bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Acute intermittent porphyria in women: clinical expression, use and experience of exogenous sex hormones. A population‐based study in northern Sweden
Authors: Andersson C. , Innala E. , Bäckström T. 
Published: July 2003

Abstract.  Andersson C, Innala E, Bäckström T (University Hospital, Umeå, Sweden). Acute intermittent porphyria in women: clinical expression, use and experience of exogenous sex hormones. A population‐based study in northern Sweden. J Intern Med 2003; 254: 176–183.Objective.  To describe the clinical expression of acute intermittent porphyria (AIP) in women, their use of exogenous sex hormones, and the effects on AIP.Design.  A retrospective population‐based study.Subjects.  All women aged  ≥18 years (n = 190) with DNA‐diagnosed AIP in northern Sweden.Results.  A total of 166 women (87%) participated; 91 (55%) had manifest AIP. Severe attacks were reported by 82%; 39% reported recurrent premenstrual AIP attacks and 22% reported chronic AIP symptoms. Oral hormonal contraceptives had been used by 58% of all these women and by 50 with manifest AIP (57%). Twelve women (24%) associated oral contraceptives as precipitating AIP attacks; in nine cases their first attack. One woman experienced relief from AIP symptoms. On commencing their treatment, 72% of the women with manifest AIP had not yet suffered their first attack. Twenty‐two women (25%) aged ≥45 years had used hormonal replacement therapy (HRT) at menopause to remedy climacteric symptoms (the percutaneous route was most frequently used); no AIP attack was precipitated. HRT to remedy vaginal dryness was used by 26 women (28%) aged ≥45 years without triggering an AIP attack. Miscarriages were more frequent in women with manifest AIP (50%) than in the latent group (30%, P = 0.014).Conclusions.  About half of the women with AIP had used oral hormonal contraceptives. As 25% of women with manifest AIP reported attacks associated with such drugs, caution must still be recommended. Menopausal HRT only rarely affected the disorder. Miscarriage was more common amongst women with manifest AIP.
Oestrogen receptor α gene polymorphism is related to aortic valve sclerosis in postmenopausal women
Authors: Nordström P. , Glader C. A. , Dahlén G. , Birgander L. Slunga , Lorentzon R. , Waldenström A. , Lorentzon M. 
Published: July 2003

Abstract. Nordström P, Glader CA, Dahlén G, Slunga Birgander L, Lorentzon R, Waldenström A, Lorentzon M (Sports Medicine Unit; Department of Geriatric Medicine; Clinical Chemistry; Section of Cardiology; and National Institute for Working Life, Umeå, Sweden). Oestrogen receptor α gene polymorphism is related to aortic valve sclerosis in postmenopausal women. J Intern Med 2003; 254: 140–146.Objectives. Aortic valvular sclerosis (AS) is an inflammatory process and not a result of normal ageing. The sclerotic process is accelerated by risk factors such as smoking and high cholesterol levels. The genetic factors for the development of AS are however unknown. Therefore the purpose of the present study was to investigate whether polymorphisms in the oestrogen receptor α (ORα) gene and in the transforming growth factor β (TGF‐β1) gene were related to the presence of AS in postmenopausal women.Design. Case–control study.Subjects and methods. Relationships were tested between polymorphisms in the ORα gene defined by the restriction enzymes PvuII and XbaI, and in the TGF‐β1 gene defined by AocI, and AS, lipid levels, and lipoprotein(a) [Lp(a)] in 41 postmenopausal female patients and 41 age‐ and sex‐matched controls. These polymorphisms were also tested in relation to lipid levels and Lp(a), in 99 healthy Caucasian girls, aged 16.9 ± 1.2 years.Results. In the postmenopausal patients and age‐matched controls, the PvuII polymorphism was independently associated with an increased risk of AS [odds ratio (OR) = 3.38; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.13–10.09). A genotype defined by at least one restriction site in the PvuII polymorphism and two restriction sites in the TGF‐β1 polymorphism was related to a highly significantly increased risk of AS (OR = 4.58; 95% CI 1.68–12.51). In the adolescent female cohort, presence of two restriction sites in the PvuII polymorphism was associated with higher levels of total cholesterol (TC) (P = 0.02), and low‐density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL) (P = 0.04).Conclusions. We have demonstrated that the PvuII polymorphism in the ORα gene is related to both the presence of AS in postmenopausal women and to lipid levels in adolescent females, suggesting that this polymorphism may influence the risk of AS partly by affecting lipid levels.
Constitutive expression of the water deficit‐inducible homeobox gene ATHB7 in transgenic Arabidopsis causes a suppression of stem elongation growth
Authors: HJELLSTRÖM M. , OLSSON A. S. B. , ENGSTRÖM P. , SÖDERMAN E. M. 
Published: July 2003

ABSTRACTThe Arabidopsis gene ATHB7 encodes a transcription factor of the homeodomain‐leucine zipper class. The activity of the gene is dependent on the water conditions of the plant; expression being strongly induced in plants subjected to water deficit or to treatment with abscisic acid (ABA). In this report we demonstrate that ATHB7, when constitutively expressed at levels typical for plants exposed to water‐deficit conditions, caused a reduction in elongation growth in the leaf and in the inflorescence stem. The reduction in stem growth mimics the effect on growth caused by water‐deficit conditions, but is independent of water conditions in plants that express ATHB7 constitutively. These results indicate that ATHB7 in the wild‐type plant may be a mediator of the plant growth response to limiting water conditions in the leaf and in the inflorescence stem. In support of this notion we also show that the ATHB7 promoter in wild‐type plants exposed to water‐deficit conditions is highly active in the elongating parts of the inflorescence stem as well as leaves.
Enhanced tolerance of photosynthesis against high temperature damage in salt‐adapted halophyte Atriplex centralasiatica plants
Authors: QIU N. , LU C. 
Published: July 2003

ABSTRACTThermotolerance of photosynthesis in salt‐adapted Atriplex centralasiatica plants (100–400 mm NaCl) was evaluated in this study after detached leaves and whole plants were exposed to high temperature stress (30–48 °C) either in the dark or under high light (1200 mol m−2 s−1). In parallel with the decrease in stomatal conductance, intercellular CO2 concentration and CO2 assimilation rate decreased significantly with increasing salt concentration. There was no change in the maximal efficiency of PSII photochemistry (Fv/Fm) with increasing salt concentration, suggesting that there was no damage to PSII in salt‐adapted plants. On the other hand, there was a striking difference in the response of PSII and CO2 assimilation capacity to heat stress in non‐salt‐adapted and salt‐adapted leaves. Leaves from salt‐adapted plants maintained significantly higher Fv/Fm values than those from non‐salt‐adapted leaves at temperatures higher than 42 °C. The Fv/Fm differences between non‐salt‐adapted and salt‐adapted plants persisted for at least 24 h following heat stress. Leaves from salt‐adapted plants also maintained a higher net CO2 assimilation rate than those in non‐salt‐adapted plants at temperatures higher than 42 °C. This increased thermotolerance was independent of the degree of salinity since no significant changes in Fv/Fm and net CO2 assimilation rate were observed among the plants treated with different concentrations of NaCl. The increased thermotolerance of PSII induced by salinity was still evident when heat treatments were carried out under high light. Given that photosynthesis is considered to be the physiological process most sensitive to high temperature damage, increased thermotolerance of photosynthesis may be of significance since A. centralasiatica, a typical halophyte, grows in the high salinity regions in the north of China, where the temperature in the summer is often as high as 45 °C.
Functional expression of AtHMA4, a P1B‐type ATPase of the Zn/Co/Cd/Pb subclass
Authors: Mills Rebecca F. , Krijger Gerard C. , Baccarini Paul J. , Hall J.L. , Williams Lorraine E. 
Published: July 2003

SummaryMechanisms are required by all organisms to maintain the concentration of essential heavy metals (e.g. Zn and Cu) within physiological limits and to minimise the detrimental effects of non‐essential heavy metals (e.g. Cd). Heavy‐metal P‐type ATPases (HMAs) are a subgroup of the P‐type ATPase superfamily that may contribute to metal homeostasis in plants. We cloned and characterised a member of this family, AtHMA4, from Arabidopsis thaliana that clusters with the Zn/Co/Cd/Pb subclass of HMAs on phylogenetic analysis. Sequencing of the AtHMA4 cDNA showed that it contained the conserved motifs found in all P‐type ATPases and also motifs that are characteristic of heavy‐metal ATPases. Escherichia coli mutants defective in the HMAs, CopA and ZntA, were used in functional complementation studies. AtHMA4 was able to restore growth at high [Zn] in the zntA mutant but not at high [Cu] in the copA mutant, suggesting a role in zinc transport. Heterologous expression of AtHMA4 in Saccharomyces cerevisiae made the yeast more resistant to Cd but did not affect sensitivity to other metals compared with vector‐transformed controls. The organ specificity of AtHMA4 was analysed in Arabidopsis and showed that AtHMA4 was expressed in a range of tissues with highest expression in roots. AtHMA4 was upregulated in roots exposed to elevated levels of Zn and Mn but downregulated by Cd. Possible physiological roles of this transporter in Arabidopsis are discussed.
Book Reviews
Authors: Richardson Peter , Watkinson Anthony , Watts Louise , Reid Christine , Shelley Chris , Lees Nigel , Powell Andrea , Richardson Martin , Watkinson Anthony , Watkinson Anthony , Leighton Sophie , Powell Andrea 
Published: July 2003

Serial Publications: Guidelines for Good Practice in Publishing Printed and Electronic Journals, 2nd edition, by Diane Brown, Elaine Stott and Anthony WatkinsonAssociation of Learned and Professional Society Publishers 2003, £27 (members), £30 (non‐members), 108 pp., paperback. ISBN 0‐907341‐22‐5. Available from http://www.alpsp.org/pub3.htmThe Case for Institutional Repositories: A SPARC Position Paper prepared by Raym Crow, SPARC Senior ConsultantScholarly Publishing and Academic Resources Coalition, Washington DC. Release 1.0, 2002. Available at: www.arl.org/sparcThe Case for Institutional Repositories: A SPARC Position Paper prepared by Raym Crow, SPARC Senior ConsultantScholarly Publishing and Academic Resources Coalition, Washington, DC. Release 1.0, 2002. Available at: www.arl.org/sparcInternet Law: Text and Materials by Chris ReedButterworths Tolley, 2000, £24.95, paperback. ISBN 0406981418Intellectual Property Law by Lionel Bently and Brad ShermanOxford University Press, Oxford, 2001, £32.99 (paperback), 1136 pp. ISBN 0‐19‐876343‐3Clearing the Way: Copyright Clearance in UK Libraries by Elizabeth GaddLISU Occasional Paper no. 31, Library & Information Statistics Unit (LISU), Department of Information Science, Loughborough University. ISBN 1 901786 51 XElectronic Journals and User Behaviour: Learning for the Future from the SuperJournal Project by David Pullinger and Christine BaldwinDeedot Press, 2002, £14.95. ISBN 0‐954‐2924‐0‐5Electronic Ecology: A Case Study of Electronic Journals in Context by Karla L. HahnAssociation of Research Libraries, 79 pp., 2001, $45. ISBN 0‐918006‐46‐1The Transition from Paper: Where Are We Going and How Will We Get There edited by R. Stephen Berry and Anne Simon MoffatAmerican Academy of Arts and Sciences, published online (2001): www.amacad.org/publications/trans.htmThe Transition from Paper: Where Are We Going and How Will We Get There edited by R. Stephen Berry and Anne Simon MoffatAmerican Academy of Arts and Sciences, published online (2001): www.amacad.org/publications/trans.htmE‐Serials, Publishers, Libraries, Users and Standards, 2nd edn, edited by Wayne JonesThe Haworth Press Inc., 2003, 294 pp. paperback ISBN 0789012294
Immune Responses against
Salmonella enterica
Serovar Enteritidis Infection in Virally Immunosuppressed Chickens
Authors: Sheela Ruby R. , Babu Uma , Mu Jie , Elankumaran Subbiah , Bautista Daniel A. , Raybourne Richard B. , Heckert Robert A. , Song Wenxia 
Published: July 2003

ABSTRACT

To understand the role of immune mechanisms in protecting chickens from
Salmonella
infections, we examined the immune responses of
Salmonella enterica
serovar Enteritidis-infected chickens and the effect of chicken anemia virus (CAV), a T-cell-targeted virus, on
S. enterica
serovar Enteritidis-induced immune responses. One-day-old chicks were orally inoculated with
S. enterica
serovar Enteritidis with or without intramuscular injection of CAV. The bacterial infection, pathology, and immune responses of chickens were evaluated at 14, 28, and 56 days postinoculation. The infection increased the levels of
S. enterica
serovar Enteritidis-specific mucosal immunoglobulin A (IgA), the number of gut-associated T cells, and the titer of serum IgG specific for
S. enterica
serovar Enteritidis surface antigens. CAV infection depressed these immune responses, especially the mucosal immune responses, but did not increase the number of
S. enterica
serovar Enteritidis-infected cells in the intestine. The severity of pathological lesions appeared to be reciprocal to the level of immune responses, but the
S. enterica
serovar Enteritidis infection persisted. These results suggest that oral infection of
S. enterica
serovar Enteritidis in chickens induces both mucosal and systemic immune responses, which have a limited effect on the
S. enterica
serovar Enteritidis infection under conditions designed to mimic the field situation.
Useful Integrals for Ab-Initio Molecular Quantum Similarity Measurements Using Slater Type Atomic Orbitals
Authors: Berlu Lilian , Hoggan Philip 
Published: July 2003

Molecular quantum similarity measurements are based on a quantitative comparison of the one-electron densities of two molecules superposed and aligned to optimize a well-defined similarity function. In most previous work the densities have been related using a Dirac delta leading to the overlap-like quantum similarity function. The densities for the two molecules compared have generally been approximated often with a simple LCAO of s-gaussian functions. In this work, we present a one center two range expansion method for the evaluation of the overlap integrals involved in the overlap-like quantum similarity function over Slater type orbitals (STO). The single center and three types of two-center overlap integrals (involving four atomic orbitals; two in each molecule) have led to finite sums using a single center approach combined with selection rules obtained by analysis of orbital angular momentum (conservation). The three- and four-center integrals are also obtained analytically but involve infinite sums which require further study before leading to a complete set of integral codes for ab-initio quantum similarity.
On the Radiative and Dynamical Feedbacks over the Equatorial Pacific Cold Tongue
Authors: Sun De-Zheng , Fasullo John , Zhang Tao , Roubicek Andres 
Published: July 2003

Abstract
An analysis of the climatic feedbacks in the NCAR Community Climate Model, version 3 (CCM3) over the equatorial Pacific cold tongue is presented. Using interannual signals in the underlying SST, the radiative and dynamical feedbacks have been calculated using both observations and outputs from the NCAR CCM3. The results show that the positive feedback from the greenhouse effect of water vapor in the model largely agrees with that from observations. The dynamical feedback from the atmospheric transport in the model is also comparable to that from observations. However, the negative feedback from the solar forcing of clouds in the model is significantly weaker than the observed, while the positive feedback from the greenhouse effect of clouds is significantly larger. Consequently, the net atmospheric feedback in the CCM3 over the equatorial cold tongue region is strongly positive (5.1 W m−2 K−1), while the net atmospheric feedback in the real atmosphere is strongly negative (−6.4 W m−2 K−1). A further analysis with the aid of the International Satellite Cloud Climatology Project (ISCCP) data suggests that cloud cover response to changes in the SST may be a significant error source for the cloud feedbacks. It is also noted that the surface heating over the cold tongue in CCM3 is considerably weaker than in observations. In light of results from a linear feedback system, as well as those from a more sophisticated coupled model, it is suggested that the discrepancy in the net atmospheric feedback may have contributed significantly to the cold bias in the equatorial Pacific in the NCAR Climate System Model (CSM).
Philosophical analysis and the moral concept of racism
Authors: Garcia J. L. A. 
Published: July 2003

This paper uses tools of philosophical analysis critically to examine accounts of the nature of racism that have recently been offered by writers including existentialist philosopher Lewis Gordon, conservative theorist Dinesh D'Souza, and sociologists Michael Omi and Howard Winant. These approaches, which conceive of racism either as a bad-faith choice to believe, a doctrine, or as a type of ‘social formation’, are found wanting for a variety of reasons, especially that they cannot comprehend some forms of racism. I propose an account that conceives racism chiefly as a motivational/volitional matter, in short, as a form of moral viciousness. I show how this approach offers a unified account that comprises inter alia individual and institutional racism, expressed and unexpressed racism. I point out advantages that my view has over Thomas Schmid's somewhat similar suggestion, and use the account to examine a number of claims made about racism by H. L. Gates, Jr, Elizabeth Young-Bruehl, Gertrude Ezorsky, and others. Finally, I defend this approach from the general criticism that Benjamin DeMott has levelled against any effort so to understand racism.
Design of a Single-Crystal Piezoceramic Vibration Absorber
Authors: Rusovici Razvan , Dosch Jeffrey J. , Lesieutre George A. 
Published: July 2003

The development of a new class of devices for the suppression of structural vibration becomes possible by exploiting the unique properties of single-crystal piezoceramics. These vibration absorbers will be compact, robust, and demand minimal power for operation. They will be characterized by frequency agility, which means that the absorber tuning parameters can adapt rapidly to controller command and tuning can be accomplished over a wide frequency range. Identified applications include control of turbomachinery vibration, flexible space structures, jitter control in optical systems, and vibration isolation in machinery mounts. The current state-of-the-art adaptive vibration absorber tuning range is fundamentally limited by the electromechanical coupling of presently available polycrystalline piezoceramic materials. The narrow tuning range characteristic of current vibration absorbers severely limits the implementation of the solid-state absorber concept. This work presents efforts related to the design of vibration absorbers that use the single-crystal piezoceramic large electromechanical coupling to achieve greatly enhanced tuning over a wide frequency range. Absorber electromechanical coupling-coefficients greater than 50% were obtained. Design issues specifically related to the use of single crystals in vibration absorbers were identified and addressed. Several device configurations were analyzed and tested. Good agreement was observed between analytical and experimental results.
Self-Adapting Numerical Software for Next Generation Applications
Authors: Dongarra Jack , Eijkhout Victor 
Published: June 2003

The challenge for the development of next generation software is the successful management of the complex grid environment while delivering to the scientist the full power of flexible compositions of the available algorithmic alternatives. Self-Adapting Numerical Software (SANS) systems are intended to meet this significant challenge. A SANS system comprises intelligent next generation numerical software that domain scientists - with disparate levels of knowledge of algorithmic and programmatic complexities of the underlying numerical software - can use to easily express and efficiently solve their problem. The components of a SANS system are: • A SANS agent with: - An intelligent component that automates method selection based on data, algorithm and system attributes. - A system component that provides intelligent management of and access to the computational grid. - A history database that records relevant information generated by the intelligent component and maintains past performance data of the interaction (e.g., algorithmic, hardware specific, etc.) between SANS components. • A simple scripting language that allows a structured multilayered implementation of the SANS while ensuring portability and extensibility of the user interface and underlying libraries. • An XML/CCA-based vocabulary of metadata to describe behavioral properties of both data and algorithms. • System components, including a runtime adaptive scheduler, and prototype libraries that automate the process of architecture-dependent tuning to optimize performance on different platforms. A SANS system can dramatically improve the ability of computational scientists to model complex, interdisciplinary phenomena with maximum efficiency and a minimum of extra-domain expertise. SANS innovations (and their generalizations) will provide to the scientific and engineering community a dynamic computational environment in which the most effective library components are automatically selected based on the problem characteristics, data attributes, and the state of the grid.