance as being differentiated by their assumptions, their claims, and the mode of operation of those who adhere to them. Each paradigm offers a grounding for practice as well as a mode of discourse for microfinance practitioners. In Andhra Pradesh, the empowerment paradigm is fading away compared with the financial sustainability paradigm of micro-finance. The anti-poverty paradigm is also muted. The financial sustainability school is presently dominant in this complex micro-enterprise scene.
An Alternative Holistic Approach to Affordable Housing: Homes of Foam
Authors:   Okwo,   Soboyejo
Published: May 2006

AbstractThis paper presents a holistic alternative approach to the development of a model of affordable housing within the context of Nigeria. This includes the use of low-cost expanded polystyrene (EPS) foams, solar energy, and rainwater harvesting. The holistic framework also considers the infrastructural requirements and a recreational park that is integrated into a model housing scheme. A cost model is used to estimate the minimum construction costs. The long-term mortgage implications of the results are discussed for the development of affordable housing for low- to medium-income families in developing countries such as Nigeria.
Issues of Identity in the Indian Diaspora: A Transnational Perspective
Authors: Sahoo Ajaya Kumar 
Published: May 2006

AbstractIndia is unique for the magnitude of her diversities in terms of languages and regions, religions and sects, castes and sub-castes, rural and urban, food and style of dress, which are also reflected by her diasporic communities. There are diasporic communities formed on the basis of linguistic or regional identities such as Punjabis, Gujaratis, Sindhis, Tamils, Malayalees and Telugus. Global organizations such as Global Organization of People of Indian Origin (GOPIO), World Telugu Federation (WTF), and World Punjabi Organization (WPO), have recently emerged to preserve and promote the identities and cultures of Indians, uniting transnationally India and the global Indian diaspora. The past decade has witnessed a phenomenal dynamism among the diasporic communities, made possible by the recent advancement in technologies of travel, transport, and communications. Not only did these developments bring the diasporic communities and their motherland closer but they also facilitated in bringing together the members of their community dispersed around the world. The present article examines this emerging trend with the illustration of one of the important regional Indian diasporic communities, the Gujarati Diaspora. Gujaratis, the people from the central western parts of India, are one of the early Indian communities who have ventured out to different parts of the world for multiple reasons. Today, as one of the prominent Indian diasporic communities in the world, Gujaratis are successful not only in business, which is their first love, but also in professional fields such as technology, science, medicine, and business management.
The International Mariology Project: a Case-study of Augustine's Letters
Authors: Allen Pauline 
Published: May 2006

AbstractThis study of the mariology of the letters of Augustine is part of an international project investigating the development of the cult of Mary before 431. The study argues that the works of authors before this date need to be considered individually, and that negative, ambiguous, or seemingly contradictory findings, as well as data in which Mary figures abundantly, are all valid. The scant role assigned to Mary in Augustine's letters, where she is mostly a credal commodity, stands in stark contrast to the high mariology found in some of his other works, indicating that genre affects the data. An aggregate score of high mariology in the one author, Augustine in this case, does not mean that this score holds true for all his works. A low score must be also taken into serious consideration, and indeed it can be just as important in understanding the development of the cult of Mary before 431.
Spatial normalization of array-CGH data
Authors: Neuvial Pierre , Hupé Philippe , Brito Isabel , Liva Stéphane , Manié Élodie , Brennetot Caroline , Radvanyi François , Aurias Alain , Barillot Emmanuel 
Published: May 2006

Abstract

Background
Array-based comparative genomic hybridization (array-CGH) is a recently developed technique for analyzing changes in DNA copy number. As in all microarray analyses, normalization is required to correct for experimental artifacts while preserving the true biological signal. We investigated various sources of systematic variation in array-CGH data and identified two distinct types of spatial effect of no biological relevance as the predominant experimental artifacts: continuous spatial gradients and local spatial bias. Local spatial bias affects a large proportion of arrays, and has not previously been considered in array-CGH experiments.

Results
We show that existing normalization techniques do not correct these spatial effects properly. We therefore developed an automatic method for the spatial normalization of array-CGH data. This method makes it possible to delineate and to eliminate and/or correct areas affected by spatial bias. It is based on the combination of a spatial segmentation algorithm called NEM (Neighborhood Expectation Maximization) and spatial trend estimation. We defined quality criteria for array-CGH data, demonstrating significant improvements in data quality with our method for three data sets coming from two different platforms (198, 175 and 26 BAC-arrays).

Conclusion
We have designed an automatic algorithm for the spatial normalization of BAC CGH-array data, preventing the misinterpretation of experimental artifacts as biologically relevant outliers in the genomic profile. This algorithm is implemented in the R package MANOR (Micro-Array NORmalization), which is described at http://bioinfo.curie.fr/projects/manor and available from the Bioconductor site http://www.bioconductor.org. It can also be tested on the CAPweb bioinformatics platform at http://bioinfo.curie.fr/CAPweb.
A jumping profile Hidden Markov Model and applications to recombination sites in HIV and HCV genomes
Authors: Schultz Anne-Kathrin , Zhang Ming , Leitner Thomas , Kuiken Carla , Korber Bette , Morgenstern Burkhard , Stanke Mario 
Published: May 2006

Abstract

Background
Jumping alignments have recently been proposed as a strategy to search a given multiple sequence alignment A against a database. Instead of comparing a database sequence S to the multiple alignment or profile as a whole, S is compared and aligned to individual sequences from A. Within this alignment, S can jump between different sequences from A, so different parts of S can be aligned to different sequences from the input multiple alignment. This approach is particularly useful for dealing with recombination events.

Results
We developed a jumping profile Hidden Markov Model (jpHMM), a probabilistic generalization of the jumping-alignment approach. Given a partition of the aligned input sequence family into known sequence subtypes, our model can jump between states corresponding to these different subtypes, depending on which subtype is locally most similar to a database sequence. Jumps between different subtypes are indicative of intersubtype recombinations. We applied our method to a large set of genome sequences from human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) as well as to simulated recombined genome sequences.

Conclusion
Our results demonstrate that jumps in our jumping profile HMM often correspond to recombination breakpoints; our approach can therefore be used to detect recombinations in genomic sequences. The recombination breakpoints identified by jpHMM were found to be significantly more accurate than breakpoints defined by traditional methods based on comparing single representative sequences.
Phylogeny based discovery of regulatory elements
Authors: Gertz Jason , Fay Justin C , Cohen Barak A 
Published: May 2006

Abstract

Background
Algorithms that locate evolutionarily conserved sequences have become powerful tools for finding functional DNA elements, including transcription factor binding sites; however, most methods do not take advantage of an explicit model for the constrained evolution of functional DNA sequences.

Results
We developed a probabilistic framework that combines an HKY85 model, which assigns probabilities to different base substitutions between species, and weight matrix models of transcription factor binding sites, which describe the probabilities of observing particular nucleotides at specific positions in the binding site. The method incorporates the phylogenies of the species under consideration and takes into account the position specific variation of transcription factor binding sites. Using our framework we assessed the suitability of alignments of genomic sequences from commonly used species as substrates for comparative genomic approaches to regulatory motif finding. We then applied this technique to Saccharomyces cerevisiae and related species by examining all possible six base pair DNA sequences (hexamers) and identifying sequences that are conserved in a significant number of promoters. By combining similar conserved hexamers we reconstructed known cis-regulatory motifs and made predictions of previously unidentified motifs. We tested one prediction experimentally, finding it to be a regulatory element involved in the transcriptional response to glucose.

Conclusion
The experimental validation of a regulatory element prediction missed by other large-scale motif finding studies demonstrates that our approach is a useful addition to the current suite of tools for finding regulatory motifs.
Cadherin2 (N-cadherin) plays an essential role in zebrafish cardiovascular development
Authors: Bagatto Brian , Francl Jessie , Liu Bei , Liu Qin 
Published: May 2006

Abstract

Background
Cadherins are cell surface adhesion molecules that play important roles in development of vertebrate tissues and organs. We studied cadherin2 expression in developing zebrafish heart using in situ hybridization and immunocytochemical methods, and we found that cadherin2 was strongly expressed by the myocardium of the embryonic zebrafish. To gain insight into cadherin2 role in the formation and function of the heart, we analyzed cardiac differentiation and performance in a cadherin2 mutant, glass onion (glo).

Results
We found that the cadherin2 mutant had enlarged pericardial cavity, disorganized atrium and ventricle, and reduced expression of a ventricular specific marker vmhc. Individual myocardiocytes in the glo mutant embryos became round shaped and loosely aggregated. In vivo measurements of cardiac performance revealed that the mutant heart had significantly reduced heart rate, stroke volume and cardiac output compared to control embryos. Formation of the embryonic vascular system in the glo mutants was also affected.

Conclusion
Our results suggest that cadherin2 plays an essential role in zebrafish cardiovascular development. Although the exact mechanisms remain unknown as to the formation of the enlarged pericardium and reduced peripheral blood flow, it is clear that myocardiocyte differentiation and physiological cardiovascular performance is impaired when cadherin2 function is disrupted.
Phenotype-genotype association grid: a convenient method for summarizing multiple association analyses
Authors: Levy Daniel , DePalma Steven R , Benjamin Emelia J , O'Donnell Christopher J , Parise Helen , Hirschhorn Joel N , Vasan Ramachandran S , Izumo Seigo , Larson Martin G 
Published: May 2006

AbstractBackgroundHigh-throughput genotyping generates vast amounts of data for analysis; results can be difficult to summarize succinctly. A single project may involve genotyping many genes with multiple variants per gene and analyzing each variant in relation to numerous phenotypes, using several genetic models and population subgroups. Hundreds of statistical tests may be performed for a single SNP, thereby complicating interpretation of results and inhibiting identification of patterns of association.ResultsTo facilitate visual display and summary of large numbers of association tests of genetic loci with multiple phenotypes, we developed a Phenotype-Genotype Association (PGA) grid display. A database-backed web server was used to create PGA grids from phenotypic and genotypic data (sample sizes, means and standard errors, P-value for association). HTML pages were generated using Tcl scripts on an AOLserver platform, using an Oracle database, and the ArsDigita Community System web toolkit. The grids are interactive and permit display of summary data for individual cells by a mouse click (i.e. least squares means for a given SNP and phenotype, specified genetic model and study sample). PGA grids can be used to visually summarize results of individual SNP associations, gene-environment associations, or haplotype associations.ConclusionThe PGA grid, which permits interactive exploration of large numbers of association test results, can serve as an easily adapted common and useful display format for large-scale genetic studies. Doing so would reduce the problem of publication bias, and would simplify the task of summarizing large-scale association studies.
Widespread ectopic expression of olfactory receptor genes
Authors: Feldmesser Ester , Olender Tsviya , Khen Miriam , Yanai Itai , Ophir Ron , Lancet Doron 
Published: May 2006

Abstract

Background
Olfactory receptors (ORs) are the largest gene family in the human genome. Although they are expected to be expressed specifically in olfactory tissues, some ectopic expression has been reported, with special emphasis on sperm and testis. The present study systematically explores the expression patterns of OR genes in a large number of tissues and assesses the potential functional implication of such ectopic expression.

Results
We analyzed the expression of hundreds of human and mouse OR transcripts, via EST and microarray data, in several dozens of human and mouse tissues. Different tissues had specific, relatively small OR gene subsets which had particularly high expression levels. In testis, average expression was not particularly high, and very few highly expressed genes were found, none corresponding to ORs previously implicated in sperm chemotaxis. Higher expression levels were more common for genes with a non-OR genomic neighbor. Importantly, no correlation in expression levels was detected for human-mouse orthologous pairs. Also, no significant difference in expression levels was seen between intact and pseudogenized ORs, except for the pseudogenes of subfamily 7E which has undergone a human-specific expansion.

Conclusion
The OR superfamily as a whole, show widespread, locus-dependent and heterogeneous expression, in agreement with a neutral or near neutral evolutionary model for transcription control. These results cannot reject the possibility that small OR subsets might play functional roles in different tissues, however considerable care should be exerted when offering a functional interpretation for ectopic OR expression based only on transcription information.
The mitochondrial lineage U8a reveals a Paleolithic settlement in the Basque country
Authors: González Ana M , García Oscar , Larruga José M , Cabrera Vicente M 
Published: May 2006

Abstract

Background
It is customary, in population genetics studies, to consider Basques as the direct descendants of the Paleolithic Europeans. However, until now there has been no irrefutable genetic proof to support this supposition. Even studies based on mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA), an ideal molecule for constructing datable maternal genealogies, have failed to achieve this. It could be that incoming gene flow has replaced the Basque ancient lineages but it could also be that these lineages have not been detected due to a lack of resolution of the Basque mtDNA genealogies. To assess this possibility we analyzed here the mtDNA of a large sample of autochthonous Basques using mtDNA genomic sequencing for those lineages that could not be unequivocally classified by diagnostic RFLP analysis and control region (HVSI and HVSII) sequencing.

Results
We show that Basques have the most ancestral phylogeny in Europe for the rare mitochondrial subhaplogroup U8a. Divergence times situate the Basque origin of this lineage in the Upper Palaeolithic. Most probably, their primitive founders came from West Asia. The lack of U8a lineages in Africa points to an European and not a North African route of entrance. Phylogeographic analysis suggest that U8a had two expansion periods in Europe, the first, from a south-western area including the Iberian peninsula and Mediterranean France before 30,000 years ago, and the second, from Central Europe around 15,000–10,000 years ago.

Conclusion
It has been demonstrated, for the first time, that Basques show the oldest lineages in Europe for subhaplogroup U8a. Coalescence times for these lineages suggest their presence in the Basque country since the Upper Paleolithic. The European U8 phylogeography is congruent with the supposition that Basques could have participated in demographic re-expansions to repopulate central Europe in the last interglacial periods.
Texture discrimination and multi-unit recording in the rat vibrissal nerve
Authors: Albarracín Ana L , Farfán Fernando D , Felice Carmelo J , Décima Emilio E 
Published: May 2006

Abstract

Background
Rats distinguish objects differing in surface texture by actively moving their vibrissae. In this paper we characterized some aspects of texture sensing in anesthetized rats during active touch. We analyzed the multifiber discharge from a deep vibrissal nerve when the vibrissa sweeps materials (wood, metal, acrylic, sandpaper) having different textures. We polished these surfaces with sandpaper (P1000) to obtain close degrees of roughness and we induced vibrissal movement with two-branch facial nerve stimulation. We also consider the change in pressure against the vibrissa as a way to improve the tactile information acquisition. The signals were compared with a reference signal (control) – vibrissa sweeping the air – and were analyzed with the Root Mean Square (RMS) and the Power Spectrum Density (PSD).

Results
We extracted the information about texture discrimination hidden in the population activity of one vibrissa innervation, using the RMS values and the PSD. The pressure level 3 produced the best differentiation for RMS values and it could represent the "optimum" vibrissal pressure for texture discrimination. The frequency analysis (PSD) provided information only at low-pressure levels and showed that the differences are not related to the roughness of the materials but could be related to other texture parameters.

Conclusion
Our results suggest that the physical properties of different materials could be transduced by the trigeminal sensory system of rats, as are shown by amplitude and frequency changes. Likewise, varying the pressure could represent a behavioral strategy that improves the information acquisition for texture discrimination.
Association study of genetic variants of pro-inflammatory chemokine and cytokine genes in systemic lupus erythematosus
Authors: Sánchez Elena , Sabio José M , Callejas José L , de Ramón Enrique , Garcia-Portales Rosa , García-Hernández Francisco J , Jiménez-Alonso Juan , González-Escribano Ma Francisca , Martín Javier , Koeleman Bobby P 
Published: May 2006

Abstract

Background
Several lines of evidence suggest that chemokines and cytokines play an important role in the inflammatory development and progression of systemic lupus erythematosus. The aim of this study was to evaluate the relevance of functional genetic variations of RANTES, IL-8, IL-1α, and MCP-1 for systemic lupus erythematosus.

Methods
The study was conducted on 500 SLE patients and 481 ethnically matched healthy controls. Genotyping of polymorphisms in the RANTES, IL-8, IL-1α, and MCP-1 genes were performed using a real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) system with pre-developed TaqMan allelic discrimination assay.

Results
No significant differences between SLE patients and healthy controls were observed when comparing genotype, allele or haplotype frequencies of the RANTES, IL-8, IL-1α, and MCP-1 polymorphisms. In addition, no evidence for association with clinical sub-features of SLE was found.

Conclusion
These results suggest that the tested functional variation of RANTES, IL-8, IL-1α, and MCP-1 genes do not confer a relevant role in the susceptibility or severity of SLE in the Spanish population.